3.2.1 Kantian Deontological ethics - 5 markers Flashcards
Explain Kant’s account of what is meant by a ‘good will’
A good will is the only thing morally good ‘without qualification’. Acting from a good will is morally praiseworthy, even if it doesn’t achieve its intended outcomes. Kant’s example of an honest shopkeeper illustrates this: while acting honestly is morally right, it lacks true good will if the honesty is driven by self-interest for business benefit, hence, the shopkeeper is acting in accordance with duty. Acting out of duty means doing what is morally right simply because it is the right thing to do, thus, if the shopkeeper was acting honest, because it’s the right thing to do, the shopkeeper would be acting out of duty, on the motive of good will.
Explain the distinction between hypothetical imperatives and categorical imperatives
A hypothetical imperative is an imperative that only applies to people in particular situations. They usually have an “if…then…” structure. For example, if you want to do well in school, then you should work hard”. Whereas, a categorical imperative is an imperative that applies to everyone no matter what. For example, “do not murder people”. Categorical imperatives do not have an “if…then…” structure. There is no “If…then…” before “do not murder people”.
Explain the distinction between acting in accordance with duty and acting out of duty
According to Kant an action is only morally good, if that action was acted upon through duty, which is something you do regardless of its consequences. For Kant, this is acting out of duty, which is doing the right thing because it is right, regardless of what your desires and inclinations are. Whereas, acting in accordance with duty is doing the right things, but not for the right reasons. Kant’s example of an honest shopkeeper illustrates this; while acting honestly is morally right, it lacks true moral worth if the honesty is driven by self-interest for business benefit, hence, the shopkeeper is acting in accordance with duty. Acting out of duty means doing what is morally right simply because it is the right thing to do, thus, if the shopkeeper was acting honest, because it’s the right thing to do, the shopkeeper would be acting out of duty, which for Kant has moral worth.
Explain the first formulation of the categorical imperative
According to Kant, to test whether we can follow our duties we must apply the both formulations of the categorical imperative. The first formulation, known as the universal law formulation can be outlined as follows: “one should act only on the maxim that you can at the same time will that it can become a universal law.” This concept, known as universalisability, involves assessing whether a maxim can be consistently applied worldwide. Kant uses two criteria for this evaluation: the contradiction in conception, where a maxim cannot be conceived universally, for instance, if everyone followed the maxim to steal, the very idea of ownership and property would break down, For Kant, if an action was to produce a contradiction in conception we would have a perfect duty not to follow it; and the contradiction in will, where a maxim can be conceived but we would not rationally choose to live in such a world, for instance, if everyone followed the maxim litter when convenient. For Kant, if an action was to produce a contradiction in will we would have a perfect duty not to follow it.
Explain the distinction between a contradiction in conception and a contradiction in will
A contradiction in conception
occurs where a maxim cannot be conceived universally, for instance, if everyone followed the maxim to steal, the very idea of ownership and property would break down. For Kant, if an action was to produce a contradiction in conception we would have a perfect duty not to follow it. A contradiction in will occurs where a maxim can be conceived but we would not rationally choose to live in such a world, for instance, if everyone followed the maxim litter when convenient. For Kant, if an action was to produce a contradiction in will we would have a perfect duty not to follow it.
Explain the second formulation of the categorical imperative
According to Kant, to test whether we can follow our duties we must apply the both formulations of the categorical imperative. The second formulation, known as the formulation of humanity, can be outlined as follows: “Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end”. Here, Kant is suggesting that because all rational beings have and seek ends, to treat a rational being as a mere means to an end, contradicts the fact that the rational being has their own ends. Thus, you should never use a rational being to achieve some goal that isn’t in their own interests, for instance, suppose you’re a politician and you “lie to people, to achieve power”, you’re lying to voters (means) to achieve power (ends).
Issues, including: clashing/competing duties
Kant claims that if we have a perfect duty to do something you should always do it. However, this causes problems in cases in which a perfect duty clashes with a different perfect duty when fulfilling one perfect duty, means that you cannot fulfil the other. I made a promise to my mother to care for her no matter what, but then I found out that in order to care for her I must steal. What then? I cannot follow both my perfect duty “do not break promises” and “do not to steal”. If you have a duty to always do something, this means that in situations where perfect duties clash, then Kantian deontological ethics is incoherent.
Issues, including: not all universalisable maxims are distinctly moral; not all non universalisable maxims are immoral
Issues, including: the view that consequences of actions determine their moral value
Issues, including: Kant ignored the value of certain motives e.g. love, friendship, kindness
Kant claims that for an action to be morally good it must be motivated by a good will. This means that
must therefore act out of duty, not merely in accordance with duty (ie one does not just do what duty
demands, but one also does it only because duty demands it).
To be motivated by one’s desires is to act heteronomously as opposed to autonomously
Issues, including: morality is a system of hypothetical, rather than categorical imperatives (Philippa Foot)
Foot argues that while moral imperatives might seem to be categorical, they are in fact
hypothetical because it is not irrational to disobey them (unless they contradict our
desires/aims).
