Deontological moral theory
Deontological moral theory is a Non-Consequentialist
moral theory. While consequentialists believe the
ends always justify the means, deontologists assert that the rightness of an
action is not simply dependent on maximizing the good, if that action goes
against what is considered moral. It is the inherent nature of the act alone
that determines its ethical standing. For example, imagine a situation where
there are four critical condition patients in a hospital who each need a different
organ in order to survive. Then, a healthy man comes to the doctor’s office for
a routine check-up. According to consequentialism,
not deontology, the doctor should and must sacrifice that one man in order to
save for others. Thus, maximizing the good.
