Deontological Ethics

Deontology is a normative theory that conceives moral duties as constraints on what agents may or may not do. The chapter begins by examining central features of deontological ethics, emphasizing both the strengths and the limitations of traditional formulations. This sets the stage for introducing moderate deontology, which holds that duties are strictly binding only when abstracted from concrete circumstances. These considerations are crucial for situating psychological practices, understood as nested action plans that, as they unfold, generate new opportunities for and constraints on action. Attending to real-life circumstances in ethical deliberation inevitably draws attention to an axiological dimension alongside the normative, prompting the claim that deontological and teleological considerations require an integrated treatment. The final section analyzes selected elements of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 2017) against the backdrop of the preceding theoretical discussion.