Atheists have Morals

Secular Morality:

Threshold Deontology

Threshold Deontology is a hybrid moral theory that blends elements of deontology (duty-based ethics) with elements of consequentialism (outcome-based ethics), aiming to preserve the moral integrity of deontological principles while allowing flexibility in extreme circumstances.

Core Idea

Threshold Deontology maintains that:

Moral duties and rights are inviolable—up to a point.

When the consequences of following these duties become catastrophic enough (cross a “threshold”), it becomes morally permissible—or even obligatory—to override them in favor of the greater good.

Key Components

Deontological Commitments
- Moral rules (e.g., don’t kill, don’t lie, respect rights) are normally absolute or near-absolute.
- These duties are grounded in respect for persons, autonomy, or intrinsic moral value.
- For example, it is normally wrong to kill one person to save five.
Threshold Concept
- There exists a critical level of harm or consequence—the “threshold”—beyond which the cost of obeying moral duties becomes morally intolerable.
- At or beyond this threshold, the theory temporarily gives way to consequentialist reasoning.
- For instance, killing one person might be justified to prevent a nuclear catastrophe that would kill millions.
Moral Permissibility vs. Obligation
- The theory can be framed in two ways:
  - Permissive Version: It’s permissible (but not required) to break duties past the threshold.
  - Obligatory Version: It becomes morally required to override duties once the threshold is crossed.