Immanuel Kant developed the ethical system of deontology, which states that an action is only morally good if it is done for the sake of duty.
Kant’s philosophy was in contrast to utilitarianism, which states that actions are only morally good if they produce beneficial results. He claimed that morality is not based on consequences but on free will and duty.
Philosopher believed that people should act according to rational principles, regardless of the consequences. For example, if a person knew that killing another person would save five lives, he would still be obligated to refrain from killing. In contrast, Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian theory did not require such a sacrifice because it said that it would be better for one person to die than for five people to die.
In fact, Kant’s other major ethical theory is called deontological ethics (or duty ethics). According to this theory, actions must be performed out of respect for duty or obligation rather than out of self-interest or desire. Kant believed that it was wrong for people to commit immoral acts such as lying or stealing under any circumstances because their actions could never be justified in any way.
Deontology focuses on what you do rather than why you do it or whether your intentions were good or bad. For example, if someone steals a loaf of bread because they are starving, they would not be held responsible for stealing because they did not intend to steal and their actions were motivated by hunger rather than greed or malice. However, Kant would argue that stealing is wrong under any circumstances because it involves breaking a rule that everyone agrees upon (i.e., “thou shalt not steal”).
