On your whiteboard What have you done for

On your whiteboard: • What have you done for RS over the holiday? • • • Organised your folder? First-year revision? Second-year revision? Homework task for NT (watching videos on Jesus’ arrest/trial? Anything else? • How would you rate your current effort in RS out of 10? • (10 means you are doing everything you possibly could be)

Mock Re-writes • Have 5 minutes to read my feedback and decide what you need to do next

On your whiteboard (recap from ethics last year): • What is the difference between deontology and teleology? • What is the difference between absolutism and relativism? • What is the point of an ethical theory? • List the ethical theories you know and summarise each one in a sentence.

Deontology and duty-based ethics Deontological ethical theories claim that actions are right or wrong in themselves, not depending on their consequences. We have moral duties to do things which it is right to do and moral duties not to do things which it is wrong to do. Whereas teleological theories (such as utilitarianism and situation ethics) are relativist (what is right and wrong changes relative to the situation), deontology is absolutist (what is wrong is always wrong, no matter what). Deontology is often referred to as duty-based ethics. Rather than giving us a way of working out the right action, it gives us a list of duties we have at all times.

Thomas Nagel (a modern deontologist): “Common moral intuition recognizes several types of deontological reasons – limits on what one may do to people or how one may treat them. There are special obligations created by promises and agreements; the restrictions against lying and betrayal; the prohibitions against violating various individual rights, rights not to be killed, injured, imprisoned, threatened, tortured, coerced, robbed; the restrictions against imposing certain sacrifices on someone simply as a means to an end; and perhaps the special claim of immediacy, which makes distress at a distance so different from distress in the same room. There may also be a deontological requirement of fairness, of evenhandedness or equality in one’s treatment of people. ” 1. What is Nagel saying? 2. Do you agree with him? Explain why.

Let’s take a few minutes to read about Kant’s personality – he’s an interesting guy!! Our new topic… • A deontological ethical theory • Put forward by Immanuel Kant • Aims to give a rational basis for morality What does this mean?

Kant’s philosophical background Immanuel Kant was a rationalist philosopher. This means he thought we could find ethical truth by using our rationality/reason. Being moral means being rational. “Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe … the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. ” – Kant What does this mean?

So, what is Kant looking for? • An absolute, objective moral law that applies to everyone in all situations. • A categorical (rather than hypothetical) imperative

The Categorical Imperative Rather than giving us a long list of rational duties, Kant said there is actually one categorical imperative. But it can be expressed in different ways (formulations): “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. ” “Always treat humanity, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end. ” “Always act as though you are a legislating member in the universal kingdom of ends. ”

“Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. ”

“Always treat humanity, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end. ”

“Always act as though you are a legislating member in the universal kingdom of ends. ”