Kantian Ethics PDF

Kantian ethics Tuesday 17 December 2024 08:59 Kant believes morality is derived from rationality, making immorality irrational. Morality is universal because rationality is universal among humans. Kant prioritises duty over emotion, arguing emotions are unreliable and subjective....

Kantian ethics Tuesday 17 December 2024 08:59 Kant believes morality is derived from rationality, making immorality irrational. Morality is universal because rationality is universal among humans. Kant prioritises duty over emotion, arguing emotions are unreliable and subjective. Actions should be derived by a sense of duty not personal inclination or desires The three postulates consist of the summum bonum is the highest good, this is achieved when moral duty and happiness align, this happens in the afterlife. This requires God’s existence, freedom and our souls to be immortal. Unlike hypothetical imperatives (a command to act to achieve a desired result) categorical imperatives are what we ought to follow There are three formulas of the categorical imperative - The formula of universality - act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law : in essence this means before acting consider if the maxim behind your action could be universally applied. Such as lying would not be moral as you cant universalise lying as this would make trust impossible. - The formula of humanity as an end in itself - act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means : this means that we must treat every individual with intrinsic worth, respecting their autonomy and humanity. People must never be used solely for your own personal gain - The formula of the kingdom of ends - act as if you were, through your maxim, a law making member of a kingdom of ends : this means your should imagine yourself as a law maker where everyone acts universally, your actions must align with these rules and be based on respect and rationality. Strengths and weaknesses of Kant S - universality and objectivity in moral reason S - Kant promotes respect for human dignity and rights S - clear distinction between morality and personal preferences S - aligns with human rights and gives humans intrinsic worth S - unlike theories such as natural it is not rooted in one religion making it universal to many religions W - there are challenges in conflicting duties such as promise keeping vs attending emergencies W - disregards emotions which is essential to human behaviour W - inflexibility due to rigid rule for example you use always tell the truth even if there is a possibility of you being harmed W - the idea of not looking at the consequences of the action but only the morality of the action in itself can lead to impractical decisions in real world situations. W - Kant’s view of humans as rational and dutiful is overly idealistic W - duty is not enough to motivate moral behaviour most humans act heteronomously (desires based decisions)