Kantian Ethics Flashcards
What is acting out of duty?
An action which is done solely out of duty, irrespective of whether I am inclined to do it or whether or not it is in my interests. Kant gives the example of a shopkeeper – if he gives the customer the correct change because it is the right thing to do, even when he could give back less, he is acting out of duty and therefore his action is a moral one.
What is acting in accordance with duty?
An action which is done for some reason other than duty, such as acting in pursuit of one’s own self-interest. Kant gives the example of a shopkeeper – if he gives a customer the correct change to make them more likely to return, rather than because it is the right thing to do, then he is acting in accordance with duty. According to Kant, this is not a moral action.
What is the categorical imperative?
An unconditional moral obligation/command that is binding in all circumstances and is not dependent on a person’s desires or any consequence. e.g. You should keep your promises
What is a contradiction in conception?
Kant states that we should ‘act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become universal law without contradiction’. In other words, we cannot act in a way that would be self-defeating. For example, if we universalised the maxim ‘it is okay to break promises’, this would become self-defeating as nobody would then trust promises A contradiction in conception leads to a perfect duty (e.g. do not break promises)
What is a contradiction in will?
There arises a contradiction in will if we could not rationally will for an action to be universalised. For example, although we could universalise the maxim ‘i will not help others in need, we would not want to live in a world where this is universalised as we would want to be able to rely on the help of others. Therefore, this leads to a contradiction in will.
5 MARKER: Outline the first formulation of the categorical imperative (including the distinction between a contradiction in conception and a contradiction in will)
The first formulation of the categorical imperative is the ‘universality’ formulation which states that an action is permissible if it can be universalised. Kant states that we should ‘act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become universal law without contradiction’. There are two ways in which an action can fail this test: either by causing a contradiction in conception or a contradiction in will. A contradiction in conception arises when an action cannot be universalised without becoming self-defeating. For example, we cannot universalise the maxim, ‘it is okay for me to break promises’ as this would eventually be made redundant as people would no longer trust promises. A contradiction in will arises when we cannot rationally will for an action to be universalised. For example, we would not want to live in a world in which the maxim ‘I will not help others in need’ was universalised.
5 MARKER: Outline the second formulation of the categorical imperative
The second formulation of the categorical imperative, known as the humanity formulation states that we should ‘act in such a way that you always treat humanity never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end’. This means that we should not use people to achieve our own ends. For example, if we borrow money from somebody with no intention of paying it back, then we are using another person as a means to an end which is morally wrong. Our actions should always respect the autonomy of other people.
What is duty?
Obligations that we have towards someone or something in accordance with moral law - Kant places this at the centre of his deontological ethical theory.
What is good will?
According to Kant, this is the only thing that is good without qualification and, irrespective of effects/consequences, is the source of all morality. The good will is one that is motivated by duty. For example, if you save someone’s life out of duty, not because you expect to be financially rewarded, then your action does have moral worth.
What is the hypothetical imperative?
A hypothetical imperative is a command that you ought to follow if you wish to attain a certain goal. For example, if I want to lose weight, I should eat less cake. Unlike categorical imperatives, they are not absolute as they are not universalisable due to the fact that not everyone wishes to attain the same goal.
What is imperfect duty?
Imperfect duty results from a contradiction in will, which are not universal, but should not be ignored. For example, we would not want to live in a world in which the maxim ‘I won’t help people in need’ has been universalised as we all need help some of the time. Therefore, we have an imperfect duty to help others.
What is a maxim?
An underlying personal principle that drives our actions, for example stealing a loaf of bread when hungry would be acting on the maxim that it is okay to steal if necessary.
