The Rule That Exposes Your Ethics Most people judge actions by results. Did it work? Did it help? Did it succeed? Kant thought this mindset was dangerous. Because if outcomes decide morality, then lying, manipulation, and cruelty can all be justified when they “work.” In the 18th century, Kant developed deontology — the idea that morality is about duty, not consequences. An action is moral only if it follows a rule that should apply to everyone, everywhere. If you wouldn’t want everyone to do it