Kantian Ethics

Kantian Ethics

1. Summum Bonum

   • 'Highest Good'
   • Three postulates of practical reason
     • Freewill
       • Have to be free in order to be rewarded, otherwise this would be irrational
     • Immortal
       • We clearly aren't rewarded in this life as seen by evil people not being punished E.g. Hitler.
       • Would be irrational to reward us before we finish our tasks
     • God
       • There has to be an omnibenevolent figure who loves us enough to reward us
       • There has be be an omniscient figure to tell if we have acted morally or not
       • Has to be an omnipotent figure to have the power to reward us
   • Poses the question whether Kant's theory really is deontological. Kant argues that we are not looking towards our end goal, but are focusing on our duty to act morally
   • 'Ought' implies 'can'
     • Therefore we can follow the CI in accordance with our duty and reason, in order to reach the summun bonus
       • Categorical Imperative
         • "I should never act in such a way that I could not will my moral maxim be a universal law"
         • Use the CI in order to direct us on to our moral path. It is our duty to use our reason to use the CI
         • Contradiction of will / nature
           • Squandering talents is a contradiction of the will
           • Suicide to end suffering is a contradiction of will and nature
           • Borrowing money you can't return is a contradiction of will and nature
       • Can't be expected to do the impossible, therefore we can reach moral perfection

2. Duty and Reason

3. Deontological vs teleological

   • Kant's theory is deontological
   • From the Greek word meaning duty, and the Greek word meaning end
   • "Act in such a way that you always treat humanity... as an end"
   • Deontological
   • Teleological
     • Emphasis is on the consequence and obedience to the rule rather than the intrinsic value of the rule itself

4. Strengths and Weaknesses

   • Strengths
   • Weaknesses

5. Categorical Imperative

   • Unconditional/universal
     • "I should never act in such a way that I could not will my moral maxim be a universal law"
       • Equality
         • We should never act in a way that won't make everyone else happy. We all have the same status, therefore what us wrong for someone else is also wrong for us
           • E.g. We canot steal and not expect someone else to because you believe you have more right, because this is irrational. It is a universal law.
         • Moral maxims must apply to all people and at all times
   • Inform us of an obligation/duty regardless of consequence
   • "An action done from duty has its own moral worth"
   • CI provides a test to distinguish true moral maxims from amoral and immoral ones
   • Contradiction of will and nature
   • "Every rational being must so act as if he were through his maxims always a law-making member in the universal kingdom of ends"

6. Compatible with religion

   • Yes
     • Kant was a Christian
     • Summum Bonum holds that God, heaven and immortality are all real
   • No
     • Morality is indépendant of God's will
     • Buddhists and Hindu's believe in rebirth/reincarnation

7. Living in a time of Enlightenment where Newton had reason to establish the truth in science. Kant believed he could apply the same principle - reason - to establish moral truths

   • Moral truths are a priori - knowledge gained prior to or without experience

8. Absolutist

9. Only one thing which makes an action morally good, and that is to act with the intention of acting in accordance with ones moral duty. We determine our moral duty through reason

10. We are FREE! We use our reason in accordance with our duty!