Deontology (Kant) Flashcards
What is Kant’s argument regarding morality?
Morality is independent of God’s and everyone’s will: it is part of something we all discover through reason.
We have a sense of moral good - we know what is right and wrong, and feel compelled to do what is right
Define the good will.
Free from self-interest or calculation of consequences (not from your own desires). It focuses on acting solely because it is the right thing to do and your own choice.
What is the hypothetical imperative.
Commands only true in certain situation and depend on situations - “If you want x to happen. then you should do y.”
Define the categorical imperative.
Our moral duty [“do this”], equal to all rational beings universal and necessary
What is the principle of universability? (First formulation)
Kant wants us to make rules that we live by objective [whatever we do as ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ are objective rather than being on personal experience]
What is the second formulation?
Respect humanity ~ as we are all rational beings with inherent value, we should treat each other as ‘ends’ in ourselves (consider feelings/wants)
For the first formulation, what two tests did Kant devise?
- Contradiction in conception/nature: a maxim is wrong if the situation in which everyone acted on that maxim would be self contradictory
- Contradiction in will” you must achieve your ends and will it
Provide some strengths to Kant’s argument.
- Takes justice into account (universability)
- Distinction made between duty and inclination/desires
- Objective reason as basis to arguement
Provide some weaknesses to Kant’s argument.
- Some universal rules aren’t necessarily good (i.e., writing name on book)
- Not all humans have the same desires
- Disregards exceptions (if all rules are absolute)
- Does not consider our own feelings
Why would one argue that Kant is compatible with religious approaches to ethics?
- Summum bonum [not the reason for being moral] not often achieved in life, immortality of the soul and God must exist so summum bonum is achieved after death
What is Ross’s deontological argument?
Morality should be grounded in our moral intuitions - what we think is right in itself
How do prima facie duties help?
They bind all beings together as equal
Provide the seven prima facie duties.
- Fidelity (don’t break promise)
- Reparation
- Gratitude
- Justice/fairness
- Beneficence (well-being of others)
- Self-improvement
- Non-malfeasance (not purposely harming others)
Provide some criticisms on Ross’s ethical argument.
- How do we know which duties apply to which cases?
- Duties might not be derived from reason, but society’s values on specific upbringing
- Does not explain origins of moral intutions
Nagel’s central question in ethics focuses on the reasoning behind moral choices. What is the distinction made between agent-relative and agent-neutral reason?
- Agent-relative: personal desires, commitments, projects
- Agent-neutral: consider everyone (impersonal and objective)
