Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
12-2020
Abstract
Deontic constraints prohibit an agent performing acts of a certain type even when doing so will prevent more instances of that act being performed by others. In this article I show how deontic constraints can be interpreted as either maximizing or non-maximizing rules. I then argue that they should be interpreted as maximizing rules because interpreting them as non-maximizing rules results in a problem with moral advice. Given this conclusion, a strong case can be made that consequentialism provides the best account of deontic constraints.
Keywords
constraints, maximizing, deontology, consequentialism, agent-relative consequentialism, agent-centered restrictions
Discipline
Ethics and Political Philosophy | Theory and Philosophy
Research Areas
Humanities
Publication
Journal of Value Inquiry
Volume
54
Issue
4
First Page
571
Last Page
588
ISSN
0022-5363
Identifier
10.1007/s10790-020-09731-8
Publisher
Springer Verlag (Germany)
Citation
HAMMERTON, Matthew.(2020). Deontic constraints are maximizing rules. Journal of Value Inquiry, 54(4), 571-588.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3144
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10790-020-09731-8