ABSTRACT
This chapter covers one of the most important approaches to ethics in the Western tradition: the universal basis for ethics based on human reason, divine command, or human nature. This system assumes that ethical decisions and behavior require a set of rationally worked-out rules that apply under all conditions, to be followed regardless of consequences. This system is traced back to the Enlightenment philosopher, Immanuel Kant (referred to as Kantianism), particularly his formulation of the Categorical Imperative. Deontological ethics are derived from the Greek word, deon, meaning “duty.” Major alternatives to universal systems include situational ethics and cultural relativism. A significant contemporary Kantian system is the discourse ethics of Habermas, which holds that in an “ideal speech situation,” a group of people can reach consensus on the proper norms or values determining ethical behavior.
