Kantian Ethics Flashcards
(10 cards)
How important of a role does Duty play in the morality of an action according to Kant?
An action is morally right iff it is motivated by duty
What is a maxim?
A general rule or law that we should follow
What is Kant’s First Formulation of the Categorical Imperative?
1) Identify the underlying maxim
2) Can you conceive of a world where this maxim is a universal law?
If no, you have a perfect duty not to act on this maxim- always wrong
3) Can you rationally will a world where this maxim is a universal law?
If no, you have an imperfect duty not to act on this maxim- sometimes wrong
If yes, it is morally permissible to act on this maxim
What is the Second Formulation of the Categorical Imperative?
The Humanity Formulation- we must not treat other people simply as a means to an end (a means of achieving our own goals/desires) but as an end in itself, and should respect their rationality.
What is the Murderer at the Door?
Imagine you are minding your own business in your house with your friend, and you hear a knock on the door. At the door is an axe murderer who wants to kill your friend. He asks you where your friend is, and you have three options: 1) you just don’t say anything to the murderer and keep quiet. 2) Tell the Murderer to go away, or 3) say that you do not technically know your friend is still in the house.
What is the argument from the immorality of universalizable maxims?
If you use the maxim: “I will donate to the poor whenever I can,” there is a contradiction in conception because if I always donated to the poor then there would be no poor people, so I have a perfect duty not to act on this maxim. However, this maxim is not immoral because we want to help solve poverty.
How does Kant respond to the argument of the immorality of universalizable maxims?
He says that we should focus on our ‘real’ maxims, as maxims can be manipulated to attack Kant.
What is the Argument of the Morality of universalizable maxims?
Saying the maxim “If I see a blackbird, I will say hello,” doesn’t cause any contradictions in conception or willing, but this maxim isn’t inherently moral or immoral- it doesn’t hold any moral weight as very little would change if this was a universal law.
What does Philippa Foot say?
Any moral system cannot ignore desires. Without such motives, we do not have a good reason to behave.
What does Alastair Macintyre say?
That all we have to do is manipulate the maxim so that it benefits us while prohibiting others from doing it if it is universalised.
