Which statement best captures a Deontological view of morality?

Which statement best captures a Deontological view of morality?

• A. Some acts are always wrong, regardless of consequences
• B. The ends justify the means
• C. Virtue is the sole guide
• D. Morality is determined by outcomes

Answer: (A)

Deontological ethics centers on duties and rules that must be followed regardless of the consequences. It holds that some actions are inherently right or wrong because of the moral law or duty they violate, not because of what they produce. So the statement that some acts are always wrong, regardless of outcomes, best expresses this view: it claims there are intrinsic moral prohibitions that hold true no matter what good might come from violating them. By contrast, the other ideas align with different ethical frameworks: the notion that the ends justify the means reflects a consequence-based approach, virtue being the sole guide points to virtue ethics, and morality determined by outcomes is also about evaluating actions by their results.

Deontological ethics centers on duties and rules that must be followed regardless of the consequences. It holds that some actions are inherently right or wrong because of the moral law or duty they violate, not because of what they produce. So the statement that some acts are always wrong, regardless of outcomes, best expresses this view: it claims there are intrinsic moral prohibitions that hold true no matter what good might come from violating them.

By contrast, the other ideas align with different ethical frameworks: the notion that the ends justify the means reflects a consequence-based approach, virtue being the sole guide points to virtue ethics, and morality determined by outcomes is also about evaluating actions by their results.