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Arguments Against Deontology

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Deontology: Right vs. Wrong When it comes to talking about the moral and social problems of veracity, there are many different positons that one can defend. When researching and doing readings from class, I found it difficult to pick a side to defend; however, that was until I reread Immanuael Kant’s “On a Supposed Right to Tell Lies from Benevolent Motives”. That reading allowed me to find one of the theories of veracity which fits closest to my own personal morals concerning the matter of veracity: deontology. Deontology is an approach to ethics that focuses on the rightness or wrongness of the actions themselves instead of focusing on the rightness or wrongness of the consequences or the character and habits of the actor. The theory of deontology allows a person to really consider their actions before blindly acting on impulses. Taking a closer look at the rightness or wrongness of one’s actions BEFORE they are acted upon is how I have lived my life ever since I was a child and will continue to be the way I live my life. …show more content…

Kant states that we have a perfect duty not to act by maxims that result in logical contradictions. There are also imperfect duties, these are still based on pure reason, but allow for interpretation on how they are performed. However, because these decisions are based off the preferences of mankind they are still not nearly as strong as perfect duties, but are still morally binding. The categorical imperative seems to be similar to the golden rule of “Do not impose on others what you do not wish on

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