What is deontological?

Deontological means making choices based on rules or duties, like following a set of instructions to be fair and honest.

Imagine you're playing a game with your friends where everyone has to follow the same rules, no matter what. If someone breaks a rule, they get a penalty. That's deontology in action: doing what’s right because it follows the rules, not just for the best outcome.

In school, you might have a rule that says “you must always raise your hand before speaking.” Even if you’re really excited about an answer, you still wait for permission. That’s deontological thinking, it's about following rules because they're important, even when it feels easier to break them.

If someone takes more snacks than their share at snack time, and the rule is “everyone gets equal portions,” then being deontological means you’d tell them, “That’s not fair, we all agreed on sharing.” You're sticking to the rules of fairness, even if it feels harder in the moment.

So, deontology is about doing what's right because of the rules, like a game or a promise, not just for how things turn out.Deontological means making choices based on rules or duties, like following a set of instructions to be fair and honest.

Imagine you're playing a game with your friends where everyone has to follow the same rules, no matter what. If someone breaks a rule, they get a penalty. That's deontology in action: doing what’s right because it follows the rules, not just for the best outcome.