Kantian Ethics

Question 1

What are the argument for: To have moral worth, an action must be done ‘not from inclination, but from duty’ (KANT). Is this true?

Answer 1

1. Kant
2. Interpretations

Question 2

For Kant, what is good in itself?

Answer 2

The goodwill

Question 3

What is the goodwill?

Answer 3

To be motivated to conform with the law, for the sake of the law.

Question 4

What does ‘from duty’ entail?

Answer 4

From respect of the law.
- Not to be done for any possible outcome.

Question 5

What actions have moral worth?

Answer 5

Actions done because of duty.

Question 6

What actions do not have moral worth, and why?

Answer 6

Actions that are done from inclination and conform with duty.

• It is only an accident that an action from inclination confroms to duty.

Question 7

In what way is inclination volatile?

Answer 7

If we do things because we want to (happiness) then it could be that one day we no longer want to do it.

Question 8

What example does Kant use for an act that has moral value?

Answer 8

The grief stricken man with no taste for life, who preserves his own life nonetheless.

Question 9

What example does Kant give for an act that does not have moral worth?

Answer 9

The shopkeeper that does not overcharge because it is good for business to have a reputation of honesty.

Question 10

What does Kant’s examples of moral worth imply about inclination?

Answer 10

That having any inclination to do the right thing makes it automatically not morally worthy.

• He seems to suggest that only those apathetic and cold can be truly morally worthy.

Question 11

What does Schiller claim about Kant’s notion of moral worth?

Answer 11

That moral worth is dependent on our being inclined not to do them.

Question 12

What are the three different interpretations of Kant that do not make it so inclination entail no moral worth?

Answer 12

• Battle Citation
• Counterfactual independence from inclination
• Counterfactual dependence on duty

Question 13

What is the Battle Citation interpretation?

Answer 13

That the notion of moral worth means less than we think.
- It simply means especially commendable.

Question 14

What are the issues with the Battle Citation interpretation?

Answer 14

Why aren’t those inclined also commendable?

Does this make actions that are not done from duty simply not commendable, but not wrong?
- Does this underestimate moral unworthiness?

Question 15

What is the Counterfactual Independence from Inclination interpretation?

Answer 15

‘From duty’ means that if you had an opposing inclination, you would still conform to duty.

The duty-motive as a backup generator.

Question 16

What is the issue with the Counterfactual Independence from Inclination interpretation?

Answer 16

It makes inclination the primary generator of motive.

Kant makes it clear that action must be done from duty, never from inclination, even if the inclination conforms with duty.

Question 17

What is the Counterfactual Dependence on Duty interpretation?

Answer 17

If an act is prohibited by duty, one would not do it, even if inclined to do so.

The duty-motive as a filter.

Question 18

What is the issue with the Counterfactual Dependence on Duty interpretation?

Answer 18

After duty has filter the unprohibited options, does we then choose which according to inclination?

This would still be ‘from inclination’.

Question 19

What is you conclusion for: To have moral worth, an action must be done ‘not from inclination, but from duty’ (KANT). Is this true?

Answer 19

An act must be done from duty in order to be from goodwill and have moral worth.

It must be the case that duty is the only causal factor for our doing an act.
- We can have inclinations, but this must have no impact on what we do.

This is because, if inclination even has a small amount of influence, if the inclination is strong enough, it could change our decision.

Question 20

What are the arguments for: ‘You can tell that the Categorical Imperative is false by looking at the specific moral duties that Kant deduces from it.’ Discuss.

Answer 20

1. The Categorical Imperative
2. Issues

Question 21

What formulation of CI do you focus on?

Answer 21

The universalisability formulation.

Question 22

What is a CI, in contrast to what?

Answer 22

Known a priori, absolute, and universal.

In contrast to Hypothetical Imperatives, which are ‘if you want X, then Y’.

Question 23

What is Kant’s universalisability CI?

Answer 23

I ought to never act except in such a way that i could also will that my maxim should become a universal law.”

Question 25

What are the the four steps in Kant’s CI?

Answer 25

1. Formulate a mxim that encompasses the proposed action.
2. Make this is a universal law of nature that all rational agents muct follow.
3. Consider whether this maxim is conceivable with this universal law of nature.
4. Consider whether you can rationally will this maxim in such a world.

Question 26

What are the four examples Kant uses?

Answer 26

• Suicide (perfect duty for oneself)
• Aiding others (imperfect duty towards others)
• False promises (perfect duty towards others)
• Developing one’s talents (imperfect duty towards oneself)

Question 27

What makes something a perfect or imperfect duty?

Answer 27

Imperfect: failing step 4

Perfect: failing step 3

Question 28

How does ‘making a false promise’ fail step 3?

Answer 28

If everyone must deceive when it benefits them, then everyone would always deceive.

Telling the truth is impossible, and deceiving would no longer be deceptive.

Deceiving must be deceptive, therefore there is a contradiction.

Question 29

How does ‘failing to develop one’s talents’ fail step 4?

Answer 29

I have a natural necessity to will happiness and to be rational is to conform with this.

People developing talents is necessary for happiness, therefore I cannot will not developing talents.

Question 30

What are the two issues with Kant’s Categorical Imperative?

Answer 30

1. Rigidity and Absolutism
2. Application

Question 31

What is the Rigidity and Absolutism objection against Kant’s CI?

Answer 31

Perfect duties require complete adherence.
- Lying is never permissible.
- But we can think of scenarios in which lying may be the right thing to do (example?)
- Thus, Kant’s CI is unintuitive.

Question 33

What is the Application objection to Kant’s CI?

Answer 33

It seems as though, if done a certain way, we can universalise anything.

If this is the case, then we get conflicting moral duties (example?)

Question 34

What is the response to the Application objection to Kant’s CI?

Answer 34

This is simply caused by not having rigorious enough moral reasoning.

If we did, they would all be consistent.

Question 35

What work should try stay away from when speaking about Kant, and why?

Answer 35

‘Intuition’

Because it confuses between emotional intiution and rational intuition.

Question 37

Why can we not use people as mere means according to Kant?

Answer 37

Because we are autonomous, we set our own goals.

We rob people of their autonomy when we use them for our benefit.