Kantian Ethics Flashcards
What is Kantian Ethics?
Kantian ethics is deontological, meaning ‘duty-based’, absolutist theory proposed by Immanuel Kant in the 18th Century.
Moral action depends on doing the right action with the right intention, regardless of personal feelings, the situation or the consequences
Kant on Reason (4)
1) Kant attaches great importance on man’s ability to reason.
2) For Kant, because we are all able to reason, ethics based on reason would produce a more harmonious, ordered society.
3) Basing morality on reason means it is not based on subjective desires.
4) Morality is based on universal principles of reason, not contingent on our personal feelings. This means morality is categorical, not hypothetical.
Kant on Duty (2)
1) Duty, for Kant, is what we ought to do
2) For example, we have a duty to be honest and tell the truth
Kant on Good Will (4)
1) The most important thing is the intention behind an action rather than the consequence
2) Humans should always do good not for a reward or praise but just because it is the right thing to do
3) The right thing to do aligns with our duty. Therefore good will and duty = moral action
4) Kant gives an example of two butchers, both sell high quality meats however one does this because he desires a good reputation and increased trade whereas, the other does this because he reasons he just ought to. This is good will.
Kant on Hypothetical Imperatives (4)
1) Hypothetical means conditional
2) So if you want x you must do y: e.g. “If you desire to be seen as a good person, you should help others”
3) A moral law discoverable by reason must be universal. It cannot be conditional on anything particular to an individual. It cannot depend on things like our desires, our particular situation, or the consequences our action might have.
4) This means hypothetical imperatives cannot be moral. Kant felt hypothetical imperatives were selfish actions and should not be focussed on.
Kant on Categorical Imperatives (5)
1) Categorical means in all cases
2) A categorical imperative could be “You should do X”.
E.g. “you should help others”.
3) Kant concludes that the moral law involves categorical imperatives, which we have a duty to always follow.
4) These imperatives are good in themselves. A true categorical imperative is performed simply because it is the right thing to do - they are not performed for the reward; it is simply a product of a moral duty.
5) Kant thought there was only one categorical imperative discoverable by reason, though it comes in three formulations
First formulation of Categorical Imperative (3)
1) Universalisability
2) You must perform actions that can be made into a universal rule that can be applied to everyone
3) Example: you cannot lie. This is universalisable as it is wrong to lie and lying can cause many issues
Second formulation of Categorical Imperative (2)
1) Kant said: “treat people as an end in themselves”.
2) You should not treat somebody as a means to an end.
Third formulation of Categorical Imperative (3)
1) ‘kingdom of ends’, a world of rational beings where everyone was treated as an end.
2) Kant argued we should behave as if we did live in that world. We must always act on the moral law.
3) We must not put aside the moral law simply because others might not be following it.
Kant on Summum Bonum (3)
1) If you act morally, you can achieve summum bonum - supreme good.
2) The summum bonum is received after we die and is a reward for acting morally - following the categorical imperative and your innate duty.
3) You cannot attain the summum bonum if you are simply acting morally to reach it. You must be acting out of good will, not just to attain a goal.
The three postulates
They explain to an individual why they should act morally as being moral is rational.
A postulate is something you have to assume to be true in order to have a basis for reasoning about something
1st Postulate
1) God
2) Moral law is evidence to prove God’s existence.
3) There is only one being that could reward those that follow the categorical imperative - God.
2nd Postulate
1) Immortality
2) To receive the ultimate end goal, summum bonum, we must accept that there is an afterlife and that we have an immortal soul
3rd Postulate
1) Freedom - free will
2) You must act autonomously - of your own accord.
3) Somebody must be acting according to their own duty, using their own thoughts and actions to be able to achieve the summum bonum.
Strengths of Kantian Ethics
1) It makes clear what being moral is and how we should make moral decisions.
2) Kant emphasises autonomy and freedom in his deontology, which also promotes the value of others and respecting them for who they are.
3) Kant’s theory promotes moral actions and rejects immoral actions, such as slavery and torture. The theory promotes equality and fair treatment - looks after human rights
Weaknesses of Kantian Ethics
1) Doesn’t give specific advice on individual situations which can make it difficult to apply - ignores the particular situation, someone might do their duty and it be wrong; another person might do their duty and it be right. => Thomas Nagel
2) Kant’s theory is quite abstract which makes it difficult to apply to certain situations.
3) Overly reliant on reason - removes any understanding towards other humans and makes the theory cold and inhumane in certain circumstances as promotes following the categorical imperative above anything else. Humans are very emotional and we cannot innately ignore other people’s feelings or ignore relationships that we have when making decisions. It goes against our nature. - difficult to actually apply
4) When duties clash, what do we do? - Sartre created a classic illustration of a soldier trying to decide whether to go to war to defend their country, or stay home and look after his sick parent.
