AQA A LEVEL PHILOSOPHY Essay Plans – MORAL PHILOSOPHY.
A* Level Essay Plans which are concise and easy to understand.
Written by a student predicted 4A*, with an offer to study Philosophy & Economics at the LSE.
Very helpful to write a top grade essay.
Avi Dodhia L6J2
Kantian Deontological Ethics Essay Plan
Intro:
Duty based ethics which say we should act out of the good will motivated by duty.
Good will is the only thing good without qualification.
Categorical Imperative is an unconditional command to all rational agents on how to
act.
Thesis: Kant fails due to conflicting duties; issues with universalizability; and Foot’s
argument that morality is a system of hypothetical imperatives.
Outline:
His ethics are based off our maxims; personal principles on how to act.
They are morally correct intrinsically, and are unconditionally applied to everyone.
Ultimate goal is to achieve the Summum Bonum, whereas humans are autonomous and
respected.
Moral statements are a priori synthetic: known through reason but not true by
definition.
Categorical imperative is split into 1st formulation: universalizability (define).
If a maxim is universalized and there is a contradiction in conception (logical
impossibility), then perfect duty.
If there is a contradiction in will, something which stops people from achieving their
own ends, then imperfect duty.
2nd formulation: humanity formula – never treat other humans merely as a means.
Strengths:
Universalisation is simple to understand and based on the golden rule: treat others how
you wish to be treated.
Recognises intrinsic moral value to certain actions, and thus provides practical
framework for teleological goal.
Humanity formula sheds a light on human rights – equality and autonomy.
Issue 1:
- Conflicting absolute duties: break a promise or tell a lie.
Response:
- Not a true conflict – you’ll see that lying is never right.
Response to response:
- Easier to say duties aren’t absolute.
- Axe murderer example: comes looking for your friend hiding in your house. If you don’t
respond, he’ll come inside the house and search for him, so either lie or betray your
friend.
- Kant could say never lie unless it is to save a life, but then the perfect duty of “not
lying” gives way in certain situations, meaning it is no longer an absolute duty
(conditional).
- This undermines the rationality of the categorical imperative, which claims we have
absolute duties.
Issue 2:
- Slight modifications to maxims can mean they are intuitively morally wrong but
universalizable without contradiction in will or conception.
Response:
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