A Defense of Kantian Deontology Against Critiques from Virtue Ethics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66581/bcxg8z98Keywords:
Moral Philosophy, Virtue Ethics, DeontologyAbstract
This paper explores the enduring debate between deontology and virtue ethics. Focusing on the critiques leveled against Kantian deontology by proponents of virtue ethics, this study provides a corresponding defense from a Kantian perspective. The first section outlines the fundamental principles of Kantian deontology, emphasizing the significance of universal laws in moral action. The second section elucidates the core tenets of virtue ethics, highlighting the central role of virtue as an internal disposition in moral judgment and behavioral choice. The third section provides a detailed analysis of virtue ethics' refutations of Kantian deontology, noting that virtue theorists argue their framework offers superior action-guidance. In the final section, the paper offers a three-pronged defense of Kantian deontology and discusses the comparative value and significance of both frameworks in modern ethics. Through this analysis, a more comprehensive understanding of the divergent perspectives held by Kantian deontology and virtue ethics within moral theory is achieved.
References
Kant, I., & Schneewind, J. B. (2002). Groundwork for the metaphysics of morals. Yale University Press.
Hooft, S. (Ed.). (2014). The handbook of virtue ethics. Acumen Publishing Limited.
Rowe, C. J., & Broadie, S. (Eds.). (2002). Nicomachean ethics. Oxford University Press.
[Kant, I. (1997). Lectures on ethics. Cambridge University Press.
Kant, I. (1993). Kant's doctrine of obligatory ends. Jahrbuch für Recht und Ethik / Annual Review of Law and Ethics.
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