Kantian Ethics applied:

Kantian Ethics applied:

1. ABORTION

   • AGAINST- Duty to preserve life.
   • UNIVERSAL LAW: everyone had an abortion=no life! But it could be possible to reformulate this if the woman's life was in danger. Another reformulation= future mental state of fetus so limited that human would have no intrinsic value = ok.
   • MEANS TO AN END: if fetus is regarded as human, aborting would be seen as exploiting it in order to get the mother something.

2. EUTHANASIA

   • AGAINST- Duty to preserve life and duty not to murder.
   • UNIVERSAL LAW: unacceptable to say 'everyone should help people die if they are suffering' as this would include those who did not wish to die. Reformulation= limiting to people who want to die= ok.
   • MEANS TO AN END: involving someone else in the act of ending human life, this is treating them a means to an end since they are being exploited by the person wishing to die.

3. GENETIC ENGINEERING

   • Kant's view on the embryo is unknown. However it could be argued that whatever its status, the embryo holds POTENTIAL to become life= WRONG.
   • UNIVERSAL LAW: contrary to Kantian ethics to have any universal law involving creation of embryos that were later destroyed, because otherwise all embryos would be created for that purpose (universiality)= as a result no embryo would develop normally and human race would cease to exist. Reformulation: universal law is possible providing that it was ONLY applied to embryos created with the sole purpose of GE.
   • MEANS TO AN END: embryo is used as a means to an end since it is clearly not able to make own decisions= morally WRONG since the weak must be protected. However, equally argued since embryo cannot make own decisions, it has NO intrinsic value= therefore ok to be tested on.
   • KINGDOM OF ENDS: argued that embryo's undeveloped state means it is not part of this kingdom, therefore it is acceptable to be used for research.

4. WAR AND PEACE

   • Kantian ethics rules out war as acceptable and moral since it involves killing of humans, however Kant argues that it is acceptable for self defence.
   • UNIVERSAL LAW: Although universalisation of killing is unacceptable (extinct human race), could be argued that it is ok in the case of self-defence and preservation, even though this clearly involved violence.
   • MEANS TO AN END: role of soldiers= exploited as a means to an end= unacceptable. However if soldiers are viewed as fighting for self-preservation= acceptable.