KANT

Kant’s Book

Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals

Kant bases his moral theory on_______ alone

Reason

Kant’s goal

Establish the supreme principle of morality through reason alone so that they are universal and apply to all rational beings

Aristotle vs Kant

Aristotle: Morality in Practical terms

Kant: Morality on Pure Rationality

Both: Rationality defines people

Reason Formulates ________

General Principles (Laws)

Laws

Universal Principle

1. Laws of Nature

2. Laws of Freedom

Laws of Nature

• Apply to physical objects

• Laws on how the object MUST obey/behave

  • No Choice

• Empirical (physics)

• Ex: a pen when dropped cannot choose not to fall

Laws of Freedom

• Apply to rational and free beings

• How a being ought to behave

  • Choice

• Normative (ethics)

To be rational is to have ____________

free will

Free Will

the capacity to determine your own motive

will

Rational Faculty that allows us to determine our actions and our Maxims

Maxims

The principals you choose to act on

Principals of Reason

1. Practical Rule

2. Moral Law

Practical Rule

• Principle conditioned on some other factor

  • (Contingent)

  • Do X if you want Y

• Aristotle's view

• Allows us to generalize a means to an end

  • Doesn't apply to those who don't want the end (Y)

  • NOT UNIVERSAL

• Hypothetical Imperatives

Moral Law

• Must Apply to everyone regardless of personal interest

  • Abosulute Necessity

• Ex: "you ought not to murder innocents"

  • No inherent desire or consequence; it's just wrong

• Categorical imperative

Only good thing without qualification (KANT) __________ because ____________________

Good Will;

1. You would always rather someone have good will rather than not

2. Good even if it achieves nothing

 

Good with qualification

• Things typically accepted as good, but can make a situation worse

• Ex: an intelligent villain is worse than a dumb one

• Intelligence, Wit, Perseverance, Virtues, Temperance (ARITSOTLE)

Good Will is derived from _________________

a sense of Duty

Moral principles appear as ___________

duties we can choose to follow

People are not _________ because ___________________

purely rational; we can choose to act contrary to duty

God is purely rational and thus has no

sense of duty

4 Cases of Duty Response

1. Act Contrary to Duty

2. Act Merely According to Duty

3. Act According to Duty with Immediate Inclination

4. Act from a Sense of Duty

Act Contrary to Duty

Not doing duty (Always morally wrong)

Act Merely According to Duty

Follow duty for non-moral reasons (no moral worth)

• Ex: Not swindling customers because of not wanting a bad reputation

Act According to Duty with Immediate Inclination

Follow duty due to a natural desire (no moral worth)

• Ex: Not swindling customers simply because you don't want to or hadn't thought of it.

Act from a Sense of Duty

Follow duty for the sake of duty (Moral Worth)