Kantian Ethics and Its Objections

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, examples, and objections related to Kantian deontological ethics from the lecture transcript.

Universality

The principle that if a moral command is obligatory for one person, it must be something that is possible for everyone to do without contradiction.

Maxim

The principle or formulation behind an intended action that is tested to see if it can be willed as a universal law.

Means to an End

A key concept in Kantian ethics stating that you must never treat people merely as an instrument to achieve a good outcome or consequence.

Deontological Approach

An approach to ethics demonstrating that morality is based on duty and rules rather than the consequences of actions.

Kantian Absolutism

The view in Kantian ethics that moral rules apply strictly and universally without exception, regardless of the situation.

Kant's Explanation of Suicide

The view that suicide is wrong because ending one's life out of unhappiness destroys the very possibility of attaining happiness, creating an inconsistency.

Not Having Kids Counterexample

An objection to the universal law test questioning whether choosing not to have kids creates a contradiction if imagined as a universal law for all of humanity.

French People Counterexample

A scenario showing how a maxim to kill French people could technically pass the universal law test without self-contradiction, illustrating potential vagueness or flaws in Kant's system.

Utilitarianism (in contrast to Kant)

An ethical system that justifies actions based on good consequences, such as pushing someone in front of a train to save five other people.