Deontological ethics is too rigid in its emphasis on duties, utilitarian ethics too keen to override basic human rights.

Deontological ethics is too rigid in its emphasis on duties, utilitarian

ethics too keen to override basic human rights.

Deontology and utilitarianism are both types of ethics referring to how one

reacts in a certain situation. Deontology is based on following a set of duties and

sticking to these duties no matter what the consequences whereas utilitarianism is

based on choosing the best outcome over a short term and long term even if it means

depriving people of basic human rights for example. However does this mean that

deontological ethics is too rigid in its emphasis on duties and that utilitarian ethics is

too keen to override basic human rights?

According to a deontologist ones actions must be determined by a set of duties

regardless of whether the long term consequences are good or bad. A deontologist

believes in human morals and that every human has certain rights and these morals and

rights should not be betrayed no matter what the cost for example sacrificing one life

to save one hundred lives would be unacceptable to the deontologist despite the fact

the consequences would be better overall.

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Originally uploaded to the English Wikipedia on 13...

The biggest problem with deontology is knowing which set of duties to follow,

there could be a great variation in systems between people from different backgrounds,

different social classes, different religions and people from different cultures. For

example a Protestant English Lord would have different morals and a different set of

duties than a lower class Indian Hindu. It is very difficult to tell which set of duties, if

any, is the right one.

Deontologists suffer many problems when their duties seem to conflict with

themselves or with other duties. One has a duty to save lives but what if in order to do

this one must betray another duty for example a...