Lecture 13: Deontology (PHIL 181)

Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature (PHIL 181)

Professor Gendler opens with a final criticism of Utilitarianism from Bernard Williams: in some cases, a good person should feel reluctant to do an act which brings about the greatest happiness, even if it is the right thing to do. The second half of the lecture introduces Kant's deontological moral theory. In contrast to consequentialism, deontology holds that it's not the outcome of actions that matter for their moral valence, but rather the will of the agent performing such actions. The outlines of Kant's deontological theory are presented, to be continued in the next lecture.