kantian ethics (3) Flashcards
good will and duty
people have different definitions of what is good. kant says the only thing that is good has a good will- a good duty.
false motivations
- we shouldnt base right/wrong on consequences out of our control, 2. we shouldnt base decisions on inclinations. kant argues that the only thing that matters is doing our duty.
categorical/hypothetical imperatives
hypothetical- ‘if’ commands. ‘dont eat cake IF you want to lose weight’
categorical- no ‘if’, they just are. ‘do not kill’. its our duty to act on these.
maxim
the rule we are following when we perform an action. kant believes we have this in our mind.
tests for categorical imperative
formula of law of nature= ‘would it be logical to apply this to the whole world’.
persons as ends= kant says we should treat people as ends and never treat them as a means
kingdom of ends= imagine we are apart of law making country where everyone an end. if it works here, it should be a categorical imperative.
objection to people as ends
we cannot avoid treating people as a means to an end. kant would respond that the word ‘solely’ changes this, it cannot be a means to an end.
phillipa foot
challenges view that morality should be based on categorical. said that Kant dos not give good explanation of desire, only hypothetical give us reason to react. Kant holds no account for motives. influenced by aristotle. says we shoudlnt be forced to be virtous, but should be volunteer.
good will
only thing that is truly good is ‘good will’, for everything else there is a ‘qualification’ (something that is not good). good will is good intention, kant thought that matters more then consequences.
formulations of the categorical imperative
2 quotes for duty:
“act only // that should become universal law”
“never merely a means to an end”
kantian ethics is helpful regarding to our duty
- duty as an idea is better than depending on inclinations
- ethics are rational, Kant gives responsibility to people
- he is correct that conseuqences cannot be predicted
- values people, it priorities universal law and treat people as ends
- idealised justice and rights, maybe secular
kantian ethics is NOT helpful regarding to our duty
- absolutist and inflexible, lying is wrong but needed to be saved
- outcome of the situation is ignored
- no clear guidance on what to do when duty clashes
- good theoretical but ignores reality
- non-moral maxims could be universalised, you can do things without them needing to be universalised
perfect and imperfect duties
perfect, maxim cannot be universalised as a logical contradiction would occur
imperfect, no logical contradiction but present situations where nobody could desire
right/wrong depends on duty
- duty is rational and not subject to changing emotion
- duty involves giving people what we owe to them
right/wrong does not depend on duty
- useful in public sector, but does not apply to every area
- danger of conflicting duty
- issues with conflicting duties, we cant fufill both
enlightenment
Kant is influenced by this, the emphasis on intellect and science. also sewed seeds of political revolution.
reason and autonomy
relies on accurate use of reason, he says moral law is the product of reason and we can understand the categorical imperative. also we are autonomous and choosing to follow moral law.
response to kant
emphasis on reason is not the only view available. aristotle stressed rational and irrational parts of the soul- irrational shows we can be ruled by emotion. suggests both need to be embraced
kant is wrong to rely on human reason
- there are limits to human reason
- Barth argues that human reason is limited
- Freud argues moral thinking is product of subconsious drives
- situation ethics says its wrong to be based on duty and reason
kant is correct to rely on human reason
- moral duties are a priori synthetic
- kant believes in autonomy and the ability to reason
- kant believes there is a fixed human nature and one way of reasoning.
first postulate
humans have to have free will. ‘ought implies can’- we have to assume the person can do the action
second postulate
we must assume the existence of the afterlife and seek summum bonum. ‘ought implies can’, we can seek the highest good.
third postulate
god must exist. if the summum bonum occurs and goodness to be rewarded.
may undermine Kant claim that it isnt religious
motive
doing our duty because we have worked out what our duty i, reward must not come into play
motivated ethical systems
seperates Kantian ethics from religious ethics where right/wrong based on God. Kant is also optimistic about human nature and good decisions. religion shouldnt influence motive.
