Which philosopher is most associated with deontological ethics?

Immanuel Kant is the philosopher most associated with deontological ethics, which is an ethical framework centered on the idea that actions are morally right or wrong based on their adherence to rules or duties, rather than on the consequences they produce. Kant argued that moral obligations are grounded in reason and that individuals should act according to maxims that can be universally applied. His famous categorical imperative asserts that one should act only according to that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it would become a universal law. This focus on duty and principles distinguishes deontological ethics from consequentialist theories, such as those proposed by other philosophers like John Stuart Mill, who emphasized the outcomes of actions rather than the intentions or rules behind them.