Moral Duty and Moral Law Flashcards
The action is performed on the basis of one’s MORAL DUTY, not on the basis of PERSONAL INCLINATIONS, DESIRES, OR GOALS
Kant’s belief on moral worth
Theory that characterizes the rightness/wrongness of actions in terms of duty and obligation
deontological ethical theory
Not subject to external determination
autonomous
By acting out of duty, we free ourselves from slavery to our desires
Autonomy in Kant’s ethics
Kant’s position in ehtics
What determines an action’s moral worth is NOT what consequences it has, but rather its worth is determined by the intentions of the acting individual or whether it can be consistently willed by everyone
anti-consequentialist
Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law
The Categorical Imperative
Act only on maxims that we can UNIVERSALIZE (will to become a universal law)
Kant’s Categorical Imperative
Is it even possible that everyone perform the action in the maxim?
Do we contradict our own wills by wanting everyone to perform the maxim’s action?
Tests for universalizability of a maxim
When something is wrong INDEPENDENTLY of its good consequences
I.E. - “gang of terrorists” example
Kant’s anti-consequentialism revealed
To be manipulated in a way one could not in principle agree to
To be treated as a mere means
To be respected as a rational being with one’s own projects in life
To be treated as an end
Why are non-universalizable acts wrong according to Kant?
They treat humans as MERE MEANS rather than as ENDS
Each of us, as rational beings, are valuable as “ends in themselves.”
We have worth independently of what others can use us to accomplish.
So we are worthy of respect by others
Kant’s ethics and importance of RESPECT
