Kant

• what are deontological theories concerned with?

  actions, not consequences
• how is Kant's theory deontological?

  because it is based on duty
• to act morally is to...?

  do one's duty
• to do one's duty is to...?

  obey the moral law
• what did Kant argue?

  that we shouldn't be side tracked by intuition or how we feel. we should not act out of love or compassion
• what is Kant's view of human nature?

  humans are beings with reason and desires
• desires and inclinations...?

  animals follow their desires and inclinations only. they have no reason, so behave in accordance to the empirical realm of cause and effect (phenomenal realm)
• desires and reason...?

  human nature experiences the tension of desires and inclinations, versus their reason
• pure reason...?

  God and angels are perfectly rational beings, without appetites and desires to lead them astray from following reason and objective moral laws (noumenal realm)
• how is Kant's theory deontological?

  it uses rules to distinguish between right and wrong
• what is Kant's axe man example?

  a murderer with a dangerous weapon is demanding to know the location of your friend
• Kant said that if you were in this position...?

  it is your duty to tell the truth
• what is Kant NOT concerned about?

  consequences, he is just focused on the action
• lying, even in this situation is wrong, why ?

  because if every single person started lying, society would collapse - truth can be universalised however, lying cannot
• finish the quote from Kant “Man must be disciplined…

  for by nature he is raw and wild”
• “Live your life as though…

  your every act were to become a universal law”
• “The only good thing is…

  The good will”
• What is moral absolutism?

  There are certain universal moral principles by which all people’s actions should be judged
• What is duty?

  Good in itself - the action that is morally required of you - it’s an obligation
• What is the hypothetical imperative? (Kant disapproves of this)

  Conditional obligations that are dependent upon desiring the goal in question - “if”
• What is the categorical imperative?

  An unconditional moral obligation that we must always obey, irrespective of the situation, we can work these out using reason. “Must”
• What are the 3 formulations for discovering a categorical imperative?

  1. Universalisability
  2. People as ends
  3. Kingdom of ends
• What is universal law?

  The principle that we should only carry out those acts that we are able to will as a universal law for everyone to follow at all times
• What is persons as ends?

  The principle that people should be treated as ends in themselves, not as the means to an end
• What is kingdom of ends?

  The principle that your actions should be made a law in a hypothetical state where people always act according to the moral rules and treat people as ends
• What is a postulate?

  Something assumed to be true as a starting point for reasoning - Kant’s ethical three = free will, life after death and God
• What is the summum bonum?

  The highest good - for Kant, this is the place where our happiness and virtue come together
• What did Kant believe in?

  The importance of personal autonomy and the role of reason
• Kant insists that there is only one thing that can be regarded as good without qualification, what is this?

  A good will
• What did Kant also think? (From reading Hume)

  They one could never logically argue from a “is” to an “ought”
• Kant therefore wanted to find an entirely new starting point for morality and found it in the idea of…?

  The “good will” - the good will is autonomous and it is good without reservation
• Kant believed that there is an absolute moral law that exists
• How can the absolute moral rules this contains be worked out?

  By using reason
• These moral rules that make up this universal law are known as what?

  Categorical imperatives
• It is your duty to…?

  Follow the categorical imperatives at all times - there are no exceptions
• What are categorical imperatives?

  Things that we could make into universal laws, that ensure we treat people as ends (rather than means) and would be permissible in a perfect kingdom of ends
• What did Kant believe should be excluded from moral-decision making?

  Feelings, emotions and desires
• Why did Kant believe that feelings, emotions and series should be excluded from moral-decision making?

  We simply have to do our duty - duty is good in itself
• For Kant, what is the only truly good thing?

  Good will - having the good intention to do your “duty for duty’s sake”
• If we have good will…?

  We will perform the right action for the right reason