Kantian Ethics

Question 1

What is the first part of the essay scaffold?

Answer 1

Didn’t like the utilitarian theories of the day. Deontological, objective, absolute, Some things are just right or wrong. Objective moral law. “ought implies can.” Summum bonum.

Question 2

What is the second part of the essay scaffold?

Answer 2

Moral law: Exists and there to be accessed through reason. Should be followed always. What is it though?

Question 3

What is the third part of the essay scaffold?

Answer 3

Good will: To follow the moral law is to act with the good will. Acting with a good will means doing your duty. What is our duty?

Question 4

What is the fourth part of the essay scaffold?

Answer 4

Categorical imperatives vs hypothetical imperatives. 3 formulations: Universal law. End in themselves. Kingdom of ends.

Question 5

What is the fifth part of the essay scaffold?

Answer 5

Freedom, We must all be free to do our duty. Ought implies can.

Question 6

What did Kant think about moral duty?

Answer 6

It is innate revealed through our reason: “ the moral law within”. To act morally is to do one’s duty and we should just do this because it is our duty and it is right.

Question 7

What is the highest form of good?

Answer 7

The good will and to have good will is to do one’s duty. We should act out of duty not emotion, self interest or compassion. Our actions need to be based on reason.

Question 8

What is it not our duty to do?

Answer 8

Things that are impossible to do e.g. I cannot give all my money to charity, however I ought to give a fraction of my income to charity, so therefore I can . If we ought to do something it has to be logically possible for us to do it. Moral statements are prescriptive.

Question 9

What did he think were the 2 types of statement?

Answer 9

A priori analytic: intrinsically true statement e.g. 1+1=2. A posteriori synthetic e.g. It is sunny today. It has to be tested to see if it is true or false.

Question 10

What are moral statements?

Answer 10

A priori synthetic we can’t prove what someone should do by seeing, so moral statements are a priori, but they can be true or false e.g. murder is right, so they are synthetic. As moral statements can only be known through reason, there has to be a way of working out if that statement is true or false: the categorical imperative.

Question 11

What does the categorical imperative help us to do?

Answer 11

Know our duty, it is universal.

Question 12

What is it contrasted with?

Answer 12

The hypothetical imperative, it is conditional, If I want X then I ought to do X e.g. I want an abortion, so I ought ot have one. This is immoral.

Question 13

What is the first main categorical imperative?

Answer 13

Universal law - All moral laws should be general laws that apply to everyone. Exceptions are a contradiction of nature e.g. Kant thought promise keeping should be universalised, as a world where everyone failed to keep promises would mean promise keeping wouldn’t exist. Universalisation of maxims.

Question 14

What is the second main categorical imperative?

Answer 14

Treat humans as ends in themselves - people should be treated as rational and autonomous. They are worthy of respect and shouldn’t be used as a means to get something else. For example Killing is wrong, but killing enemy soldiers is a means to an end to reach peace.The maxim of killing someone who disagrees with you/isn’t on your side is not universalisable.

Question 15

What is the third main categorical imperative?

Answer 15

Acts as if you live in a kingdom of ends. A community of all rational people could work out if an argument was moral or immoral through their reason, meaning we should all have the same moral laws. For example we could use reason to work out the statement ‘rape is wrong’ is correct.

Question 16

What did Kant think about freedom?

Answer 16

We are free to make our own rational choices, reason puts above animals. We have to be free to do our duty, if we are not free we can’t be moral agents and ought doesn’t imply can. E,g, being made to rob a bank at gunpoint.

Question 17

What is summum bonum?

Answer 17

Virtue plus happiness, we shouldn’t act to gain happiness but someone who is virtuous has the good will. Happiness isn’t certain in this life and bad things happen to good people, so the summum bonum can be achieved in the afterlife. For Kant, morality leads us to God, who is necessary of for morality as possessor of the highest rationality needed as a facilitator of the summum bonum.

Question 18

What are the strengths of Kantian ethics?

Answer 18

The categorical imperative forbids acts most people agree are wrong e.g. stealing. The categorical imperative protects the dignity and equality of everyone, high level of fairness. It is simple and easy to follow, possibly it is good to have some moral objectivity as less room for confusion.It is non selfish focusing on the ‘greater good’ but valuing minorities. Intrinsic value of humans widely agreed with- declaration of human rights.

Question 19

What are the weaknesses of Kantian ethics?

Answer 19

It never considers consequences, which is hard to put into practise as we naturally do. Problems with conflicting duty e.g. murderer asks if my friend is home, do I lie or save a life? It lacks flexibility, as it firmly based on our duty always. It seems impossible to act unselfishly, we are motivated by pleasure not reason alone. Coldness of duty separating our feelings and emotions towards the person/situation. Universality can be manipulated to the person’s advantage. Only works if everyone follows it, moral people are at a disadvantage as irrational and immoral people may set the rules.