The Moral Argument Flashcards
How did Kant say that we could be moral?
By following the categorical imperative
What did Kant say to prove we all have innate moral awareness?
“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe… the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me”
Outline Kant’s moral argument
- Humans are autonomous beings
- Moral action is about doing your duty
- The reason for doing duty is to achieve the sum mum bonum
- Through reason we can deduce the right thing to do
- The summum bonum is not achievable in this life
- It must be achievable in another life
- The only being that could make the summum bonum achievable is God
What are Kant’s three postulates of pure reason?
Free will, immortality of the soul and God
Why is autonomy important to Kant?
If we were not autonomous then we could not make moral decisions to achieve the summum bonum
What does the notion of ‘ought implies can’ mean?
We can only have a duty to do what we actually can do
What did Freud say the ‘id’ was?
The part of the mind in which human instincts such as desire are based
What did Freud say the ‘superego’ was?
A form of reasoning ability with which humans make decisions, shaped by the influences which have affected people during their development
What did Freud say the ‘ego’ was?
The part of the mind which is shaped by ‘external influences such as life experiences like traumas
What were Freud’s views on religion?
It is an ‘obsessional neurosis’ which merely provides a way for the id to be satisfied. It gives meaning to life and people put their faith in God because it fulfils their desires
How does Freud’s ‘obsessional neurosis’ theory appear to refute Kant’s moral argument?
The summu bonum being achievable is a result of human desire but in no way makes it or God a reality
How did Freud say that we developed our moral values?
They are the result of our experiences through upbringing and their interaction with the subconscious.
How does Freud’s view on moral values challenge the moral argument?
If our moral values are the result of our subconscious upbringing then Kant’s view about God being a postulate of pure reason is no longer rational
