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Summary Kantian ethics AQA Alevel notes
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Kantian ethics● KANT WAS THE GREATEST PHILOSOPHER OF THE GERMAN ENLIGHTENMENT
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PHILOSOPHERS OF ALL TIME
● HE WAS AN ABSOLUTIST
● HE BELIEVED THAT WE COULD USE REASON TO WORK OUT A CONSISTENT, NON-
OVERRIDABLE SET OF MORAL PRINCIPLES
Key idea 1 – Goodwill
● Kant insists that there is only one thing that can be regarded as good without
qualification: goodwill
● Kant begins his outline of ethics with ‘the goodwill’ – knowing what it is to act morally
● It is only the goodwill which counts and which is the starting point for ethics
● Abilities, talents and even virtues count for nothing, as do consequences. Only the
will is within our control and so only the will can be unconditionally good and can
exercise pure practical reason
Goodwill
● When we act, whether or not we achieve what we intend with our actions is often
beyond our control, so the morality of our actions does not depend upon their
outcome
● What we can control, however, is the will behind the action. That is, we can act
according to one law rather than another. The morality of an action, therefore, must be
assessed in terms of the motivation behind it
● If two people, Smith and Jones, perform the same act, from the same conception of
the law, but events beyond Smith’s control prevent her from achieving her goal, Smith
is not less praiseworthy for not succeeding
● We must consider them on equal moral ground in terms of the will behind their actions
Key idea 2 – we are all aware of having a sense of moral obligation
● Kant’s theory is based on the principle of pure and practical reason, (the reason that
chooses actions because they are good in themselves) and the pure reason is aware
of the compulsion of the moral ‘ought’
● We all know what it is to have a sense of moral obligation – to believe that there is
something we ought to do, irrespective of the consequences it may have for us
Key idea 3 - deontological
● Duty is always a matter of conscious choice; an internal sense of what one ought to
do
● Kant seeks to establish the principles/rules by which this sense of duty can conform
to human reason
, Key idea 4 – duty gives a single focus to ethics
● Kant demands moral seriousness. He considers you are not acting morally if you do
what you enjoy, or what gives you some personal benefit
● To be moral, an action must be based on pure practical reason, following rational
principles
● After you have reasoned out what you ought to do, you should seek to do what is
your duty, no matter what your inclinations or the consequences
● It is not that to benefit from what you do, or to enjoy it, is immoral in itself; it is simply
that your potential enjoyments are irrelevant to the morality of an action
Key idea 5 – The Categorical Imperative
● Kant contrasted this with the hypothetical imperative
● Categorical Imperatives are commands that cannot be disobeyed. Do not murder, do
not steal, do not lie. Do ‘A’.
● Hypothetical imperatives are conditional, motivated by self-interest so can never lead
to commands that everyone should follow
● There are three main formulations of the Categorical Imperative
● The Categorical Imperative Commands that you must follow, regardless of your
desires. Moral obligations are derived from pure reason
● It doesn’t matter whether to want to be moral or not – the moral law is binding on all
of us
● An absolute/categorical (undeniable), unconditional, moral command.
● An ‘ought’ that does not need qualification.
● The things we ought to do morally.
● Examples:
- Do not murder
- Do not steal
- Do not lie
The Hypothetical Imperative
● Commands that you should follow IF you want something.
● If/then statements.
● The things we ought to do for other non-moral reasons.
● Most of the time, whether or not we ought to do something isn’t really a moral choice
– instead, it’s just contingent on our desires
● Examples
- If your desire is to get money, then you ought to get a job
- If your desire is to get an A in class, then you ought to study
- If you don’t want money, you could always choose not to work
First Formulation: Universalisability
● Kant’s view is that moral rules apply to everyone equally.
● “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it
should become a universal law.”
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