Living Deontological Ethics

Abstract

Most philosophical undertakings, in the history of philosophy are purely conceptual. That in its own makes it rather difficult if not impossible to tie them down to an ordinary tempo of everyday mundane activities. One such philosophical treatise is the absolutist, rational and monist ethical theory known as deontological ethics. The overriding objective of this research is thus to show what it takes to bring this deontological ethics down to an empirical façade of life. Put differently, this research is designed to bring to daylight the idiosyncrasies there are to living deontological ethics in an ordinary life-setting. To this end this philosophical research went on supporting the aforementioned aim with a case study such that it would become handy to show the shape the deontological moral imperatives would take. To this end, this research made every use of the rational and critical methods of philosophical probing with an eye on and in due support obtained from a key informant interview. Following a thorough review of the related literature and analyzing logically the information obtained from an unstructured interview on a case study, this research was able to draw some conclusions which unfold as follows: Living deontological ethics, every step of our way might sound difficult but not untenable. When we – human beings - live the precepts of deontological ethics, we will have a chance given to us by ourselves to realize that there are lots, way more lots of things, persons, groups, communities et cetera that we are indebted to, that we owe so much more than we can admit.