Kantian Ethics - AO2

Question 1

Is Kants theory consequentialist?

Answer 1

• Utilitarianism suffers from a bad act can have good consequences, Kant does not make this mistake
  However
• There are some occasions when consequences are so severe where breaking a rule is better than allowing awful things

Question 2

Is Kants theory Universal?

Answer 2

• Kant’s theory provides moral law, this is universal regardless of culture or individual situations
  However
• Kant’s theory can be inflexible, you should be allowed to break a rule if it is needed circumstantially

Question 3

Does Kant’s theory lack clarity?

Answer 3

• Can be said to be clear, a child could understand “would you like it if someone did that to you”
  However
• Can be said to lack motivation, you know wha is irrational e.g pirating movies, doesn’t give motivation to do the right thing

Question 4

Is Kants theory autonomous?

Answer 4

• Kant has the greatest respect for human dignity and autonomy

Question 5

What would Sartre argue?

Answer 5

• Described a pupil torn between looking after his mother in France or going to England to fight with the Free French Forces
• “I find myself drawn to a viscous circle” which duty shall I follow?

Question 6

Is Kants theory rational?

Answer 6

• An extremely rational theory where no favouritism is shown towards friends etc

Question 7

What does Ross think about duty?

Answer 7

• He believes we have an absolute duty when all things considered
  However
• Individual duties cannot be absolute, sometimes we have a duty to break a promise

Question 8

How does Kant’s theory link in with Human Rights?

Answer 8

• Kant’s theory provides a basis for Human Rights
• 1948 the UN declaration of Human Rights was agreed by 48 countries, protecting people around the globe
  However
• Some philosophers question the existence of moral law, why should we accept objective morality?

Question 9

What does Kant’s theory provide modern concepts for?

Answer 9

• Kants theory can be said to provide modern concepts for equality and justice

Question 10

Why would environmentalists not necessarily support Kantian Ethics?

Answer 10

• According to Kant non-human animals have no intrinsic value, non-rational creatures especially

Question 11

Case of Jack Kevorkian?

Answer 11

• Kants moral theory underpins international law
• Jack Kevorkian tried to defend him killing Thomas Youk
• The Judge limited his evidence, whether he wanted to help Youk or Youk wanted to die, the action itself was wrong

Question 12

Is Kants theory too vague?

Answer 12

• Not clear how broad the application of CI should be
• If council wants to collect rubbish every 2 weeks then it is contrary to the will
• No rational person wants smelly rubbish for that long, but does this make it moral wrong?

Question 13

Is there a difficulty in forming maxims?

Answer 13

• If the SS ask if you have Jews hiding in your attack what maxim do you use?
• “Do not tell lies” or “Do not expose others to violence”

Question 14

Does Kantian Ethics allow you to act out of compassion?

Answer 14

• Though it may seem right to , it is possible to make bad choices out of love so therefore you must always act out of duty

Question 15

What is the issue with a priori?

Answer 15

• How do we work out our duty a priori

- Surely we need to refer to experience to work out what is right, especially in modern medical ethics?

Question 16

Is Kantian ethics reliable?

Answer 16

• Use of rules is reliable, everyone knows their obligations
• If people were allowed to break rule because of consequences or for love the legal system would be a mess
• No one would know what to do

Question 17

Is Kants theory logical?

Answer 17

• Very logical, if we were allowed to break promises, they would mean nothing, this makes Kants rules logical and reasonable

Question 18

What is the arguably the most important aspect of Kant’s theory?

Answer 18

• Medical ethics is challenging Kants respect for human life

- Many hold this as the most important aspect in his theory

Question 19

Is Kants theory realistic?

Answer 19

• Can be said to be unrealistic, in the way Kant asks us to follow maxims as universal rules
• Just because we act this way doesn’t mean others will
• Pacifism would make sense as the law of nature but would make us vulnerable to non-Kantians

Question 20

What did Kant believe about retributive justice?

Answer 20

• Kant believed in retributive justice ‘an eye for an eye’ without mercy
• Bentham however believed punishment to be rehabilitative and to make things better rather than revenge

Question 21

Are Universal Rules helpful?

Answer 21

• Can be unhelpful in a real world where every situation is different
• If no two rules are the same then morality should be relativist, not absolutist

Question 22

Does Kantian Ethics suffer from not being Teleological?

Answer 22

• Not considering outcomes as a whole means you lack procedure for what to do
• Likely to have more than one maxim
• These clash in circumstances and therefore cannot be applied ‘always’ and ‘without exception’

Question 23

Are we purely rational creatures?

Answer 23

• We are not coldly rational, a lot of actions take shape from feelings, e.g parents look after children not just from duty but also maternal and paternal feelings
• They KNOW they have duties as parents but FEEL responsible for the child
• The bond that ties us is rational but beyond rational is the motivation for love and nurture

Question 24

What would Aristotle argue?

Answer 24

• To be truly moral is to have the right attitude
• If we just do things because it is our duty , the outcome of the duty would just be ‘cold charity’
• Charity is about HOW it is given, to be truly virtuous

Question 25

What does Kant presuppose?

Answer 25

• That the Universe is a rational entity
• Rational power of the mind is considered the highest power and value
  However
• The world may just be a brute fact without reason, no supreme rational principle
• What ought to be might not be the case