Kantian ethics

Question 1

What is the starting Point

Answer 1

There are three influences – Kant’s Lutheran faith, the debate between Empiricists and Rationalists (The Copernican Revolution) and Rousseau’s Social Contract [on freewill]

Question 2

What makes an assumption? (the three predicates)

Answer 2

These three things exist – God, the immortality of the soul and freewill

Question 3

What is the current problem as Kant sees it

Answer 3

Most people make a moral decision using the hypothetical imperative – a desire based approach to morality. If I want x, I ought to do y – if I want repeat business, I ought to give correct change

Question 4

This is a problem because…

Answer 4

If I don’t want repeat business then does that mean I can give incorrect change? No. Desires are a problem: ‘making a man happy if very different from making good’.

Question 5

So what is the basis of morality?

Answer 5

A good will – everything else (humour, intelligence) can be used in a negative way whereas a good will shines like a jewel by its own light.

Question 6

So what?

Answer 6

Acting out of good will means doing your duty – but duty is broad, so for Kant, duty means following the 3 formulations of the categorical imperative.

1. Universalisability – your actions must be able to apply to everyone in the universe. (E.g. lying can’t be universalised as it would mean we all have to lie every time we are asked a question)
2. Treat people as an ends in themselves – your actions cannot use someone, they should treat them as an ends in themselves (e.g. surrogacy uses someone as does pornography – they are used for sexual gratification (a means) not as end ends in themselves.)
3. The Kingdom of Ends – to be a legislating member of the universal kingdom of ends means to treat others as rational and to be treated as rational. (E.g. when you tell the truth, no matter how difficult, you expect the other person to act in a rational way, not in an angry or emotional way, as if you didn’t tell the truth, you would be suggesting they were not rational, which means they are no better than an animal.)

Question 7

Ok, but isn’t this difficult?

Answer 7

Yes which is why there is the Summon Bonum – the highest good. This is your reward for following the Categorical Imperative and is achievable in the afterlife – hence the need for God & the immortality of the soul to exist. (Freewill is needed so humans can choose to follow the Categorical Imperative)

Question 8

Strengths & Weaknesses

Answer 8

A question essays would be to explain the aspects of the theory but explain why they might be a good or bad thing.
E.g. the existence of freewill is a strength as all humans naturally assume they have freewill (this is backed up by philosophical arguments). However, it could be suggested as a weakness as behaviourism (Pavlov’s dogs or Skinner’s conditioning: (in modern understanding) student’s behaviour is conditioned: school bell rings), you move suggest that freewill is an illusion as behaviour can be controlled. So if freewill doesn’t exist, the whole theory fails.