C.12 Kantian ethics

Key words:

• Autonomy

• A priori

• Heteronomy

• Deontological ethics

• Hypothetical imperative

• Categorical imperative

• Postulate

• Autonomy: belief we are self directed beings making our own free choices

• A priori: knowledge not dependent on experience

• Heteronomy: opposite of autonomy being directed by others in decision making

• Deontological ethics: ignore outcome concentrating on if act is good itself

• Hypothetical imperative: what we must do to achieve a goal

• Categorical imperative: our reason teaches us what must always be done

• Postulate: A principle so evident it needs no further justification

• What is the central condition of rational thought to Kant? (Explain it)

• What did he believe the errors of moral thinking had come from?

• What was the only moral law we should follow?

- Autonomy (belief we are self directed beings)

- Heteronymous approaches (others influencing what we do)

- Moral law that is knowable by reason and free from coercion

• What does Kant say matters in decision making?

• What does Kant mean by duty?

• That we should do what is right and what is right is duty.

Uphold duty and being good

• Doing things we ought to do.. a sense of obligation to preform certain things e.g telling the truth

•What is Kant's ethics thought of as?

• What does this make Kants theory

• Deontological.. however Kant upholds whether the person has done the duty for their OWN sake only that is truly good

• Moral absolutist theory as to not do one's duty is wrong

Kant's Axe - man allegory + what does this show

- If a murderer was demanding the location of your friend Kant would uphold telling the truth as consequences do NOT matter as the principle of action (telling truth) can be universalised as a law (essentially first Categorical imperative)

What is the hypothetical imperative? + Why Kant doesn't like it

Categorical imperative?

- What we must do to achieve a particular goal but there's no requirement to follow this

• only apply in certain cases depending desired outcome (not universal or absolute so Kant doesn't like)

- Our reason teaches us

MUST ALWAYS be done, 3 forms of the imperative

• The first form of the categorical imperative [Quote by Kant to explain it]

Limitations (2)

UNIVERSALITY - "Live your life as though your every act were to become a universal law" (.e.g you shouldn't support abortion as u weren't aborted)

• e.g if I thought someone poor with many children shouldn't have more as it complicates their lives.. would be immoral for me to have children which is irrational.

• gives idea that we must NEVER lie or break a promise which can be more harmful e.g Kants axe-man allegory

The second form of the categorical imperative

Limitation (1)

"Every man is to be respected as an absolute end in himself"

(Don't use people.)

E.g. Trolley problem; Kant would not agree with using one (killing the person) to save the other 5

• difficult to to do especially in modern complex life

Third form of the categorical imperative

Give a pro and con

When we act we must imagine we are making laws for a perfect 'Kingdom of Ends' (perfect moral paradise) , so only do things that would be permitted in this Kingdom

+ if everyone did live this way perhaps society would be better

- but we don't and to implement this would be unreasonable and cruel at times

Kants 3 postulates of practical reason

What Kant thinks of the postulates

- Does not think that these three things are proven to be true but must be assumed practically in order for morality to exist.

1) Freedom: connected to K's view that we are fully rational beings able to choose and do our duty

2) Immortal: doing our moral duty will be rewarded after death

3) God : guarantor of both rationality and immortality

Objections to Kantian Ethics (3)

- we cannot ignore the consequences of our actions just cus we are doing our 'duty' (e.g Nuremberg trials shows danger of blindly following duty) 'The morality of an action is dependent on the circumstances'. - Joseph Fletcher (Sit ethics)

BUT in KANTIAN TERMS no justification of evil acts under the guise of 'duty' as true duty must come from rational, moral law, not from external orders.

- conflicting duties e.g. you have to keep a promise but cause harm..no clear solution

- emphasis on reason but not everyone is reasonable e.g. children/ mentally ill

W.D Ross's "Prima Facie Duties"

• Thoughts on Kantian ethics

• Example of prima facie

• Example of what Ross would do vs Kant

- Liked idea of duty however life is too complex and messy for rigid Kantian Ethics

- He said we don't have one absolute duty, but multiple "prima facie" duties (duties that seem right at first glance).

EXAMPLE:

Keeping promises/ not lying

we must weigh which duty is more pressing in that situation.

You promise to meet a friend, but on the way you see a child drowning.

Ross says: saving a life outweighs keeping a promise your "actual duty" is to help, so Ross makes duty more flexible + situational

Strength + weakness of Prima Facie

- It diverges from Kant's strict deontological ethics, which insist on absolute duties regardless of the situation

+ Ross still values reason and moral logic. He believes we must rationally weigh duties, which aligns with Kant's belief in the importance of using practical reason in ethics.

Philippa Foot's criticism of Kants categorical imperative

Argued, just because something is a universal rule doesn't mean we're motivated to follow it.

Moral rules don't force us to act like logic does. They only work if we already value morality.

So if someone doesn't care about being moral, the Categorical Imperative has no power over them.

Strengths to Kantian ethics

- Consistent with Cicero's belief there should be 'one law eternal, binding upon all people, at all times' as Kantian ethics is an objective, rational method for making moral decisions + avoids influence of emotions like situation ethics

- Correctly identifies that central importance of respecting other persons, second categorical imperative

- Emphasises human autonomy and rationality

- Secular as upholds use of reason not divine law "There is nothing higher than reason" - Kant