Here is a detailed essay plan for Kantian Ethics when applied to Whistle Blowing. It includes loads of AO1 in the form of spec points as well as wider scholars, and also AO2- which consist of my own points.
To what extent is Kantian ethics helpful in deciding whether whistle
blowing is the correct action to take?
Intro:
Define helpful
easy to follow
produces a favourable outcome.
Define whistleblowing
A whistleblower is a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is
deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization that is either private or
public.
TS: while Kantian Ethics provides a clear route to take, the repercussions may not always be
favourable.
Paragraph 1:
It is very easy to follow as Kant would always say do your duty. It is situation led not
outcome based (unlike utilitarianism).
As the categorical imperative would tell us, it is important for us to do what we think is our
duty, and in this case it would be to tell the truth and expose any wrong doings.
In the categorical imperative is says that our actions should be universalised
“Will that it should become universal”
Contrast:
This is quite difficult though because W D Ross pointed out that duties can conflict.
in this case, there would be one duty that is to tell the truth and do the right thing, but
the other duty could be to keep your job, self preservation and provide for your
family ect.
There Is also a duty to do what your employer wants you too
Whistleblowers can lose their jobs, be looked down upon or just not trusted.
This can cause some serious repercussion with regards to their future career
prospects.
Some studies suggest that 25% of whistleblowers are ostracized because of their
actions
Arthur Schopenhauer claims that Kant is highly idealistic.
He said that Kant's view on duty, and in this case whistleblowing is good in a perfect
world, but not in one where there are huge consequences for whistleblowers. Not
applicable to the real world.
John Stuart Mill argues that sometimes things go wrong and have repercussions, and it is very
important to be able to act in a way that produces proper outcomes. He favoured his principle
of utility over kant's view of reason and duty.
Kant would respond:
Kant would respond to this and argue that morality should not be emotionally led. Kant
believed that what separated us from animals is our capacity of reason, we need to work on
being rational beings, to become what Kant would have viewed as ‘god-like’.
Case study of Edward Snowden:
“I'm willing to sacrifice all of that because I can't in good conscience allow the US government to
destroy privacy”
"There are more important things than money. If I were motivated by money, I could have sold these
documents to any number of countries and gotten very rich."
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