Kantian Ethics

Kantian Ethics

1. Deontological approach

2. Moral actions should be preformed as a matter of duty.

3. Humans are seeking an end goal - Summum Bonum

4. Summum Bonum cannot be achieved in a lifetime - Humans must be immortal

5. The existence of morality proves the existence of God

6. Rationalist

7. 'ought' implies can' means if you ought to do something then you should do it.

8. Good will is the intention to do your duty.

9. Apriori is based on logic rather than evidence

10. The Kingdom of Ends is a world in which people do not treat others as means but only as ends.

11. Enlightenment is greatly important to mans ability to reason .

12. Good will + Duty = Moral action

13. Categorical Imperative - the one rules that should be followed in order to decide what is right and wrong.

14. To be a categorical imperative it has to be;

    • Universalisation - apply to everyone
    • Humans as ends and not means - people are the most important factor of morality. It is not ok to use humans to haeve the majority.
    • The Kingdom of Ends - All people should be treated equally. Assume that everyone can make rational decisons; everyone can be moral. Assume everyone is good.

15. We all have good will inside us - the drive to do good.

16. Morality is a categorical imperitive - moral rule you HAVE to follow.

17. Hypothetical imperitive - something you have to do in order to achieve a goal. (only applies to you)

18. Rational - use reason to logically work out something

19. An end in itself - treating as if it is important.

20. Legislator in the Kingdom of Ends - act as everybody will choose the right thing to do.

21. Kant believes there is 3 postulates of practical reason.

    • Freedom
    • God
    • Immortality
    • These postulates come from Kant's theory about the use of reason. Kant believed that the experience of the moral law leads us to our awareness of freedom.

22. Not concerned with consequences

23. These moral choices are independent of any though of consequence. Acting morally is an end in itself.