Week 30, 2021 — Issue #162
Normative Ethics: Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Virtue Ethics
Each week: three ideas on and about the future of work. This week: three ideas on morality and ethics.
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As is about to become apparent, I never took philosophy in school. I never studied ethics. But I still find it to be a fascinating topic. So much so that I’d like to devote this issue to the practical means with which organizations can determine the moral course of action.
Let’s dig in.
1. Deontological Ethics
The action is good if it follows the rules
Deontological Ethics (aka Duty Ethics) focuses on actions; it holds that actions are moral if they abide by rules laid down by an external source, regardless of what the outcomes might be. This is good in the sense that it underscores equality and human rights (e.g., we’re all equal under the law). But it’s problematic in the sense that it can create tensions if and when people abide by different rules.
