deontology

[dee-on-tol-uh-jee]

noun

1. ethics, especially that branch dealing with duty, moral obligation, and right action.

deontology

/ ˌdiːɒnˈtɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the branch of ethics dealing with duty, moral obligation, and moral commitment

Other Word Forms

• deontological adjective
• deontologist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deontology¹

First recorded in 1820–30; from Greek deont- (stem of déon “binding,” neuter present participle of deîn “to bind, tie, fetter”) + -o- ( def. ) + -logy

Word History and Origins

Origin of deontology¹

C19: from Greek deon duty (see _deontic ) + _-logy

Example Sentences

In Slate Plus: Barry talks to Sarah Lustbader, senior contributor to the Appeal and senior legal counsel for the Justice Collaborative, about the comparative significance of mens rea versus moral luck in prosecution and why the deontology/consequentialism debate in criminal justice policy is so difficult.

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May, who teaches at Clemson, starred in a series of short videos explaining concepts like existentialism, utilitarianism, and deontology to the show’s viewers.

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In contrast to consequentialism or duty-based deontology, virtue ethics emphasizes virtues or moral excellence.

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On the other side we have Captain America, who stands on principle as a representative of the rule-based ethics known as deontology, most often linked to Immanuel Kant.

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According to Goodall, the best options for car builders are “deontology,” an ethical approach in which the car is programmed to adhere to a fixed set of rules, or “consequentialism,” where it is set to maximize some benefit—say, driver safety over vehicle damage.

Read more on BusinessWeek