Kant's Deontological Ethics and Moral Philosophy

Deontology

The theory of duty or moral obligation.

Duty

Role-related duty.

General duty

A type of duty that applies broadly.

Obligation

Requirement set on a person because of his/her identity.

Personal autonomy

The moral person is a rational self-legislator.

Respect

Persons should always be treated as an end, not a means.

Duty

The moral action is one that we must do in accordance with a certain principle, not because of its good consequence.

Kant's philosophy

What can I know? What ought I do? What can I hope for?

Critique of Pure Reason

Published in 1781, it addresses the question 'What can I know?'

Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals

Published in 1785, it addresses the question 'What ought I do?'

Critique of Practical Reason

Published in 1788, it also addresses the question 'What ought I do?'

Critique of Judgment

Published in 1790, it addresses the question 'What can I hope for?'

Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone

Published in 1793, it addresses the question 'What can I hope for?'

Phenomena

Things as they appear to us; empirical and therefore changeable.

Noumena

Things-in-themselves, which can't be known by the use of senses.

Moral worth

On Kant's view, the moral worth of an action is not determined by its consequences.

Consequences of an action

The consequences of an action are not under our control.

Good will

The moral worth of an action is given by our good will.

The right motive

Only the motive out of a sense of duty will count on Kant's view.

Hypothetical imperative

What I ought to do if some conditions hold.

Categorical imperative

What I ought to do unconditionally.

Maxim

A principle or rule that guides actions.

Two formulations of the categorical imperative

1. Act only on that maxim that you can will as a universal law. 2. Always treat humanity, whether your own person or that of another, never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end.

Example of lying

If we use consequences as the basis of moral worth, sometimes lying is right because it makes a lot of people happy.

Universality Test

A test to determine if a maxim can be universally applied.

Humanity Test

A test to determine if a maxim respects the humanity of all individuals.

Lying

An act that is wrong because it undermines the function of words to express truth.

Kingdom of Ends

A moral community where all rational beings are treated equally and not as means to an end.

Moral Law

A set of principles that rational agents agree upon to govern their actions.

Autonomy

The capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision; fundamental to being a free person.

Equality

The principle that all rational persons are equal and deserve equal respect.

Conflicts of Duties

Situations where two moral duties cannot both be fulfilled.

Universal Duty

A moral obligation that applies to all rational beings in similar circumstances.

Non-Rational Beings

Entities such as animals that are not protected by moral law due to lack of responsibility.

Cruelty to Animals

A moral issue that reflects on our own rationality rather than the welfare of the animals.

Participatory Democracy

A form of democracy that emphasizes the involvement of citizens in decision-making.

Representative Democracy

A type of democracy where elected officials represent a group of people.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership and free markets.

Revolutionary Marxism

A political theory advocating for the overthrow of capitalism through revolution.

Informed Consent

The principle that subjects must voluntarily consent to participate in research with full understanding.

Nuremberg Code

A set of ethical principles for human experimentation emphasizing voluntary consent.

Stanley Milgram's Experiment

A psychological study on obedience that raised ethical concerns about using human subjects.

Philip Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Study

A psychological experiment that examined the effects of perceived power in a simulated prison environment.

Power Structure

The hierarchy that exists when one party has more power over another in a relationship.

Imbalanced Power Structure

A situation where one party has more power and control over another, affecting moral considerations.