Kant and Kantian Ethics:

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Kant and Kantian Ethics

• Is it possible for reason to supply the
  absolute principles of morality?

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Can reason actually discover eternal, absolute
ethical principles, principles of universal truth
that can be known with rational certainty just
reason can guide us to universal truths of
mathematics and geometry?
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
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• Kantianism is a deontological formalistic moral
  theory which claims that the right action in any
  given situation is determined by the Categorical
  Imperative.
• What is a deontological moral theory?
• What does formalistic mean?
• What is the Categorical Imperative?

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What does Formalistic mean?

• Kant's ethics is called formalistic (or formal)
  because it focuses on the form or structure of a
  moral judgment.
• All moral directives have the prescriptive form
  "you ought to do X") they are imperatives.
• The fundamental aim of Kant's ethical theory is
  to determine how a command can be a moral command
  with a particularly necessary and obligating
  character.

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What is the Categorical Imperative?

• First, he is arguing that when one acts
  voluntarily one always acts on a formulizable
  maxim or rule
• One is choosing and judging the moral point of
  view if and only if one is or would be willing
  to universalize ones maxim, that is, if he is or
  would be willing to see his rule acted on by
  everyone who is in a situation of a similar kind,
  even if he himself turns out to be on the
  receiving end on occasion and third, that an
  action is morally if right and/or obligatory if
  and only if one can consistnetly will that the
  maxim or rule involved

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First Formula Universal Law

• 1. The Formula of Universal Law/Formula of
  Universal Law of Nature
• "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can
  at the same time will that it should become a
  universal law."
• "Act as if the maxim of your action were to
  become through your will a universal law of
  nature." p. 30

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Second Formula Formula of Humanity as An End in
Itself

• 2. Formula of Humanity a.k.a. Formula of
  Humanity as an End in Itself, Formula of the End
  in Itself
• "Act in such a way that you treat humanity,
  whether in your own person or in the person of
  another, always at the same time as an end and
  never simply as a means." p. 36

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3rd Formula Kingdom of Ends

• 3. Formula of Autonomy / Formula of the Kingdom
  of Ends a.k.a. Formula of the Autonomy of the
  Will as Universal Legislator
• "Act from the maxim of such a will as could at
  the same time have as its object only itself
  regarded as legislating universal law." / "Act
  in accordance with the maxims of a member
  legislating universal laws for a merely possible
  kingdom of ends." pp. 39, 43

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What is a deontological moral theory?

• A deontological theory claims that the right
  action is determined by what the agent's duty is.
  It is a duty-centered theory.
• The first task of ethics is to determine what we
  are obligated to do.
• It further claims that one should always do what
  it is one's duty to do.
• By doing our duty, we do what is valuable.
• Deontological ethics denies Consequentialism
  (outcome based models of ethics like Egoism or
  Utilitarianism) the morally right action is
  determined by its consequences.

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Some Kantian Problems with Consequentialism

• 1. No act is right or wrong in itself (no matter
  how horrific or evil)
• 2. We are not morally responsible, autonomous, or
  free if we naturally seek to produce good
  consequences. If that is the case, then we are
  not morally responsible.

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Kantian Problems with Consequentialism

• 3. Because of various contextual reasons (e.g.,
  education background psychology etc), there is
  vast disagreement on what counts as good
  consequences.
• 4. How can we be held responsible for
  consequences that are often out of our control?
  We cant even control the long-range
  consequenceswe dont even know what they may
  become? Moreover, where do we draw the line of
  responsibility?