Kantian Ethics PDF

Kantian Ethics: Duty, Reason, and Morality  Immanuel Kant Born in 1724 in Königsberg, Prussia Key figure of the Enlightenment Revolutionized philosophy, including ethics Known for dense, technical writing style Sought to establish supreme principle of morality Kant's Ethical Framework Deo...

Kantian Ethics: Duty, Reason, and Morality  Immanuel Kant Born in 1724 in Königsberg, Prussia Key figure of the Enlightenment Revolutionized philosophy, including ethics Known for dense, technical writing style Sought to establish supreme principle of morality Kant's Ethical Framework Deontological theory: focuses on duties, not consequences Based on reason, not emotions or outcomes Seeks universal moral laws Emphasizes human dignity and autonomy Aims for objective, absolute moral truths KEY CONCEPTS: DUTY AND GOOD WILL Duty: moral obligations independent of desires Central to Kant’s deontological ethics, emphasizing that actions must be performed out of respect for the moral law, rather than for personal gain or emotional inclination. Acts have moral worth only if done from duty KEY CONCEPTS: DUTY AND GOOD WILL Good Will: only thing good without qualification Moral Motivation: Good will signifies that an action is performed out of respect for the moral law. It reflects a commitment to doing what is right simply because it is right, rather than for personal gain or emotional satisfaction. Acts have moral worth only if done from duty  CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE Supreme principle of morality Categorical: applies unconditional Imperative: a command A Categorical Imperative is an unconditional moral command that applies universally and does not depend on any personal desires or goals. It commands actions based on their inherent morality. Moral Law: The Categorical Imperative acts as a guide to discern moral duties. It leads to the development of moral laws that are binding for all rational agents, independent of personal inclinations or consequences  2 TYPES OF IMPERATVE Aspect Categorical Imperative Hypothetical Imperative Unconditional moral Conditional command based Definition command on desires Nature Absolute and universal Relative and specific "If you want to be healthy, Example "You must tell the truth." exercise." Moral Focus Intrinsic moral value of actions Achieving specific goals Contingency on personal Principle Universalizability desires  CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE Formulation Description Example Formula of Universal Law: Act only Lying on a Resume: If everyone lied on resumes, trust according to that maxim whereby you First Formulation in hiring would collapse. Thus, lying is morally can at the same time will that it impermissible. should become a universal law. Formula of Humanity: Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether Exploiting Workers: If a company uses workers solely Second in your own person or in the person of for profit, it treats them merely as means. This is Formulation any other, never merely as a means to morally wrong as it disregards their inherent dignity. an end, but always at the same time as an end. Formula of Autonomy: Act only so Creating Fair Policies: If you create a policy that that your will can regard itself at the discriminates, consider if it could be a universal law. Third Formulation same time as making universal law Since it would lead to inequality, it is morally through its maxims. unacceptable. THANK YOU END OF DISCUSSION References: Fisher, A., & Dimmock, M. (2022, August 12). Kantian ethics. Pressbooks. https://open.library.okstate.edu/introphilosophy/chapter/kantian-ethics/ Kant’s Moral Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). (2022, January 21). https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/ Ethical Theory: Kantianism. (2018, April 25). The Concise Encyclopedia of Business Ethics. https://conciseencyclopedia.org/entries/ethical-theory-kantianism/ Ethical Theory: Kantianism. (2018, April 25). The Concise Encyclopedia of Business Ethics. https://conciseencyclopedia.org/entries/ethical-theory-kantianism/