Immanuel Kant

Utalitarism

Doing the most good, for the most people

Freedom

Is the ability to govern one’s action through reason not desire

Autonomy

Greek for “Self Legislator”

• Avoid living your animalistic nature

• Live by the laws you impose on yourself through reason

Deontological Ethics

A morally good act is achieved only when we do it out of duty alone

The act of giving is NOT moral if it brings you joy, as then it becomes…

self serving

The act of giving is only ethical when done out of duty and…

duty alone

The philosophy of deontological ethics…

ensures that one’s motivation is pure, and not self serving

Deontology

everyone of similar value

Essential it’s our duty to ALWAYS do what is right…

regardless of how it makes us feel

You’re expected to…

be the best version of you

Duty is determined by…

principles (maxims)

Act only according to that duty where you can, at the same time, it shall become

universal law

ALWAYS act in a way that I want everyone else to act…

all the time

Consequences don’t matter in moral assessments and are irrelevant in calculating the…

moral worth of an act

Only good intentions…

and motives matter

What does Kant say?

• He’d argue that it’s our moral duty to the moral law and be truthful

• Not to try and predict consequences

To lie would be…

unholy

What would Kant do?

1. tell the truth

2. avoid answering

3. try to convince others that they’re actions are wrong

Always respect the dignity of others…

never treat another as simply as means to an end

Strengths

• you expect of others what you expect of yourself

• pushes us to reason through our emotions and be objective

• calls us to be good all the time (duty)

Limitations

• circumstances surrounding a moral decision are irrelevant

• doesn’t consider the consequences of actions

• all acts not strictly performed out of duty aren’t ethical