KANT ISSUES- Morality Is Hypothetical Flashcards
Whose idea is morality is hypothetical
Philippa Foot
What is the idea that morality is hypothetical
Motives such as desire and friendship give us a reason to act morally. We need a reason to behave and Kant doesn’t provide one
Does Foot argue that we should follow hypothetical or categorical imperatives
Hypothetical -as only end-based hypothetical imperatives give sufficient reasons to act as Kants moral law doesn’t give sufficient reasons to follow it
What does Foot argue about the categorical imperative
That without desire as Kant argues you should use reason to work out the right thing to do, there is no reason to follow the ought
Why does foot reject the reason to act on the categorical imperative ofTO BE RATIONALLY CONSISTENT
“The fact is that the man who rejects morality because he sees no reason to obey its rules can be convicted of villainy but not inconsistency”
Why does foot reject the reason to act on the categorical imperative of WE ARE ‘BOUND BY MORAL LAW’
We aren’t bound by the laws of morality as we can get of them. Foot suggests the metaphors of binding are illusory - an attempt to give the moral ‘ought’ a magical force
Why does foot reject the reason to act on the categorical imperative of OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE MORAL LAW
We don’t have to behave morally out of respect for the moral law, any more than we have to follow etiquette for the sake of convention
Why does Foot suggest we should reject the theory of psychological hedonism which claims people always act out of self-interest
Some people genuinely want to help others
Some genuinely care about justice, liberty and fairness
If we accept these are suitable moral goals, then we have the proper motivation to be moral.
Therefore moral oughts aren’t categorical imperatives but hypothetical oughts, depending on if you have the relevant moral ends
What is a downside of moral oughts not being universal
They are dependent on you believing the specific moral end s are worth pursuing but surely morality applies to everyone and you cannot escape moral duty by claiming to not have moral ends?
What is Foots defence to the downside of moral oughts not being universal
You cannot escape morality as we are raised in a society that encourages moral behaviour and punishes immorality
Does having morality as a universal duty help us according to Foot?
The idea of universal/categorical oughts casts humanity as forced conscripts in a moral army. A better vision is to see humanity as ‘volunteers banded together to fight for liberty and justice and against inhumanity and oppression’
How does Foot see morality
As a series of hypothetical imperatives “you should not steal, you should help others e.t.c.” You might have some of these moral ends but not others. There is no single imperative to be moral but a series of imperatives that constitutes morality
