Kant: the good will, duty and the Categorical Imperative

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Kant: the good will, duty and the Categorical Imperative Michael Lacewing enquiries@alevelphilosophy.co.uk © Michael Lacewing

Deontology Morality is a matter of duty. Whether something is right or wrong doesn’t depend on its consequences. Actions are right or wrong in themselves. General duties towards anyone. Special duties resulting from personal relationships. We each have duties regarding our own actions. © Michael Lacewing

Actions and intentions Actions result from choices, which are made for reasons and expressed in intentions Types of action are distinguished by intentions, e.g. accidental killing v. murder For many deontologists, whether an action is right or wrong is judged by the agent’s intention. © Michael Lacewing

Kant: starting points Maxim: personal principle that guides decisions (intention) Morality: a set of principles that are the same for everyone and that apply to everyone The will: our ability to make choices and decisions. We can make choices on the basis of reasons, so our wills are rational. ‘Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law’ Why, and what does this mean? © Michael Lacewing

The good will Only the good will is morally good ‘without qualification’ Anything else (intelligence, power, happiness) can be bad or contribute to what is bad A good will is not good because it does good acts From the previous point: what is good about a good act? A person may fail to succeed but still deserves praise © Michael Lacewing

Duty To have a good will is to be motivated by duty To act in accordance with duty is not yet to be motivated by duty: The honest shopkeeper We should do our duty because it is our duty (to be motivated by duty) But what is our duty?? What is morally right? What does a good will will? How can a good will be good ‘in itself’? It must be something about the maxims it adopts, but it can’t be what the maxims aim at (since only the good will is good without qualification) © Michael Lacewing

The Categorical Imperative Duty: a principle (maxim) for everyone So, to have a good will, I have to choose to act on maxims that everyone can act on This is the ‘Categorical Imperative’: ‘Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law’ An example: borrowing money with no intention of repaying the loan © Michael Lacewing