Kant, Duty and Universality - Ethics

8/13/2019 Kant, Duty and Universality - Ethics

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12/07/13 Lawrence M. Hinman 1

Lawrence M. Hinman, Ph.D.Director, The Values nstituteiversity of San Diego

Immanuel Kantand the Ethics of Duty


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!"er"iew

Part . The #thics o$ Dut%Part . &ni"ersali'a(ilit% an) the *ate

-lso see these resentationsant an) es ect

The antian Herita+e -n-ssessment


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Part .The #thics o$ Dut%

More than anyother philosopher,

Kant emphasized theway in which the morallife was centered onduty.


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Two *once tions o$ Dut%

Dut% as $ollowin+ or)ers The -)ol h #ichmann mo)el Dut% is e ternal Dut% is im ose) (% others

Dut% as $reel% im osin+ o(li+ation on one s ownsel$ The antian mo)el Dut% is internal

e im ose )ut% on oursel"esThe secon) conce tion o$ )ut% is much moremorall% a)"ance) than the $irst.


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Dut% an) 4ollowin+ !r)ers

5 ha) 6nown the *ate+orical m erati"e,(ut it was in a nutshell, in a summari'e)$orm. su ose it coul) (e summari'e)as, 8e lo%al to the laws, (e a )isci line)erson, li"e an or)erl% li$e, )o not comeinto con$lict with laws 9that more or lesswas the whole essence o$ that law $or theuse o$ the little man.:

-)ol h #ichmann


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Dut% an) ;el$< nterest

The e am le o$ #)mun) oss He "ote) a+ainst =ac6son s

im eachment as a matter o$ )ut%

The >rocer # am le The +rocer with re+ular customers

mi+ht (e honest ?ust out o$ sel$


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Dut% an) nclination

ant was mistrust$ul o$ inclinations@Neigungen A as moti"ations

This was art o$ his "iew o$ the h%sicalworl) as causall% )etermine);aw $eelin+s as &nrelia(le Passi"e Phenomenal


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*riticisms o$ the #thics o$ Dut%

Moral Minimalism e uirements are not heart$elt

Moral -lienation -lienate) $rom $eelin+s

Dut% an) 5=ust 4ollowin+ !r)ers: This is not ant s +enuine osition


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Part .

&ni"ersali'a(ilit% an) the*ate+orical m erati"e

*entral insi+hthat is $air $or one is $air $or all


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Li"in+ (% ules

Most o$ us li"e (% rules much o$ thetime. ;ome o$ these are what antcalle) *ate+orical m erati"es9uncon)itional comman)s that are(in)in+ on e"er%one at all times.


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Ma ims

Ma ims, accor)in+ to ant, are su(?ecti"erules that +ui)e action. ele"ant -ct Descri tion

;u$$icient >eneralit%-ll actions ha"e ma ims, such as, e"er lie to %our $rien)s. e"er act in a wa% that woul) ma6e %our

arents ashame) o$ %ou. -lwa%s watch out $or num(er one. t s o6 to cheat i$ %ou nee) to.


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*ate+orical m erati"es&ni"ersalit%

5-lwa%s act in such a wa% that thema im o$ %our action can (e wille)as a uni"ersal law o$ humanit%.:


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*ate+orical m erati"eses ect

5-lwa%s treat humanit%, whether in%oursel$ or in other eo le, as an en)in itsel$ an) ne"er as a mere means.:


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*ate+orical m erati"ePu(licit%

-lwa%s act in such a wa% that %ouwoul) not (e em(arrasse) to ha"e%our actions )escri(e) on the $ronta+e o$ The ew Ior6 Times.


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*ate+orical m erati"es-nother e am le

5 6now the uestions to as6. t s theanswers m a$ter. -n) what a(outlearnin+ how to li"eC sn t that hiloso h%tooC hat s %oursC:The re l% ha) come easil% (ut, she ha)thou+ht, with honest%. 5To +et as muchha iness as can. ot to harm others.ot to whine. n that or)er.:

-)am Dal+liesh, in re l% to ate Mis6in s uestionP. D. =ames, A Certain Justice


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*lassroom # ercises

Most o$ us li"e (% rules, o(e)ience towhich we ta6e as a )ut%. hat are the most im ortant rules %ou

li"e (%C hat were the most im ortant rules in

%our $amil%C hat rules ha"e %ou re?ecte) as %ouha"e +otten ol)erC


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L%in+s it ossi(le to uni"ersali'e a ma im thatermits l%in+Chat is the ma imC

t s o6 to cheat when %ou want/nee) toC*an this consistentl% (e wille) as auni"ersal lawC o, it un)ermines itsel$, )estro%in+ the rational

e ectation o$ trust u on which it )e en)s.


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-ca)emic *heatin+

*heatin+ in"ol"es not la%in+ (% therules. s it ossi(le $or the cheater to

will his/her ma im as a uni"ersallawCo, (ecause then others @inclu)in+

the teacherA coul) re$use to $ollowthe rules as well, $ailin+ the cheatere"en with a +oo) +ra)e.


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# ce tions

-re e ce tions ossi(le $or antC Ies, as lon+ as the% can (e consistentl%

uni"ersali'e)

# am les The s ee)in+ car

e can uni"ersali'e an e ce tion $or somethin+ li6eam(ulance )ri"ers

The >esta o e am le *an we uni"ersali'e a ma im to )ecei"e in or)er to

sa"e innocent li"esC


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antan) the -lle+e) i+ht to Tell a Lie

n an essa% written near the en) o$ hisli$e, ant maintaine) that %ou are

ne"er ?usti$ie) in tellin+ a lie. 4ranco


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*onclusion

ant saw that moralit% must (e $airan) e"enhan)e).

The antian ath o$$ers a certain6in) o$ moral sa$et% in an uncertainworl).

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Kant, Duty and Universality - Ethics