Immanuel Kant was a German Enlightenment philosopher who emphasized the centrality of the human and reason.
His critical philosophy, based on critiquing human reason, provided the foundation for his ethical postulations.
Module 7
Deontology (Duty Based Ethics)
An action is considered morally good due to its inherent characteristics, not its outcome.
Deontological theories state that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its features or the rule behind it, not its consequences.
The end never justifies the means.
Acting unjustly is wrong, even if it maximizes expected utility.
Literary Preview Example
A utilitarian would donate to a charity that maximizes good for the greatest number.
A deontologist would fulfill a dying request because truth-telling and promise-keeping are right, even with harmful consequences. Lying and promise-breaking are wrong even when they have good consequences.
Revisit the millionaire's dying request to donate 5 million to the Yankees versus donating it to charity.
Immanuel Kant Moral Philosophy
Humans are duty-bound to regulate their reason through formulating thoughts, opinions, judgments, and recognizing mistakes.
Reason is the source of a human's unconditional value.
This value is shared by all rational beings, which also contains the human being's good will.
According to Korsgaard, absolute faith and hope in humanity are core to Kantian morality.
Maxims
A maxim is a personal rule or general principle underlying a particular action.
Rational beings devise rules that guide their actions in different circumstances.
Categorical Imperative
The categorical imperative is a command to perform actions necessary in themselves, without reference to other ends.
Procedure:
Consider the underlying maxim of the proposed action.
Consider whether the maxim could be universalized to apply to everyone.
Accept the successfully universalized maxim or reject the unsuccessful one.
Hypothetical Imperative
Commands actions for some other good, not for their own sake.