Kantian Ethics

Question 1

Weaknesses of Kantian Ethics

Answer 1

It does not seem to account for the complexities of life – universalisability cannot work as no two situations are the same.
For example, would you tell a known murderer where his victim was? (Kant says we have to.)
It does not account for any particular duty we may have for certain people (e.g. family).
It does not account for times when two absolutes clash.
Some would say that sometimes human life has to be sacrificed to stop others or more people being killed or suffering.

Question 2

Moral law

Answer 2

Binding moral obligations

Question 3

A priori knowledge

Answer 3

Knowledge is not dependent on sense experience

Question 4

Autonomy

Answer 4

The belief that we are self-directed beings, able to make our own free choices

Question 5

Duty

Answer 5

Duties are created by the moral law

Question 6

Deontological ethics

Answer 6

Ethical systems which ignore outcomes and focuses on the action itself – duty based ethics

Question 7

Hypothetical imperative

Answer 7

What we do to achieve a particular goal ‘if….then…’. There is no requirement to follow this.

Question 8

Categorical imperative

Answer 8

This is what reason teaches us must always be done – unconditional moral obligation

Question 9

Immorality

Answer 9

The belief that we live forever in the afterlife

Question 10

Postulate

Answer 10

A principle so evident that it needs no further justification. Taken as an assumption

Question 11

Summum Bonum

Answer 11

The highest, most supreme good

Question 12

Good will

Answer 12

A person of good will is a person who makes decisions according to the moral law

Question 13

Kingdom of ends

Answer 13

An imagined future in which all people act in accordance to the moral law

Question 14

3 formulations of the Categorical imperative

Answer 14

Universalisability, Treat people as means not ends, Kingdom of ends

Question 15

3 Postulates

Answer 15

We must be free to be able to make decisions.
There must be an afterlife (or immortality) for us to be able to achieve the summum bonum.
God must exist in order to be a fair judge to bring us to the afterlife or not.

Question 16

Strengths of Kantian Ethics

Answer 16

It is universal so everyone is treated equally and given equal value.
Human life is given particular value.
You have particular rules to follow - you know where you are with the theory.
It promotes good will, which is beneficial for society
There are no references to the future or to consequences, which cannot be known.