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Philosophy And Ethics > Kantian Ethics > Flashcards

Kantian Ethics Flashcards

1
Q

deontological

A

duty
ethics focused on the intrinsic rightness and wrongness of actions
- unconcerned with consequence
- goodness of an act not dependant on their outcome but on the goodness in itself

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2
Q

moral law

A

binding moral obligations

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3
Q

maxims

A

duties are created by the moral law, to follow it is our duty. The word deontological means duty based study

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4
Q

good will

A

a person of good will is a person who makes decisions according to the moral law

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5
Q

categorical imperative

A

an unconditional moral obligation that is always binding irrespective of a persons’ inclination or situation
the only correct commands

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6
Q

hypothetical imperative

A

a moral obligation that applies only if one desires the implied goal

  • rejects these when it comes to morality
  • don’t murder anyone IF you don’t want to go to jail
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7
Q

kingdom of ends

A

an imagined future in which all people act in accordance to the moral law

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8
Q

summum bonum

A

the highest most supreme good

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9
Q

sum up Kant in one sentence

A

we should do the right thing for no other reason than it is the right thing to do - its our duty

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10
Q

give a quote of Kant

A

it is not necessary that whilst I live I live happily but it is necessary that so long as I live I should live honourably

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11
Q

how is the enlightenment period of which Kant wrote relevant

A

emphasised reason and individualism to reform society to challenge ideas, scepticism
kant believed in an objective right or wrong based on reason
we know what is right without looking to institutions or facts because we can use our reason

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12
Q

how did kant say we can test any given moral maxim

A

asking whether we can always say that everyone should follow it and if this is not the case then we should reject that rule

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13
Q

what did kant see as a threat to the autonomy of the moral agent

A

emotions

  • attempts to base morality on reason rather than emotions, consequences or religion
  • it is too easy to be swayed by emotions so we cannot choose freely
  • emotions can lead to action and variations which cannot be universalised
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14
Q

what must we look to as the foundation of our moral decision making

A

reason
duty
goodwill

duty must be the only foundation for moral decision making
if a person follows a command on the basis of its consequences then if that consequence does not effect that person then they have no reason to follow the command

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15
Q

would it be wrong to say

A

that kant is not concerned with consequence at all as sometimes in order to determine what our duty is we must consider the consequences
- but the consequentialist aspects of the theory are art of the reasoning or working out what is right rather than what makes an action good in itself

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16
Q

how do the feature of our actions make them morally right or wrong in a deontological sense

A
  • not the consequence
  • its whether or not you have done your duty for your own sake
  • intention
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17
Q

why is Kant’s theory absolutist

A

the command to do one’s duty is unchanging - not to do one’s duty is always absolutely wrong

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18
Q

what should moral commands be for kant

A

categorical imperatives so they are absolute commands that must be followed

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19
Q

why does Kant recognise that we will have some hypothetical commands in life

A
  • because we may have some goals that we do not have any moral obligations to fulfil but choose to anyway
  • if i wish to follow a career in law I am obliged to go to university
    hypothetical imperatives tell us what we need to do to achieve certain goals
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20
Q

what can we see about people who make moral decisions according to hypothetical imperatives

A
  • they are immoral persons because they look to factors such as pleasure or success as legitimating their actions
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21
Q

give Kant’s cute quote about moral law

A

two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the stary heaven above me and the moral law within me

22
Q

how does kant believe that errors in moral thinking arise

A
  • from heteronymous approaches to moral decision making
  • obedience to moral laws laid down by others e.g. the Church
  • kant argues it is our innate human reason alone that enables us to formulate moral statements and thereby solutions to moral dilemmas
23
Q

what should be the source of our morality

A
  • the self with our innate human reason alone

- autonomous approach

24
Q

where does Kant argue the moral laws comes from

A
  • within us from the use of our reason
  • we use it to know what our duty is and that we must follow those duties
  • reason enables us to find an awareness in life for what needs to be done it recognises the centrality of duty
25
Q

what does kant say about free will

A
  • it always right to act out of goof will

- we must use our free will to bear in mind others needs before our own

26
Q

why does kant argue against looking to consequence

A

consequences are never clear
we do not know whether our actions will have the effects we intend
therefore we should focus on good will duty and reason regardless of what the outcome is or might be

27
Q

why should one do one’s duty

A

because it is your duty

28
Q

how is someone behaving hypothetically

A
  • doing good for the wrong reason
  • looking for reward
  • give money to the poor for praise
  • failing to appreciate that duty is good in itself
  • that is not to say Kant didn’t think acting morally shouldn’t bring you pleasure it just shouldn’t be your motivation for doing something
29
Q

what are the three formulas of Kant’s categorical imperative

A

the formula of universal law
the formula of humanity
the formula of the kingdom of ends

30
Q

what is the formula of universal law

A

only follow a rule if you’re happy for everyone else to follow the same rule

31
Q

what universality test does Kant provide us with to allow moral agents to know whether a maxim can be universalised or not

A
  • make rule
  • imagine a world where everyone followed it
  • decide whether contradictions would arise in the world if it was followed
  • if yes rule not allowed
  • if no can have rule
32
Q

what two possible contradictions may occur in maxims that we may wish to universalise

A
  • contradiction in conception (law of nature) - the maxim contradicts itself or contradicts a pre-existing law of nature
  • contradiction in volition - the maxim can be logically applied but as a rational human being it makes no sense to have it
33
Q

what examples does Kant give of things that fail the universality test

A
  • false promises
  • lying/deception
  • theft
  • suicide
  • laziness
  • refusing to give aid or charity
  • cruelty to animals
34
Q

what contradiction does making false promises have

A
  • contradiction of conception

- one cannot have a duty to promise and at the same time a duty to break it

35
Q

what contradiction does refusing to give aid or charity have

A
  • contradiction of volition
  • Kant argues no rational person would want to adopt this maxim as a universal principle
  • no one would help you why would you want that
36
Q

the formula of humanity

A
  • never treat humanity as a means to an end they’re an end in themselves
  • don’t use humans for our own needs
  • business ethics - give good pay etc
  • sexual ethics - sex in marriage as so not solely for pleasure
  • possession of reason that puts humans at top of hierarchy
  • Kant offers a secular basis of human right that doesn’t need religion and yet allows us all dignity
37
Q

the formula of the kingdom of ends

A

every rational being must so act as if he were through his maxims always a law making member in the universal kingdom of ends

  • act as if our actions made law for others
  • giving an aunt a bday present - not a personal private act but a commitment to the idea that everyone should give their aunts a birthday present
  • insistent reminder of our duty and responsibility when making moral decisions
  • always maintain our own personal integrity regardless of the choices of others
38
Q

what is a postulate

A

a necessary assumption especially as the basis of an argument

39
Q

what are the three postulates

A

freedom
immortality
god

40
Q

what is the first postulate

A

FREEDOM

  • we experience freedom in our moral decision making and therefore it must be a reality - empirical evidence
  • we come to moral crossroads
  • means we have life after death and God
  • he uses reason and ‘ought implies can’ - we ought to be good and so can be
  • freedom leads to the other two postulates
41
Q

what are the second and third postulate’s

A

IMMORALITY and GOD

  • if we make good moral choices with our freedom we ought to be rewarded and so can be in life after death
  • we have empirical evidence for choice
  • must be God head to dish our punishment or reward
42
Q

discuss summum bonum

A
  • state in which your virtue leads to happiness
  • like Aristotle’s concept of eudamonia
  • happy because you are virtuous
  • doesn’t happen in this world because perfect happiness is impossible in this life
  • must be life after death for this to be achieved
  • we can see life after death is real because good people are not always rewarded in this world
  • in order for justice to be attained reasonable to postulate that there is an afterlife (immorality) where this will take place under the head of God
43
Q

Kantian ethics are a helpful method of moral decision making

A
  • seeks to raise the status of human beings and avoid selfish rule making
  • treating humans as having unconditional worth rather than as a means to an end seems to match the feeling that life is precious
  • rationality is important in human life and this thinking seems to connect with Judeo-Christian idea of sanctity of life
  • can also be upheld by non-religious people
44
Q

Kantian ethics are not a helpful method of moral decision making

A
  • some example of the universality test are not so successful
  • Kant’s theory seems to prohibit suicide but Pojman suggests it is possible to universalise it - whenever the pain of suffering erodes quality of life one is permitted to commit suicide
  • while Kant opposes suicide his categorical imperative does not
  • we might need to build qualifications/exceptions into the system but then the categorical nature of his system seems to be undermined
  • it may be clear that we should not people in terrible ways but it is not clear how we would respond to situations where there was a conflict between helping one person or another.
45
Q

an ethical judgement about something being good or bad should be based on the extent to which duty is served

A
  • Kant’s theory has a strong emphasis on what is going on inside the person making a moral decision - focus motives on duty rather than external pressures
  • important for Kant as morality is not something determined by emotions or the end result
  • by striving to act properly by focusing on serving our duty society becomes happier
  • it is still possible to do good even with our fallible mixed emotions
46
Q

an ethical judgement about something being good or bad should not be based on the extent to which duty is served

A
  • perhaps Kant’s view is too idealised - he seems to expect a lot from society- a society that Augustine argues is ultimately flawed
  • not always clear what our duty is - we may feel torn by two different pressures
  • human beings are fallible and prone to influences on their motivations
  • question whether inner purity of motivations is as important as the happiness created - perhaps utilitarianism more plausible
  • inner struggle to follow duty
  • it could be our duty to consider the consequences of our actions
47
Q

Kantian ethics are not too abstract to be applicable to practical moral decision making

A
  • attention to the worth of a human person is not an abstract idea
  • a system of ethics based on emotions could easily dissolve into justifications of selfish conduct
  • perhaps kant is offering the system of rules that once spread widely will guide people
  • moral theories that are not interested in the development of the moral person may be less effective at creating a better society
48
Q

Kantian ethics are too abstract to be applicable to practical moral decision making

A
  • too idealised
  • idea of no influence of emotions is unpractical - it required you to separate from emotions and focus on certain principles
  • yet moral decisions are often made in high emotion situations - Kant is unrealistic in his expectations of people
  • Kant’s ethics is unhelpful when there is a no win situations such as the decision to save some lives at the expense of a few - it is not always possible to not treat someone as a means to an end at least - utilitarianism better
  • when there is an idea of a fixed amount of resources e.g. natural disaster relief you would struggle to use the ideals of Kant
49
Q

Kantian ethics is so reliant on reason that it unduly rejects the importance of other factors such as sympathy, empathy and love in moral-decision making

A
  • emotional connections are a fundamental human experience that get you through challenging times yet Kant seems to be a little removed from this emotional importance
  • when faced with a great threat we may want to save those closest to us first like our own child - but its not clear from Kant’s theory whether there is moral ground for that
  • feelings often motivate moral response - we might find ourselves with impure or mixed motives and acting in a rational way distanced from this seems difficult
50
Q

Kantian ethics is not so reliant on reason that it does not unduly reject the importance of other factors such as sympathy, empathy and love in moral-decision making

A
  • Kant questions whether emotive acts for others will lead us into immorality
  • perhaps we would become corrupt by favouring those we like
  • we might pursue selfish aims
  • if everyone followed their emotions the world would be a much worse place - we all want to be helped when in need
  • if justice was based on emotions friendship or family connections then we would say it was corrupt

Philosophy And Ethics (16 decks)

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