09. kants morality

7/23/2019 09. Kants Morality

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Duty

Immanuel Kant


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Immanuel Kant17241804

Pietism Pietism, a reform movement within

German Lutheranism stressed innerreligious conversion and upright conduct

over doctrinal exactness. Kant's parents were Pietists and he

retained an appreciation for the innermoral conscientiousness that Pietismsought to foster as fundamental toreligion, even as he reacted stronglyagainst the external ritual and devotional

practices of hristian pu!lic worship andra er that Pietism romoted.


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"ationalism "ationalism is any view appealing to reason

as a source of #nowledge or $usti%cation. Inmore technical terms, it is a method or a

theory in which the criterion of the truth isnot sensory !ut intellectual and deductivereasoning. Kant was a rationalist.


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&nlightenment &nlightenment is man's emergence from

his self(imposed immaturity. Immaturity isthe ina!ility to use one's understanding

without guidance from another. )hisimmaturity is self(imposed when its causelies not in lac# of understanding, !ut in lac#of resolve and courage to use it without

guidance from another. Sapere Aude* +dare to #now -ave

courage to use your own understanding*-((

that is the motto of enlightenment.


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Kant and "evolution

/s a supporter of the &nlightenment,

Kant !elieved in freedom0 1rom unthin#ing tradition

1rom despotic political rule

1rom control !y feeling and emotion

23&4&", he was shoc#ed when the1rench "evolution 5 whose principles ofli!erty, e6uality, fraternity he endorsed 5

turned to a "eign of )error7 Kant8s ethics provides a secular, rational

basis for morality in an age ofrevolutionary change


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Kant8s &thics of Duty

9 insights form the !asis for Kant8s&thical )heory /n action has moral worth if it is done

for the sa#e of duty. :D;)I4&"?/LI@/AILI)


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)he &thics of Duty

/cting for the sa#e of duty is0 /cting without self(interest /cting without concern for

conse6uences /cting without inclination

+downplays the role ofcompassion


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Immanuel Kant0 a matter of-duty-

Aefore Kant ethics focused on theconcept of -the good-)wo 6uestions were as#ed0

3hat is -the good-B ow do we attain itB )here was no disagreement on the

a!ove two points.

)he only puCCle was why didn'tsome people aim at the good.+Plato said "ignorance". Aristotlesaid weakness of will.7


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ow hristianity changedethics

In the hristianview to act morallya person must see the

act is right :i.e., it is commanded !yG2D= and must do the act !ecause

they see it is right.1or Kant"eason, not God, is the

source of the moral law. 3e canrephrase the a!ove as0

to act morallya person must see theact is right :i.e., it is commanded !y"&/?2>= and must do the act!ecause they see it is right.


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)he -good will- and duty...

Kant !elieved that only a G22D3ILL is morally valua!le.

/ good will#nows what its duty

is :that is, the good will knowswhat reason commands it todo.=

/nd the good will D2&? thedutiful act !ecause the goodwill is dutiful.


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)he nature of the -good will-

)he will determines how ourtalents and temperaments areused. It aects +or conditionseverything else we do.

Kant argues that some 6ualitiesare helpful to the good will, suchas moderation, self(control and-so!er reEexion-, !ut they are not

good in themselves.?ome talents F temperaments

are a &/>? to the end of agood will7 , !ut are not an end

in themselves.


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)he -good will- and results

)he will is good through its willingalone. &ven if the good willcannot carry out its intentions, itis good in itself.

/ccording to Kant we should not$udge the good will !y its-fruitfulness-.

fruitfulness7 H theconse6uences of its willing.

)he good will is to !e $udged !yits motivealone.


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"eason as the source ofthe moral law :reason"commands"=

Kant's premise0 -nothing in nature is invain-, therefore reason must havesome function.

)he functions of the preservation oflife or the gaining of happiness are!etter performed !y instinct.+examplesB

)hus he concludes that "eason hasnothing to do with our actions, yet isa practical power (( it inEuences ourwill.

Kant concludes that the true function


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)he -Good 3ill- and Duty

3hat does it mean to act from dutyB It is not enough that an act of a

certain kind!e done0

1or example0 )&>D&D01or example0 If you are moved

!y a sudden feeling of pity, youract is still without moral value.


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/n /ct ust Ae Done 1romPrinciple

In order for an act to !e done fromprinciple there must !e a thought(out rule.

/nd you must perform the act

becauseyou see it is an I>?)/>&of the rule.

1rom slide 0 to act morallyaperson must see the act is right:i.e., it is commanded !y"&/?2>= and must do the act!ecause they see it is right.


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)he otive of Duty I

Kant !elieved that the only motive

that ma#es an act morally valua!leis that of D;)0 -Duty is thenecessity to act out of reverencefor the law.


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nd Proposition0)he 1ormal Principle of Duty

)he moral worth of an action donefrom duty is not in the -purpose to!e attained,7 +i.e. conse#uences

!ut in the maxim :or law= on whichthe action is decided. oral worth does not come from the

conse6uences of the action or from

achieving the purpose of the action )he moral worth lies in the

-principle of the will- (( with -everymaterial principle ta#en away7

+such as inclinations, conse#uences,


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9rd Proposition0"everence for the Law

9rd P"2P2?)I2>0 -Duty is thenecessity to act out of reverence forthe law.

If we act for the sa#e of the 2AM&) ofour actions we can only act in termsof inclination. +examplesBKant is moving towards the notion

of the moral law as 2/>D&D3e must act from the ID&/ 21 )&

L/3 I)?&L1)his is only possi!le for a rational

!eing/nd this doesn't wait for a -result.-


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)he -ategorical Imperative-

)he ategorical Imperative is themeans !y which we determinewhat the moral law is.

It states0

-I ought never to act except in sucha way that I can also will that mymaxim should !ecome a universallaw.7

It means0 that we have to !e willing for

others to use the same moral lawthat we are using.


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)he Discussion(I0$s it prudent, or is it right to makea false promise%

Kant is ma#ing the argument thatloo#ing at the conse6uences of

an action won't help us decide!etween

prudence +conse#uences and

duty as the $usti%cation for a falsepromise7.


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)he Discussion ( II0$s it prudent, or is it right to makea false promise%

If we try to $ustify a lying promiseon the !asis of !eing prudent, we

aren8t always a!le to see theconse6uences. It is also possi!le that if people

lose con%dence in us, what will

happen will !e moredisadvantageous than what willhappen now. +magistrate & mob


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Discussion( III0'oes a "lying promise" accord withduty%

Kant argues that truth for the sa#eof duty contains the moral law0

:$n the case of prudence youmust look to see what thee(ects will be and doing this

does not contain the morallaw.)


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Discussion( I40'oes a "lying promise" accord withduty%


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;niversaliCa!ilityF the ategorical Imperative7

)he example of Lying0 If we will it to !ea universal law (( we lose theadvantage from our lying. onsiderthe matter of onsistency ( lyingloses ways here

. If we imagine the conse6uences of everyone lying we cannotconsistently

will that everyone adopt thismaxim.. 2"0 I cannot consistently will that Ilie

and you don8t*


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1ormulating maxims

)o formulate a maxim correctly you

must0 Ae sure the act description is

formulated carefully so it isrelevant. Get the right description.

Ae sure that the maxim hassuNcient generality. Ae sure it can pass the

categorical imperative7 test.

)he maxim needs to !e related tothe. motivating reasons of theagent,. to the act itself and9. to a universal system of

)h ? d 1 l ti f th


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)he ?econd 1ormulation of theategorical Imperative7

3e should respect all human !eingsimpartially.

Aecause human !eings exist asends in themselves7 we should

never use them as mere means.7 Kant8s argument is !ased on our

rationality. +*his is what sets usaside from those things that arewhat he calls ob!ects ofinclination.7

)he formulations of theategorical Imperative7 are!asically the same according to

Kant. ow soB


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;sing others as mere means7 03hat does it meanB

3hether we are using a person as amere means7 can !e hard todetermine as our motives are oftenmixed, !ut a mere means7 situationmay involve the followingcharacteristics0 deception a!out true motives

pro%ting at another person8s expense undermining a person8s chance to ma#e

an informed choice +tied to deception

violating certain other maxims we have


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/ Arief ?ummary

)he moral law is commanded !yreason.

3hat ma#es an action morally rightis that you have a moral maxim that

you can universaliCe. It is also wrong to treat people as

mere means7Kant focuses on universality and

impartiality/nd these are conditions that are

necessary for people to !e treated

freely F e6ually7 (( i.e. with


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Kant0 Pro F on

Pro0 It is admira!le to act from duty orality should !e evenhanded )he importance of respect for other

personson0 aintains the split !etween duty

and inclination Ignores the role of the emotions inmorality Ignores the place for conse6uences

in morality


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3hat ways are availa!le to resolve moralpro!lemsB

. &valuate the conse6uences of thealternatives. +;)ILI)/"I/>I?

. Aelieve that the right action will Eow

from our having formed good moralha!its +/"I?)2)L&

9. /ct from the correct motive +K/>)

2)I4&?0 can !e !ased in feeling or

reason Kant !elieves that "&/?2> ma#es

more sta!le, universal F impartialdecisions possi!le


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K/>) ?ummary

3e are to act on the !asis of duty +whatreason commands

It is the good will that reason creates thatena!les us to do this.

2ur reverence for the moral law will helpus %nd what our duty is.

Instead of loo#ing at conse6uences usethe following principles.

an you universaliCe your moral maximB

/re you using a person as a meremeans7B


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/s# yourself O

3hat do Kant8s principles ensurea!out the decision we ma#e B )hat itis (( ?)/AL& +reason not emotion+ also not

conse#uences

;>I4&"?/L +everyone could use your

maxim IP/")I/L +reason & universaliability

2AM&)I4& +reason & no emotion

09. kants morality

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