dutyethics

Duty ethics, or deontological ethics, is a family of normative ethical theories that judge actions by whether they conform to moral rules or duties rather than by their consequences. These duties may be universalizable, derived from rationality, or anchored in a moral law that applies to all rational agents.

The most influential figure is Immanuel Kant, who argued that moral actions are performed from a sense of duty and according to maxims that could be willed as universal laws. He formulated the categorical imperative, including a principle that persons should be treated as ends in themselves, not merely as means. Other deontologists, such as W. D. Ross, introduced the idea of prima facie duties—duties that are binding unless overridden by stronger duties in a given situation.

Core principles include respect for autonomy, truth-telling, keeping promises, and other duties owed to others. The methodological emphasis is on determining the rightness of an action by its adherence to rule-based duties rather than its outcomes. When duties conflict, theorists may appeal to a hierarchy of duties or to a balance among prima facie duties to resolve tensions.

Applications appear in law, professional ethics, medical ethics, and public policy, where rules and rights define appropriate conduct. Critics argue that strict adherence to duty can be inflexible and may justify harmful outcomes in some cases, or fail to provide a clear method for weighing competing duties. Proponents reply that duties reflect respect for rational agency and the binding force of moral law.