Kant’s Deontological Ethics in a Real-Life Example

In a world where conflicting interests often lead to moral dilemmas, consider a scenario involving a desperate mother with a critically ill son. Facing financial ruin from extensive medical bills and possessing no assets to sell, she resorts to creating fake online personas to deceive people into sending her money for her son's costly treatment.

This ethical quandary invites an analysis through the lens of Kant's deontological ethics, emphasizing the importance of moral duty.

Kant's deontological ethics differs from utilitarianism by prioritizing the motivation behind actions over their outcomes.

For an action to be morally acceptable, it must be driven by motivations in line with established moral standards (Paquette et al.

Get quality help now

Bella Hamilton

Verified writer

Proficient in: Ethics

5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

32). In this case, the woman's decision to deceive others stems from her duty as a parent to save her child. However, despite her noble intentions, Kantian ethics deems her actions morally inappropriate as they involve committing a crime.

Another crucial aspect of Kant's ethical framework is the treatment of others as ends in themselves, not as means to an end (Paquette et al. 32). In this situation, the woman, driven by her ambitions, uses people as a means to secure funds for her son's survival. She neglects to consider the consequences of her actions on others' lives and financial situations, rendering her strategy morally inappropriate within the deontological framework.

In navigating the intricacies of moral quandaries, one can envision a scenario involving a mother desperately grappling with her son's critical illness. Burdened by insurmountable medical bills and devoid of assets, she resorts to creating fictional online personas, deceiving compassionate individuals into providing funds for her son's costly treatment. This ethical dilemma warrants examination through Kant's deontological ethics, where the emphasis lies on motivations aligning with moral standards.

Diverging from utilitarianism, Kant's deontological approach prioritizes the intention behind actions over their outcomes (Paquette et al. 32). Despite the woman's well-intentioned duty as a parent, her deceptive actions are deemed morally inappropriate within this framework, constituting a criminal act.

A pivotal tenet of Kantian ethics is treating others as ends in themselves, not as means to an end (Paquette et al. 32). In this narrative, the woman, driven by her aspirations, employs people as a means to procure funds for her son's survival. Her failure to contemplate the ramifications of her actions on others' lives and financial well-being renders her strategy morally inappropriate within the deontological paradigm.