kantian ethics

Question 1

is kantian ethics deontological or teleological

Answer 1

deontological

Question 2

deontological definition

Answer 2

ethical dilemmas based on intention, not unknown future outcomes

Question 3

is kant a rationalist or empiricist

Answer 3

rationalist

Question 4

what is rationalism

Answer 4

knowledge is based on the use of reason or logic

Question 5

why is this theory rationalist

Answer 5

because it is based on reason, and not clouded by emotion or sense experience

Question 6

what is kants book called

Answer 6

Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals

Question 7

quote for the concept of duty

Answer 7

“duty involves freely choosing the action”
- summarises his argument ‘duty’ being the key aspect
- autonomy, free choice - you cant be forced to do your duty

Question 8

what is kants concept of duty

Answer 8

• duty is what you ought to do
• we have a moral obligation to perform certain actions
• we have free will to follow our duty - work it out through reason
• doing what is right for no other reason than because it is good/the right thing to do regardless of consequence
• as long as you do your duty you are morally blameless
  duty is discovered through categorical imperative

Question 9

what are 3 things that are not involved with your duty

Answer 9

• no emotion
• no personal gain
• no authority command

Question 10

what does kant think about using emotions

Answer 10

using emotions eg. kindness/generosity are not wrong just not moral/ they are amoral

Question 11

amoral meaning

Answer 11

not good or bad

Question 12

only type of morality =

Answer 12

morals that follow duty

Question 13

how might duty be helpful when making ethical decisions?
(and example)

Answer 13

duty can guide ethical decisions by motivating us to act in ways that align with our sense of responsibility. for example, if helping others was your sense of duty it would lead you donate to charity, and encourage you to make ethically right decisions

Question 14

what are potential problems in applying duty in ethical decisions?

Answer 14

your own duty may not align with society. for example, if you think you have a religious duty to follow Gods law, you may take commands too seriously, and may escalate to acts such as terrorism that harm others. in that sense, your duty would be morally wrong as it has cost innocent lives for something you deemed as ‘good’. althought kant disregards consequence as important, sometimes it is useful to determine actions reasonability as to not penalise someone too severely.

Question 15

do you think the focus on reason in ethical decisions rather than other factors (empathy, love) is a useful approach?

Answer 15

yes, as reason allows us to determine a situation without being biased towards how we feel about it. emotions can lead us to exaggerate situations, therefore it is important we look at ethical decisions through an objective lens to ensure an action is fair.

Question 16

what is the problem with ignoring emotion in ethical decisions?

Answer 16

we are still human beings, and if you have an emotional response to a situation, then it is almost impossible for you to fully ignore the emotion involved and be completely objective.

Question 17

is there such thing as an action that does not have an ulterior motive?

Answer 17

many moral actions may seem selfless, but are done for personal gain. not all have the intent of malice but things such as donating to charity or helping a friend may be done to make you feel good about yourself.