Which statement about deontology is true?

Which statement about deontology is true?

• A. Morality is determined by duties and universal rules
• B. Morality depends on outcomes
• C. Morality is relative
• D. Morality is decided by social contracts

Answer: (A)

Deontology grounds morality in duties and universal rules that apply to all rational beings. In this view, what makes an action right is whether it follows a duty and conforms to a rule that could be willed as a universal law, rather than what happens as a result of the action. The idea is captured well by the Kantian notion of the categorical imperative: act only on maxims you could consistently will to become universal laws, and treat people as ends in themselves rather than as means. Because moral evaluation focuses on the principle behind the action, a lie is wrong even if it might bring good outcomes in a particular case, since the maxim “lying is acceptable” could not be universalized without defeating trust. The other options describe different ethical theories—consequentialism emphasizes outcomes, moral relativism emphasizes cultural or personal norms, and social contract theory centers on agreements within a society. Thus the statement that morality is determined by duties and universal rules best reflects deontology.

Deontology grounds morality in duties and universal rules that apply to all rational beings. In this view, what makes an action right is whether it follows a duty and conforms to a rule that could be willed as a universal law, rather than what happens as a result of the action. The idea is captured well by the Kantian notion of the categorical imperative: act only on maxims you could consistently will to become universal laws, and treat people as ends in themselves rather than as means. Because moral evaluation focuses on the principle behind the action, a lie is wrong even if it might bring good outcomes in a particular case, since the maxim “lying is acceptable” could not be universalized without defeating trust. The other options describe different ethical theories—consequentialism emphasizes outcomes, moral relativism emphasizes cultural or personal norms, and social contract theory centers on agreements within a society. Thus the statement that morality is determined by duties and universal rules best reflects deontology.