kant morality

8/14/2019 Kant Morality

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Kantian Ethics

Deontology



Different Kinds of Ethical

Theories

Teleological (Consequentialism) ²

± Actions are considered moral in light of their

consequences (or intended consequences).

Deontological ²

± Actions are considered moral in light of their

motivations (reasons or causes)



Consequentialism

Classic Utilitarianism

± Mill, Bentham, G. E. Moore

± We ought to seek happiness or pleasure (i.e.,

the good)

± Greatest happiness for the greatest number in

the long term



Consequentialism

Problems for Classic Utilitarianism

± Different qualities of happiness or pleasure?

± Can we quantify happiness?

± Are the calculations feasible?

± Trolley Problem?



The Good Will

³There is no possibility of thinking anything

at all in the world, or even out of it, which can

be regarded as good without qualification,

except, a good will .´ (957)



The Good Will

Will is a faculty that determines action

Any alleged intrinsic good must becombined with a good will (motives)

True function of reason is to produce a willthat is good in itself.

Rejects Hume¶s claim that ³reason alonecan never be a motive to any action of thewill´



Duty

Spinoza and Hume:

± Good and evil are primary; actions are r ight as

they lead to a good result

Kant

± Duty (right/wrong, obligation) are primary; the

good man is one who habitually acts accordingto duty



Duty

An action must be done from duty to haveany moral worth.

An action done from duty has its moralworth, not in the purpose«but in themaxim according to which the action isdetermined.

Duty is the necessity of an action done outof respect for the law. (961)



The a priori Law

³The pre-eminent good which is called moral

can consist in nothing but the representation

of the law itself, and such a representation can

admittedly be found only in a rational being

insofar as this representation, and not some

expected effect is the determining ground of the will.´ (961)



The Imperative

The law or duty must be objectively

necessary, hence, in accord with reason.

³The representation of an objective

principle insofar as it necessitates the will is

called a command (of reason), and the

formula of the command is called animperative.´ (967)



Imperatives

Hypothetical

± Presents an action as a means for some other

end.

Categorical

± Presents an action as an end in itself.

± Objectively necessary without reference to any purpose

± Synthetic a priori propositions (971)



The Categorical Imperative

³Act only according to the maxim whereby

you can at the same time will that it should

become a universal law.´

or

³Act as if the maxim of your action were to

become through your will a universal law of nature.´



Case 1

Not committing suicide

± Maxim: From self-love I make as my principle

to shorten my life when its continued duration

threatens more evil than it promises

satisfaction.

± Contradiction: a system of nature whose law

would destroy life by means of the same feeling

that promotes life.



Case 2

Keeping Promises

± Maxim: When I believe I need money I will

borrow it and promise to pay it back even

though I know I can¶t.

± Contradiction: If everyone did this, there

would be no basis for promise-keeping.



Case 3

Cultivating One¶s Talents

± Maxim: I shall neglect my natural gifts and

indulge in pleasure.

± Contradiction: ³as a rational being he

necessarily wills that all his faculties should be

developed´ as much as they can be.



Case 4

Benefiting Others

± Maxim: Though things are going well for me, I

won¶t help others who are less fortunate ± Contradiction: ³a will which resolved in this

way would contradict itself, inasmuch as casesmight often arise in which one would have need

of the love and sympathy of others and inwhich he would deprive himself«of all hope of the aid he wants for himself.´



Practical Imperative

Every rational being is an end in itself by its

very nature as a rational being.

³Act in such a way that you treat humanity,

whether in your own person orin the person

of another, always at the same time as an

end and never simply as a means.´ (976)



Kingdom of Ends

³all rational beings stand under the law that

each of them should treat himself and all

others never nearly as a means but always at

the same time as an end in himself.´

³a systematic union of all rational beings

through common objective laws´



Summary

Reason¶s function is to produce a good will

The will of a rational being determines

one¶s actions. Right acts are those done according to one¶s

duty.

Duties are expressed through maxims that

serve as objectively necessary laws.

These maxims must fit the form of a

categor ical imper ative (universalizable).



Freedom of the Will?

Will is a kind of cause belonging to rational beings

The empirical world of appearance must beunderstood through laws of nature(determinism).

The self as a thing in itself is unknowableand not subject to causal (or any)explanation.



³«a rational being must regard himself qua

intelligence«as belonging not to the world of sense but to the world of understanding.Therefore he has two standpoints from whichhe can regard himself and know laws of the

use of his powers and hence of all his actions;first, insofar as he belongs to the world of sense subject to the laws of nature(heteronomy); secondly, insofar as he belongs

to the intelligible world subject to laws which,independent of nature, are not empirical butare founded only on reason.´ (987)



Freedom and Necessity

Freedom is an idea of reason whose

objective reality is questionable

For practical purposes the idea of freedom

is necessary for rational conduct.

Must assume ³no real contradiction´

between freedom and natural necessity

kant morality

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