Kant and the deontological theory Immanuel Kant was a moral philosopher. His theory, better known as deontological theory, holds that intent, reason, rationality, and goodwill are motivating factors in ethical decision making. The purpose of this article is to describe and explain the main elements of his theory, its essential points, how it is used in decision making and how it intersects with team values. Although Kant's theory may seem “overly optimistic” (Johnson, 2008) now, it was considered acceptable and rational behavior then. Kant believed that any moral or ethical decision could be reached with consistent behavior. While judgment was based on reason, morality was based on the rational choices made by human beings (Freeman, 2000). The human brain is the most advanced in the animal kingdom. Not only do humans work by instinct, but they have the ability to resolve situations to make a decision. This includes weighing the pros and cons of decisions that might be made and how they affect others in a positive or negative way. This is called rational thinking. Kant believed that any human being capable of rationalizing a decision before it was made had the capacity to be a morally right person (Freeman, 2000). There were some things that made the decision moral, and he called it a “categorical imperative” (Johnson, 2008). If someone was immoral they violated this CI and were considered irrational. The IC is said to be an automatic response that was part of Kant's thesis that all people deserve respect. This automatic response to rational thought is why it is considered, today, “overly optimistic” (Johnson, 2008). Intelligence and other talents of the mind are… middle of paper… decision making that takes place when ethical dilemmas arise, but which also seems refreshing as it takes us back to a time when society knew right from wrong and he chose the good. However, we also feel that beings capable of reason do not, as a whole, follow inherent duties. They are not always subject to imperatives that push them to act correctly regardless of personal gain, or appropriately for personal gain. Kant references on good will. (2008). Retrieved April 19, 2009, from http://philosophy.tamu.edu/~gary/intro/paper.kant.goodwill.html.Freeman, Stephen J. (2000). Ethics: Introduction to philosophy and practice. Belmont, CA:Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.Johnson, R. (2008). Kant's moral philosophy. Retrieved April 16, 2008, from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/#GooWilMorWorDut