Kantain Ethica Flashcards
What was true enlightenment for Kant
Living according to our own unfettered reason
- a true state of autonomy
What are the central values fundamental to kants moral theory
Reason, autonomy and freedom
What does Kant believe about duty
- reason allows us to reflect on ourselves and thing which need to be done, due to this reason recognises duty
- for Kant, duty is what we ought to do -> we have a sense of obligation to be honest and other things
How does Kant link free will go duty
- Kant believes we have free will and we should sue our free will as best as we can and will good
- Kant recognises outcomes are never clear and can be dictated by feelings rather than reason
- what matters in virtue is will
- the only good which is truly good is the good will
How does Kant show us that good will to duty is what truly matters
Uses an example of a shop keeper
- shopkeeper may be honest in all his dealings, never short on change and adulterating his goods
- but does this as it is good for business, he is doing his duty as it leads to good results -> this is not morally praiseworthy
- but a shopkeeper who is honest because he recognises it is his duty to be honest is morally praiseworthy
Is kants moral theory deontological
- as a whole kants moral theory is seen as deontological, the goodness of an act is determined in itself not its consequences
- ## however wrong to say it is not concerned with consequences at all as determining duty requires consideration of consequences
For Kant what is the right making feature of a person
If a person has carried out their duty for their own sake
Is kants thoery absolutist
Absolutist
- not doing your duty is absolutely wrong
What is kants idea of a hypothetical imperative
Kant recognises that we as people have various goals which are not distinctively moral
- for example I want to become a lawyer, to be come a lawyer there are certain necessary steps I would need to take such as going to university and passing the bar exams
- these steps are the hypothetical imperatives
- characterised by if and then -> if I want to be a lawyer then I need to pass the bar
What’s the categorical imperative
- that which reason teaches must always be done
- this is duty and the good will
What are the 3 categorical imperatives
- The principle of universalisation
- Principle of priority of ends
- The kingdom of ends
What do the categorical imperatives allow us to do
Recognise our duty and tell us what duty
What is the first categorical imperative
- the first categorical imperative is known as the principle of universalisation
- Kant argues that we should only act upon the maxim which we are willing to accept as law and have the law apply for others
Give an example of the first categorical imperative
- this idea of stealing from my neighbour
- say I wanted to steal from my neighbour, I would think would I want this to apply for everyone, would I want everyone to steal from their neighbour as a rational being and a neighbour myself, I would not therefore I would not act upon this thought of stealing from my neighbour
- Kant argues by consistency applying this we can recognise our duty
What are some issues whuch occur with the first form of categorical imoerafuve
- Kant only backs his claim using a narrow range of examples such as suicide, theft and deception
- an issue that occurs is that ntk all moral requirements can and should be applied universally
- for example I may feel morally obliged to marry Susan due to love and commitment, but surely I would not want everyone else to marry susan
Outline the issue of generalisation from the first from
- just because I am willing to generalise a certain act doesn’t mean it is moral
- some can just be a habit such as putting my left sock on before my right sock, I would be willing to make this universal for everyone but to call this a moral requirement is absurd
What does Aquinas argue against the first categorical imperative
Aquinas argues that it is counter intuitive that we should never break our duty regardless of possible harmful consequences as this is counter productive to the good will.
- Aquinas uses the example that through reason, a human understand that it is their duty to relay their debts, however would it be moral to repay our debt if we know it will lead to death and destruction to my country
- surely it is irrational to take this absolutist view about duty
What is the second form of categorical Imperatiwv
the second form of the categorical imperative is also known as the priciniple of the priority of ends
- this principle states that we should always treat people as an ends and never as a means
What example can show the second categorical imperative
Example fo the entrepreneur
- entrepreneur is only concerned with profits and pays workers low wages and poor working conditions
- he is using the workers as a means for an ends of increased profit-> they are being used as there no concern for the good of the workers
How does the story of churchills decisions show probelms with the second categorical imperative
- on November 14 1941 Germans dropped 30,000 bombs in cov which killed 562 people and left many houses destroyed
- scientists had broken enigma codes an were aware this was going to happen so could’ve made them evacuate
- evacuation would’ve told Germans their enigma codes been broken and would’ve led to many more deaths
- so Churchill was in sticky situation where he could either used the cov man as a means to save many other lives or sacrificed other lives as a means of saving cov man
- shows this principle cannot be applied in all situations
Third categorical imperative …
What was kants view on god
- kant seemed to be a non believer in god due to his appeal to reason
- however he was pietest lutherian which put more emphasis on inward devotion towards god
- natural law also states that god commands what is right and is told to us humans through reason
What are kants three postulates
- in Kant, we find a belief in personal immortality and an argument for the existence of god, he provides sue int three postulates
- we are free beings, we are immortal and god exists
What si a postulate
A postulate is a principle so evident that needs no further justification, it is treated like an assumption
Expand on kants three postulates
Freedom is connected to kants idea that we are fully rational beings who know what our duty is, when we are making a moral decisions we are acknowledging our freedoms
- during this we are accepting that we are immortal
- and in that we are accepting that there is a god who is the guarantor of both immortality and rationality
What is kants arguement for the existence of god
1) rationally, perfect virtue ought to be rewarded with perfect happiness
2) the combo of this goodness and happiness is known as summum bonum
3) this is clearly not achieved in this life as bad things happen to good people
4) as summum bonum ought to be achieved it can be achieved
5) if it is not in this life it is in the next life which needs immortality, someone also needs to provide this summum bonum
6) god is the provider
