Moral Theory Overview: Immanuel Kant Ashley St. Clair and Dana Hogan

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Biography Family Education Religion Young Scholar The Critical Turn Lifelong devotion to understanding

Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals 1785 Categorical Imperative Uses reason as the standard for good The three main maxims A person acts morally if the conduct would, without condition, be the "right" conduct for any person in similar circumstances Treats others as ends in themselves and not as a means to an end The conclusion of the conduct was like establishing a universal law governing others in similar circumstances an a priori view or a view without drawing on observations of human beings and their behavior Imperative per Kant is any proposition that declares a certain action or inaction to be necessary whereby it denotes an absolute that asserts its authority in all circumstances Most ethical conflicts look at what is "right" (helping someone) and what is "good" (what you want) however with Kant's imperative he focuses on the "right" and believed that the "good" was irrelevant

Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals Perfect duty We ought not act by maxims that result in logical contradictions when universalized Imperfect duties Based on reason but allow for desires in how they are carried out. Perfect duty is the thought that we should not act by maxims that result in logical contradictions when universalized. Always out weight the imperfect duties Most be carried out completely Example: Should not steal, if it was right then everyone should steal which is wrong Whereas imperfect duties are those duties which are based on reason but allow for desires in how they are carried out Don’t have to complete Praise with completion, no criticism if not Example: Charitable contributions are good but not moral obligations, praise when done

Critique of Practical Reason 1788 Analytic of Pure Practical Reason-categorical imperative as the one true moral principle Free Person vs Moral Person Free Person Acts on internal laws, not randomly or on externally given laws which would be a form of slavery there for by categorical imperative not right Moral person Following practical law and is not bound by contingent desires By following the moral law it frees people from the control of their desires and allows people to feel the force of practical law so they come to know that there is such a law

Critique of Practical Reason Dialectic of Pure Practical Reason Expose the errors of previous and concurrent ethicists Flaw in seeing the moral worth as aiming at the highest good instead of seeing the highest good as that which is aimed at by morality Doctrine of Method Proposes a method for teaching morality Examples that are over the top are not appropriate

Application in Today’s Healthcare

Drawbacks of the Theory Right vs. Wrong only No “shades of gray” Conflicting duty

American Nurses Association (ANA) Kant’s Moral Philosophy “Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means" (Immanuel Kant) ANA Code of Ethics Provision Five "The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth" Kant's thought that inherent respect for the dignity of each person is due from the person and from others Kant's "perfect duties" included the duty not to kill another innocent person, the duty not to lie, and the duty to keep promises

Conclusions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwOCmJevigw What do you think? How would the examples used in class previously apply with Kant’s philosophy? Do you agree or not?