Ethics kant

• Kant and Rights Theorist
• Immanuel Kant
• Legal Rights Vs Moral Rights
• A German Lutheran theologian and Philosopher regarded as one of the Central Enlightenment thinkers
• Known for his "Categorical Imperative" and inspiration for German Idealism
• Born at Konigsberg, Kingdom of Prussia


  April 22, 1724
• Died at Konigsberg, East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia


  February 12, 1804
• Being called the "The Father of Modern Ethics", "Father of Modern Aesthetics" and, by bringing together of rationalism and empiricism, "Father of Modern Philosophy"
• Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804)
• Kantian Ethics


  He categorically rejects that Ethical Judgement are based on feelings. For him, feelings even serve as obstruction to our discernment of right and wrong
• Kantian Ethical Theory


  Ethical theory instead bases moral judgements on REASON alone. According to Kant, Reasons are what deems an action ethical or not
• Goodwill


  Kant believes that when we wish to determine the moral status of an action, we consult REASON. An act either accords with reason or it does not. If it accords with reason, we must do it, if not, we must avoid it. Kant believes that one of the fuctions and capacities of our reason is to produce a will which as good not as a means to some further ends, but good in itself
• Goodwill


  It is the highest good/virtue. Kant does not agree with many ethicists that HAPPINESS is the summum bonum or the biggest good. According to Kant, happiness can be corrupting and may be worthless or even positively evil when not combined with a good will
• Goodwill


  Who is a good person or a person of good? It is the person who acts from a sense of duty. Kant thinks that acting from a sense of duty means exhibiting goodwill even in the face of difficulty. It must be an act than not from inclination but from a sense of duty dictated by reason
• Inclination


  Refers to the feelings that pushes to select a particular option or make a particular decision
• Sense of Duty


  Is that which we ought to do despite our inclination to do otherwise
• Normally, people performs the act which please them or which they desire to do. For Kant, this action determined by desires, appetites and the like have no moral worth. We act morally only when we restrain our feelings and inclination and do that which we are obliged to do. Acting morally entails acting from the motive of duty regardless of the consequences that doing so or not doing so will bring. Morality is essentially connected with duties and obligation
• Imperatives


  "Act only according to the maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become universal"
• Imperative


  Means a command or order. Most commands usually comes from some authority, but these commands comes from within, from our own reasons
• Kant distinguishes two types of Imperatives

  • Hypothetical Imperative and Categorical Imperative
• Hypothetical Imperative


  If you want you ought. The ought or duty is conditioned by your desires, wants and goals. Example: "If you don't want to get wet, take an umbrella." Only applies if you have a particular goal
• Categorical Imperative


  Defines as commands or moral laws all persons must follows, regardless of their desires or extenuating circumstances. Example: "Seek the good"; "You ought to help those in need" Applies no matter what your goals are
• Categorical Imperative


  It is the supreme principle of morality. Morality means acting in accordance with the categorical imperative otherwise, it is none moral or immoral. Categorical imperative is a command
• Legal Rights


  A right created under the law. Can be based in the constitution or a statue. It is usually the crystallization of the moral within a specific political area and recognize by a dully authorize authority (which in most cases would be the state and its citizens). They might be loosely termed also as codified moral rights
• Legal Rights


  • Right to a Fair Trial
  • Right to Property
  • Right to Privacy
  • Right to Freedom of Speech
  • Right to Education
• Moral Rights


  Refers to what ought to be. Represent the Natural Law. Rights that arise from being part of a social community which recognizes the inherent worth of a human being to one another. It is brought out from basic respect and value one gives to another person
• Moral Rights


  • "A person has the moral rights to expect others to give her credit for her works."
• Moral Rights


  • Negative Rights: These are rights that protect some form of human freedom or liberty. They are called "negative" because they impose a duty on others not to interfere with a person's activities. Examples: Right to privacy, Right not to be killed, Right to do what one wants with one's property
  • Positive Rights: These are rights that provide something that people need to secure their well-being. They are "positive" in the sense that they claim for each person the positive assistance of others in fulfilling basic constituents of human well-being. Examples: Right to an education, Right to food, Right to medical care, Right to housing, Right to a job
• If any persons disrupts any moral right, no legal action can be taken against him/her. But if any person disrupts any legal rights, can be taken away with or without consent
• Rights theorists believe that human beings have certain natural rights that cannot be taken away by any government or authority.
• Utilitarians argue that we must act so as to produce the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
• Virtue ethics


  A moral philosophy that teaches an action is right if it is an action that a virtuous person would perform in the same situations
• Eudaimonistic


  Aristotle's perspective that focuses on happiness (eudaimonia), or what is beneficial for man, and how to achieve it
• Virtue ethics is primarily concerned with what we should strive to be
• Telos


  The ultimate goal or purpose of something
• Aristotle believed that everything in nature has a telos, a purpose or function that it is meant to fulfill
• Telos (in virtue ethics)

  Living a virtuous life means fulfilling this ultimate purpose, which is often understood as human flourishing or eudaimonia
• Telos example


  • Sarah discloses all relevant information about the car's condition to potential buyers, even though it might make the sale more challenging, because she believes honesty is essential for building trust and maintaining integrity
• Virtue as habit


  Virtue is a habit or disposition developed through practice and repetition
• Ethical virtues


  • Qualities of character that enable individuals to act in accordance with reason and achieve eudaimonia
  • Practicing virtuous behaviors repeatedly forms habits that become ingrained in one's character, leading to virtuous conduct