Immanuel Kant Flashcards
Immanuel Kant main beliefs
-presented deontological argument so in this theory action is what establishes morality/duty
-moral statements aren’t like normal statement. normal statements are either apriori analytic or aposteriori synthetic
-for kant moral statements are priori synthetic
-morality is know through use of reason
what does priori synthetic mean?
-you can know something is moral without experience, and it can be checked with experience
concept of duty
-duty what you ought to do
-moral obligation to perform certain actions
-we have FW to follow our duty and can work it out through reason
-doing whats right for no other reason than because it is right thing to do
-as long as you do your duty youre morally blameless
-duty discovered through categorical imperative
importance of following duty for dutys sake:
-no emotion
-personal gain
-no authority commands
-using emotions (kindness,generosity etc) not wrong just NOT moral. only type of morality = morals that follow duty
Kant quote
‘Duty involves freely choosing the action’
good will and duty
-kant believed we had innate sense of duty, which reason recognises.
-obligated to tell truth and to do good unto others
-outcomes are untrustworthy and they can be emotionally swayed.
-we can use FW to focus on intentions and acts
-cant know effects or future
whats a moral action?
-one performed with goodwill, wanting to benefit others
-to act of ‘good will’ means to act out a sense of moral obligation or ‘duty’.
-doesnt do it because of consequence just because its morally right.
what does kant say about goods
-a good will is good without qualification
-good will always good and doesnt require anything else to be good
kant quote about goodwill
“goodwill shines forth like a precious jewel”
moral law
-duty and goodwill together make moral law
-everyone can reason how they ought to behave in a situation
-humans are free to choose to act toward moral law or not
-all moral strives for Summon Bonum
-kant argues errors occur in moral thinking when following heteronomous approaches
-only moral law we should follow is that which is knowable by reason
Summon Bonum
place where our happiness and our virtue come together
heteronomous approaches
arguments based on following laws set down by others such as the state, church, etc
two kinds of maxims (rules)
-categorical
-imperative
hypothetical imperative
- ‘if’ statement
-a command to achieve a desired result
-‘if I want x I must do y’
KANT DIDNT AGREE WITH THIS IMPERATIVE
1. no obligation to obey this imperative unless you want to achieve the outcome - teleological
2.hypothetical imperative not an absolute moral rules
3.judgements not concerned with ethics
categorical imperative
-apply universally
-kant intended to be basis of all other rules
-central concept of Kantian deontological moral philosophy
-an act that’s good in itself regardless of consequences
-not dependent on what I might wish
-doesnt differ between ppl
-‘you should/must’ - absolute
-right thing to do, no justification, in line w duty (helps to be moral)
