Ethics is a branch of philosophy aimed at defining and establishing moral rules and descriptions of good and evil. Ethics is a versatile science that may be divided into several components and areas. They are meta-ethics, deontological ethics, hedonism, normative ethics, teleological ethics, and many others (White, n.d.) The present paper is aimed at describing teleological and deontological ethics as well as the differences between them.
Deontology is considered to be a branch of ethics based on the notion of duty. Deontologists focus on establishing whether the motives and reasons for certain actions are good or evil, while the consequences of these actions do not bother them (White, n.d.). Deontological ethics is based on each individual’s moral duties and obligations and adheres to the Golden Rule, saying that people should treat others the way they want to be treated.
Teleology is considered to be the branch of ethics that assesses not the reasons for actions but their consequences. Unlike deontology, it focuses on the purpose of certain doings or behavior (White, n.d.). Teleological ethics enables people to predict the results of present actions taking into account past experiences and their consequences. It is also called utilitarianism and is used to measure the degree of happiness people can achieve by committing certain actions.
The main difference between teleology and deontology is that the former focuses on the results of an action and their influence on people’s happiness. At the same time, the latter regards the performance of moral duties every person has. Both teleological and deontological ethics are used in criminal justice. For instance, the principles of teleological ethics enable police officers are able to discern amoral actions dangerous to society from those that are beneficial to it. Knowledge of the principles of deontological ethics can help establish whether the motives of criminals were selfish or whether they committed the crime unconsciously.
Reference
White, R. F. (n.d.). Teleological and deontological theories. Mount St. Joseph University. Web.