kantian Ethics Flashcards
what is context for kantian ethics?
- emerged during the enlightenment period, which was a philosophical movement that stressed the belief that science and reason give more knowledge than tradition and religion
what does it mean to be a “good human”?
a good person chooses to act rationally on every occasion
what are the three postulate?
things that cannot be proven, but make no sense to deny:
1. freedom
2. immortality
3.God
what is freedom according to kant?
freedom means choosing moral law over our own instinct or desire
what is immortality according to kant?
humans do their duty in this world but may not be rewarded instantly, as they may not live in ultimate happiness
- but happiness will be experienced beyond this life (summum bonum)
who is God according to kant?
God is the source of goodness and our ability to do good and he is necessary to distribute happiness appropriately to ensure the highest good in the end
what does kant say about freewill?
- a truly good person always chooses to act rationally, thus fulfilling their duty on every occasion
- his assumption about humanity is based on a priori reasoning
what is duty?
duty is acting morally according to the good, regardless of the consequence
- in order to do morally good actions people must exercise their their good will and fulfill their duty for duty’s sake
- “ought implies can”
what is a weakness of kant’s duty concept?
SARTRE:
- conflict of duties
what is an overcoming of sartre’s weakness to kant’s concept of duty?
W.D.ROSS
- prima facie duties (some decisions should be taken by face value)
should kantian ethics provide a helpful way of making moral decisions
YES:
- kant reveals that morality based on inclination or consequence is flawed
- his theory is secular driven and therefore fitting for society
- duty is universal and objective, so humans are therefore less prone to personal bias
NO:
- his concepts (duty) are far too abstract to be applicable to ethical decision making
- its unnatural for humans to abandon our feelings as we are sentient beings
what is an imperative?
an imperative is a moral law or command that all people must follow, regardless of their desires or circumstances
why does kant reject the hypothetical imperative?
- he sees it as irrational as he believes the only way to be good is to act in line with your duty
what is the categorical imperative?
the categorical imperative is a way to act in itself, regardless of the consequence
what are the 3 formulations for the categorical imperative?
- universal law of nature (if an act cannot be universalised, it is immoral)
- treating a person as an end in themselves (you cannot use people as it would lead to a selfish society)
- the kingdom of end (it is an imaginary place but the most ideal existence)
What are kant’s examples?
- THE AX MURDERER
- if someone was carrying an ax looking for your loved one, you should tell the truth as its your duty - THE HONEST SHOPKEEPER
- shopkeeper 1 only keeps prices down as he is motivated by customers coming back, however, shopkeeper 2 keeps prices down as its the right thing to do
what are the 4 term strength of kantian ethics?
- universal
- deontological
- absolute
- practical
what is a weakness of kantian ethics?
HEGEL:
- he critiqued the categorical imperative
- gav the example of if everyone helped the poor, there would be no poor left to help, so generosity wouldn’t be able to b universalised
what is a weakness of kantian ethics?
JEREMY BENTHAM:
- humans are sentient beings and doesn’t take into account when making moral decisions
