Debates over Kant’s meta-ethics inc. Philippa Foot Flashcards
How does Kant’s concept of human dignity differ from Hume’s view of morality?
One strength of Kant’s ethics is that it provides an objective basis for a universal ethics based on reason’s recognition of morally equality.
Kant’s concept of human dignity, rooted in our autonomy and rationality, counters Hume’s reduction of morality to relativistic socially conditioned emotional responses.
How did Kant’s ideas contribute to the development of human rights during the Enlightenment?
One strength of Kant’s ethics is that it provides an objective basis for a universal ethics based on reason’s recognition of morally equality.
Kant’s concept of human dignity, based on our nature as autonomous rational beings, influenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing the intrinsic worth of every individual.
What did Kant believe about the basis for morality without the categorical imperative?
Kant believed that without the categorical imperative, morality would rely on hypothetical imperatives, leading people to act morally only when it suited their own ends, as all motivations except respect for the moral law are fundamentally self-interested.
One strength of Kant’s ethics is that it provides an objective basis for a universal ethics based on reason’s recognition of morally equality.
What does Philippa Foot argue against Kant’s claim regarding categorical imperatives?
Weakness: Phillipa Foot’s critique that morality is a system of hypothetical rather than categorical imperatives.
Foot denies Kant’s assertion that it is irrational to disobey categorical imperatives, arguing that there are instances, like rules of etiquette, where disobeying categorical imperatives is not considered irrational or immoral.
How does Foot’s argument challenge Kant’s view of categorical imperatives?
Weakness: Phillipa Foot’s critique that morality is a system of hypothetical rather than categorical imperatives.
Foot suggests that the power of categorical imperatives over us may be the result of social conditioning rather than reason, questioning Kant’s claim that they derive from reason.
What does Foot argue is the only basis for moral judgments to be rationally binding?
Weakness: Phillipa Foot’s critique that morality is a system of hypothetical rather than categorical imperatives.
Foot argues that moral judgments are only rationally binding if we accept them as our own ends, making them invariably hypothetical rather than categorical.
According to Foot, what is the flaw in Kantian ethics regarding its claim about objective universal morality?
Weakness: Phillipa Foot’s critique that morality is a system of hypothetical rather than categorical imperatives.
Foot contends that Kantian ethics lacks justification for claiming that objective universal morality can be derived from reason, suggesting that moral judgments are based on personal ends rather than objective principles.
Quote supporting
Weakness: Phillipa Foot’s critique that morality is a system of hypothetical rather than categorical imperatives.
“My argument is that they [Kant] are relying on an illusion, as if trying to give the moral “ought” a magic force” – Foot.
How does Kant respond to Philippa Foot’s criticism regarding the rationality of disobeying categorical imperatives?
Evaluation defending Kant
Kant argues that disobeying categorical imperatives would require privileging one’s own ends over others, which is irrational as reason dictates that all rational beings are equal and their ends should be treated as such.
What does Kant argue about the rationality of treating one’s ends as superior to others’?
Evaluation defending Kant
Kant contends that there is no rational way to privilege one’s ends above others’, as reason dictates that all ends should be treated as equal.
What is unique about Kant’s categorical imperative compared to other imperatives, according to Kant?
Evaluation defending Kant
Kant argues that his categorical imperative is unique because it is derived from reason and requires treating all ends as equal, unlike other imperatives such as those of etiquette.
How might deontologists respond to Philippa Foot’s criticism?
Evaluation criticising Kant
Deontologists may argue that Foot’s criticism undermines morality, potentially returning it to its Humean anti-realist status.
How did Foot later develop her theory after critiquing Kant?
Evaluation criticising Kant
Foot later developed her theory with inspiration from Aristotelian virtue ethics, which emphasizes cultivating virtues like love and classical virtues.
What did Kant believe about the motivations behind actions not done out of duty?
Evaluation criticising Kant
Kant believed that actions not done out of duty would be motivated by self-interest, which he considered a disaster for society.
What mistake does Kant make, according to the argument presented?
Evaluation criticising Kant
Kant accepts a false dichotomy between acting out of duty or emotional self-interest, failing to acknowledge the possibility of being motivated by virtues cultivated through Aristotelian virtue ethics.
