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Year 8

Deontology and Immanuel Kant

I can explain a deontological outlook on ethical decision-making using the work of Immanuel Kant as an example.

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New
New
Year 8

Deontology and Immanuel Kant

I can explain a deontological outlook on ethical decision-making using the work of Immanuel Kant as an example.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Deontology means we should act in ways that could be good rules for everyone, like always telling the truth.
  2. Deontology means intentions are more important than results; doing something because it’s right is what counts.
  3. Deontology encourages us to think about what’s right for everyone, not just what benefits us personally.
  4. Kant's deontology teaches that doing the right thing means following certain duties or rules, no matter the outcome.
  5. Kantian ethics can be criticised in a number of ways, e.g., it ignores acting on the basis of certain motives.

Keywords

  • Deontology - a way of thinking about ethics that focuses on following principles or duties to make good choices

  • Duty - something you should do because it’s the right thing, like telling the truth or keeping a promise

  • Ethics - the study of right and wrong

  • Immanuel Kant - an 18th-century philosopher who believed that doing the right thing means following important rules or principles, no matter what

Common misconception

Kant's deontology means that actions such as killing are always wrong.

The categorical imperative doesn’t mean the same in every situation because it takes the context into account, e.g., killing is generally wrong it can be justified where the intention is to protect life.

Ask students to come up with their own scenarios and apply a deontological approach to them.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
'Philosophy' literally means 'love of '.
Correct Answer: wisdom, Wisdom
Q2.
Why is 'What is the right thing to do?' considered an ultimate question?
It produces a simple, clear answer for everyone.
Correct answer: It requires deep thinking and does not have an easy or clear answer.
It only applies to specific situations.
It is about personal preference, not right or wrong.
Q3.
What is reason?
the ability to make decisions based on emotions
Correct answer: the ability to think, understand, and form judgements logically
the ability to memorise facts
the ability to follow instructions without thinking
Q4.
Ethics helps us decide what the thing to do is.
Correct Answer: right, Right
Q5.
Which of the following is an ethical question?
How can I make more money?
Where should I go on holiday?
What should I eat for dinner?
Should I have a shower before bedtime?
Correct answer: Is it right to lie to protect someone's feelings?
Q6.
Why is ethics often about moral character?
it focuses only on our actions, not who we are inside
Correct answer: it focuses on the decisions we make and how they show who we are as a person
it teaches us the best ways to achieve personal success
it teaches us how to avoid consequences for bad actions

6 Questions

Q1.
The word ‘deontology’ comes from the Greek word ‘deon’, meaning .
Correct Answer: duty, Duty
Q2.
Which of the following best describes deontological ethics?
deciding based on the consequences of actions
Correct answer: making decisions based on rules or duties, regardless of the outcomes
acting in a way that makes everyone happy
choosing what feels right in the moment
Q3.
Which of these ethical decisions align with Kant's idea of acting out of duty?
helping a friend because it feels good
Correct answer: telling the truth because you believe you should be honest
cheating on an exam to get a higher mark
Correct answer: returning a lost item to its owner because it is the right thing to do
Q4.
Why did Kant argue that lying is always wrong?
it goes against personal happiness
Correct answer: it disrupts trust in society and breaks the rule of honesty
it is sometimes necessary to avoid harm
it can result in severe consequences
Q5.
Sort the actions below into the correct order according to Kant’s decision-making process.
1 - Consider the action you are planning.
2 - Identify the rule you would be following.
3 - Decide if the world would work well if everyone followed this rule.
4 - Decide on your action.
Q6.
Kant's imperative means acting in a way that you think everyone should act.
Correct Answer: categorical, Categorical

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