Kantian Ethics

Question 1

What is kants view of good will

Answer 1

• For kant the only thing truly good is good will or having good intentions
• Other things like courage or wealth may or may not be good dependent on the situation
• Kant argues it doesnt matter if we are stopped from performing our action -It only matters that we inteded to do the right thing
• The good will is the desire to do duty for duties sake

Question 2

How does kant explain that we can find out what duty is

Answer 2

• Kant says that in order to find out what duty is we have to look at two things that duty is nog
  - Doing the right thing out of self interest or because of possible consequences is not duty
  - Doing the right thing out of inclination is not duty
• Duty is that which we rationally work out that we ought to do and our emotions and possible consequences are irrelevant
• Kant belivee all humans have morsl duties to act upon just because we are human

Question 3

What is a hypothetical imperative

Answer 3

• A hypothetical imperatuve is a command followed in order to achieve an end result
• Kant argues if the command only appiies in certian cases or is dependent on the outcome then it is not a moral duty

Question 4

What is a categorical imperative

Answer 4

A categorical imperative is a command which logically has to be followed and it soesnt depend on the end result e.g do not kill
-Kant offers three tests or formulations to help us decide on wether something is a categorical or hypotheical imperative - they include - person as ends, kingdom of ends and universal law

Question 5

What is the universal law imperative

Answer 5

• Kant suggests the action we propose should be able to be made into a universal law
• We have to consider wether this is something that logically all people could do and if not then we shouldnt put ourselves above the law by being an exeption
• for example stealing couldnt be universialised or else everything would be chaotic and illogical

Question 6

What is the person as ends imperative

Answer 6

• Kant believes human beings are rational and autonomous
• This means we have a duty to treat ecah other as persons (as an end in themselves) and not as objects( a means to an end)

For edample your boyfriend breaks up with you so you start dating another boy as a means to get back at the original boy but in this way you are using the boy aasa means to an end rather than an end in themselves

Question 7

What is the kingdom of ends test

Answer 7

In the kingdom of ends test kant asks us to imagine that we are part of the law making council in a hypothetical perfect kingdom of ends and asks us if we were ina place where everyone always treated others as ends , would our maxim be permitted

For example , if someone hits you whilst it is legally acceptable to hit yjem ba k it is difficult to see how thjs action will result in treating them as an ends