Kantian Ethics - AO1

Question 1

What did Kant think true enlightenment was?

Answer 1

• Living according to our own unfettered reason, a state of true autonomy
• not to live unthinkingly by dictates of others because we have not fully cultivated the resources of the mind

Question 2

Quote Kant on reason and morality

Answer 2

“Life without reason and morality has no value”

Question 3

What is ‘Duty’ to Kant?

Answer 3

• Reason allows us to reflect on ourselves and things that need to be done, thus recognising the duty
• Kant means doing what we ought to do
• We have sense of obligation to perform certain actions such as telling the truth, being truthful and doing good

Question 4

How does free will link to the duty?

Answer 4

• We must use our free will as well as we can and therefore have the will to do good
• What matters in virtue is that the will should be good, as we cannot ever calculate outcomes
• We should will what is right and what is right is duty, the mark of a good will
• Only the good will is truly good

Question 5

Quote Kant on duty

Answer 5

“A good will is good not because of its fitness to reach some proposed goal… it is good in itself” - Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals

Question 6

Give Kants example of the shopkeeper and his duty

Answer 6

• A shopkeeper is honest in all his dealings, never giving short change or adulterine goods
• He may do this for good business, customers wouldn’t return if he deceived them
• The shopkeeper is doing his duty because it leads to good results, this is not morally praiseworthy
• The good shopkeeper is honest because it is right and dutiful to be, no other reason

Question 7

Is Kantian Ethics deontological?

Answer 7

Yes but,

• Kant is concerned with outcomes TO AN EXTENT
• determining duty does clearly require thinking about outcomes
• The right making feature for Kant is whether a person has done her duty for its own sake, only that is truly good

Question 8

Is Kants theory absolutist?

Answer 8

• An absolutist moral theory
• Doing ones duty is invariable to not do it is always wrong
• Morality like duty, exists for its own sake

Question 9

What are hypothetical imperatives for Kant?

Answer 9

• Kant recognises that we have various goals not shared by all and these goals may not be distinctly moral
• He understands that we must take steps in order to achieve these goals, the imperatives
• IF I wish to be a barrister, THEN I must follow these steps
• Hypothetical imperatives are things we need to do to achieve these goals but by no means are these necessary

Question 10

What is the Categorical Imperative?

Answer 10

• Moral has absolute and exceptionless character
• You must have a good will, you must do your duty
• It is an absolute demand, not dependant on what you wish and not different from demands of anyone else
• Requirement is there as an imperative we must obey, hence the categorical imperative

Question 11

What is the First Categorical Imperative?

Answer 11

• Sometimes known as principle of universalisation
• Kant argues we should only act on the maxim that we are willing to follow as a law that applies to everyone
• If you were to steal a TV from your neighbour would you like it if they went and stole valuable things from you?
• By applying the consistently we are able to see what the duty requires

Question 12

What are the example Kant uses for the First Categorical Imperative?

Answer 12

• Deception
• Theft
• Suicide
• Laziness
• Charity
• Cruelty to Animals

Question 13

Name the marriage issue with the First Categorical Imperative?

Answer 13

• If I feel morally compelled to marry Susan, due to love, commitment and care etc
• I do not wish the whole world to marry Susan
• George Joseph Smith hanged in 1915 for murder of three wives, I would not want him to marry Susan

Question 14

What is the issue with Generalising with the First Categorical Imperative?

Answer 14

• Willing for a generalisation to be made to everyone does not make it moral?
• I always put on the left shoe first, to say its a moral duty is a bit far fetched
• Just because I am happy for everyone to do it, it does not make it a self righting characteristic

Question 15

What did St Thomas Aquinas argue against the First Categorical Imperative? (Quote)

Answer 15

“right and wrong to act according to reason… individual instance that it would be harmful and therefore irrational to repay a debt”

• In the example it would it be moral to repay a debt if it meant death and destruction for my country?
• Counter-intuitive when Kant suggests to always act on the universal maxim, regardless of what harm may follow

Question 16

What is the Second Categorical Imperative?

Answer 16

• Things should be done for the good of people and people should not be used for the sake of others or ideas
• Principle of Priority, to treat everyone as ends not just means
• An entrepreneur who only cares about profits of him and his companies, mistreating workers is wrong as it is treating them as means for an end profit
• Political leaders in history who have sacrificed people as means for an end profit

Question 17

How would a story about Winston Churchill counter the Second Categorical Imperative?

Answer 17

14th November 1941

• 449 Germany bombers dropped 30,000 bombs in Coventry killing 568 and damaging 41,500 homes, 2.306 were destroyed
• Bletchely Park scientists had broke Enigma Codes
• However Germans finding out through the evacuation of Coventry could have led to millions more dying
• This shows how paying no attention to consequences so long we do our duty does not work in all cases
• Not always clear cut when using people as ends and not just means

Question 18

What is the Third Form of the Categorical Imperative?

Answer 18

• This connects with the 2nd Form and insists on human dignity
• Actions are done for the sake of people and they must be treated as people for whom good must be done
• We must act as if our actions made laws for everyone else
• If I give a gift everyone should give gifts, for the good of persons
• Insistent reminder of duty, responsibility and significance of ends

Question 19

Is Kant an atheist?

Answer 19

• Some people think he is atheist due to his appeal to reason
• In the ‘Groundwork’, he constantly refers to God, he didn’t attend Church Service though as he believed morality was in an active life
• Pietist Lutheranism set little store by outward devotion
• If morality was Gods command it would be heteronymous
• Reference to Natural Law

Question 20

What are the 3 postulates of practical reasons for Kant?

Answer 20

• That we are free beings
• That we are immortal
• That God exists

Question 21

Expand on the 3 postulates of practical reason?

Answer 21

• He believes we are rational beings, capable of knowing our duty and how to carry it out
• For the world to be rational there must be a God as guarantor of rationality and the immortality
• We do our duty because it is rational, cannot prove God by conventional metaphysics (ch 6)

Question 22

What is Kants argument for the existence of God?

Answer 22

1) Rationally, perfect virtue should be rewarded by perfect happiness as perfect happiness and goodness is summum bonum
2) This is not achieved in this life as good things happen to bad people and vice versa
3) Summum bonum ought to be achieved, it can be achieved
4) If it cannot be achieved in this life it must be achieved in the next, immortality, if the summum bonum then exists then someone must provide it
5) The provider is God

Question 23

Further explains Kants argument for the existence of God

Answer 23

• We should not be virtuous for any reward, we should be virtuous for its own sake
• He makes the assumption that OUGHT implies CAN
• Mother example, only makes sense if you have a mother
• Kant uses an ought of what should exist, not ought of duty
• If I say you are ought to be recomposed, does not mean you will get justice

Question 24

What is the problem with Kants argument for the existence of God?

Answer 24

• You are expressing a WISH to be recomposed, no certainty that you will be
• Kant assumes that the universe is supremely rational
• This is not true and Kant may be using wishful thinking
• Specific evidence of ULTIMATE justice is hard to find

Question 25

Where does Kant believe moral errors come from?

Answer 25

- From heteronymous approaches (the Groundwork) - Morality can only be possible through acting as pure reason dictates - Only Moral Law we should follow is by reason - True reason arises above temptations - Kant believes in reason, autonomy and freedom