Kantian Evaluation

• Is it a helpful method of moral decision making:

  • maxim cannot destroy itself -> stealing
  • Pojman -> not all examples are successful
  • Kant is against euthanasia, but his imperative is against suffering
  • categorical imperative doesn't force the opinion that everyone should be helped
  • raises status of human beings
  • might need to build exceptions
  • unconditional
• Should an ethical judgement be based on right or wrong, based on the extent to which duty is served:

  • strong emphasis on what is going on inside the person making moral decision
  • morality doesn't equal emotions or results
  • too idealised -> impossible to act for all sorts of reasons
  • falliable + prone to influences
  • struggle for individuals, inner purity of motivation