kantian

• Key points


  deontological - focused on the action over the outcome

  • objective and absolute moral laws
• Duty 


  we have a duty to ourselves and to do good to others:

  • strive for self-perfection and the well-being of others
  • innate right to freedom
  • duty not to destroy or limit others (we can sacrifice ourselves
  • don't make false promises - truthfulness is the foundation of human society
  • avoid drunkenness - compromises our freedom to act reasonably
  • not moral or virtuous to do good because it makes you feel good - we shouldn't do good because it makes us feel good
  • morality shouldn't be driven by emotions
  • we should do good simply because it is good/ the right thing to do
• synthetic and analytic statements

  analytic judgement is one where the predicate belongs to the subject

  • all bachelors are unmarried
  • statement is proven true solely in the virtue of its meaning - unmarried is to do with bachelors - true in its definition

  moral knowledge = synthetic

  • just from looking at behaviour, we cannot tell if it is right/wrong
  • we have to look at what people ought to do, not just what they do

  Kant believes that moral knowledge comes from reason at first hand and is a priori synthetic
• Hypothetical and categorical imperative

  hypothetical imperative - refers to the rules we must follow if we want to achieve particular results

  • based on conditional statements - if we want a desired outcome then we should do this
  • it only commands us if we have accepted the desired end, if not then we don't need to act

  This is wrong according to Kant - moral law should bind us unconditionally

  categorical imperative

  for Kant moral knowledge is categorical - if telling the truth is morally right then we should always tell the truth -irrespective of the circumstances or any end
• if the action would be good simply as a means to something else then the imperative would be hypothetical but if the action is represented as good in itself by reason, then the imperative is categorical
• Three principles in the categorical imperatives:

  1. the universal law of nature- laws must be universal (in all times and cultures- truth-telling is Kants example)
  2. the end in itself (people shouldn't use others as mean to an end)
  3. The kingdom of ends (people should act as if their behaviour is setting the laws in an ideal system)
• Kant's three postulates: 


  three assumptions that underpin the ethics

  1. freedom (we are all free to make moral decisions)
  2. immortality (good people should be rewarded with ultimate happiness/ goodness - summum bonum- there must be an afterlife where justice is done because we see in this life that good people are not always rewarded)
  3. God (there must be a God to bring about an afterlife and ensure that justice is done - doesn't rely on God but implies a God - reason could not know God)
• EVAL kant 


  S

  • categorical imperative - maxims - universal rules to follow - clear on what is right and wrong - easy to follow
  • emphasis on reason - autonomy - separate from religion - rather than blindly following commands
  • recognises the worth and dignity of people - formula of the end in itself - Golden rule - regardless of their status or if they are the minority - succeeds where utilitarianism fails - sadistic guards example
  • more objective basis - duty over emotions (which are subject to change)
  • inclusive - can be followed by non-believers
• EVAL kant 


  W

  • cold/ lacks empathy - ignore emotions and use reason - may not be appropriate for all situations
  • deontological - rules may lead to terrible consequences - Nazi Germany
  • not all motives can be 100% pure - Augustine/ Hobbes: humans are brutish and evil - hard to separate our emotions from decisions
  • deontological - ignoring the outcomes is irresponsible
  • what do we do when duties conflict? - murderer looking for your father who is hiding - duty to preserve his life or tell the truth
  • Believers: Kant gives human reason a more important place than God
• EVAL Kant

  Alasdair McIntyre: you can use the universalisability principle to justify practically anything

  
  

  
  

  Ross - prima facie duties - seven primary duties - leads us to our moral obligation - giving us a course of action

  • eg our duty of gratitude to our parents outweighs any duty to any stranger

  
  

  
  

  Kant would argue that suicide can’t be universalised because it goes against survival

  Pojman considers that a person should be able to commit suicide if the pain “erodes” the quality of life. This means that although Kant disagrees with suicide, the categorical imperative does not