Kant's Categorical Imperative

Question 1

Is Kant’s theory deontological or teleological?

Answer 1

It is deontological. It is an ethic of motive and duty and its rules and absolute and exceptionalness.

Question 2

What did Kant believe that everyone had an inbuilt sense of?

Answer 2

Moral duty. This wasn’t got imposed, making it a secular ethic.

Question 3

Why did Kant think we should do what is right?

Answer 3

Because that is part of what it means to be a rational human being.

Question 4

What is the significance of our capacity for rational thought?

Answer 4

It is an innate intellectual power that humans possess more or less equally and the distinguishes human beings from animals.

Question 5

What did Kants’ theory’s appeal to reason mean?

Answer 5

That it can be a universal ethic.

Question 6

What did Kant believe was the only universally, intrinsically and unconditionally good thing?

Answer 6

The good will.

Question 7

What are acts that result from intellect or personality?

Answer 7

At best instrumentally good.

Question 8

What can’t goodness be measured by?

Answer 8

Consequences, as these are uncertain.

Question 9

Kant’s attempts to define a good will.

Answer 9

Rejected Hume’s links to self-interest, emotions, desires and consequences as these could change. All about having the right motive and duty alone provides this.

Question 10

What were Hume’s links that were rejected by Kant?

Answer 10

Self-interest, emotions, desires and consequences.

Question 11

What does duty for duty’s sake mean and what was Kant’s name for that principle?

Answer 11

Obeying a particular moral principle out of duty. Kant’s name for this principle was the Categorical imperative.

Question 12

The Categorical Imperative.

Answer 12

Deontological. No uncertainty or dependence on anything else. Universal absolute principle that can be used at all times, i.e. Do not kill. No concern with the outcome at all.

Question 13

The Hypothetical Imperative.

Answer 13

Only need to do them if you want to achieve a certain goal. Teleological. Not concerned with moral actions but concerned with actions that have an outcome.

Question 14

Why did Kant think the Hypothetical Imperative was useless?

Answer 14

Kant thought the hypothetical imperatives were no use because he wanted to find an absolute moral rule.

Question 15

Was Kant’s theory a priori or a posteriori?

Answer 15

A priori.

Question 16

What are the three formulations of Kant’s Categorical Imperative?

Answer 16

1. Universalisability of the principle underlying the action.
2. Don’t treat people as means to an end but always as ends in themselves.
3. Act as if you are making laws for a kingdom that treated people as ends in themselves.

Question 17

What is Kant’s concept of summum bonum?

Answer 17

Perfect happiness. Humans should strive to be worthy of this happiness. Obedience to the Categorical Imperative is the means of being worthy of this happiness.

Question 18

What are the three postulates?

Answer 18

God, immortality and freedom.

Question 19

What did Kant say about the three postulates?

Answer 19

The world is basically fair so since the reward of perfect happiness for virtue cannot be achieved in this world, there must be immortality. Only God can provide immorality so he exists to guarantee summum bonum. We cannot prove that we have free will, but it is a necessary assumption since free will is at the heart of morality.