Ethics: Kantian “DUTY” Ethics

Part I. The Ethics of Duty Kant’s ‘Duty’ ethics are a moral obligation which must come from within each individual.

Part I. The Ethics of Duty “It is not our desires that ground morality but our rational will. Reason is sufficient for establishing the moral law as something transcendent and universally binding on all rational creatures.” -Louis Pojman of Kant

Part I. The Ethics of Duty “The obligation to do our duty is unconditional. That is, we must do it for the sake of duty, because it is the right thing to do, not because it will profit us psychologically, or economically, not because if we don’t do it and get caught we’ll be punished. The categorical imperative was Kant’s name for this inbred, self-imposed restraint, for the command of conscience within that tells us that the only true moral act is done from a pure sense of duty.” -Admiral James Stockdale

Part I. The Ethics of Duty “Morality is not based on the fact that it has instrumental value, that it often secures non-moral goods such as happiness. Rather, morality is valuable in its own right.” -Louis Pojman on Kant

Part I. The Ethics of Duty More than any other philosopher, Kant emphasized the way in which the moral life was centered on duty.

Duty and Following Orders “I had known the Categorical Imperative, but it was in a nutshell, in a summarized form. I suppose it could be summarized as, ‘Be loyal to the laws, be a disciplined person, live an orderly life, do not come into conflict with laws’—that more or less was the whole essence of that law for the use of the little man.” Adolph Eichmann

Duty and Inclination Kant was mistrustful of feelings as motivations for doing good Saw feelings as Unreliable Passive Phenomenal

Duty and Inclination Kant’s motivation: wants “supreme principle of morality” with a firm foundation in reason... wants moral principles which all people can recognize by using their reason - Moral rules that are: universally applicable exert a special force on us concerned with more than just outcomes

Part II. Universalizability and the Categorical Imperative Central insight: What is fair for one is fair for all

Living by Rules Most of us live by rules much of the time. Some of these are what Kant called Categorical Imperatives—unconditional commands that are binding on everyone at all times.

Types of Imperatives Hypothetical Imperative: Categorical Imperative “If you want to drive to UCLA from San Diego, take the 405 freeway.” Structure: if…then… Categorical Imperative “Always tell the truth” Unconditional, applicable at all times

Categorical Imperatives: Universality “Always act in such a way that the maxim of your action can be willed as a universal law of humanity.” --Immanuel Kant

Categorical Imperatives: Respect “Always treat humanity, whether in yourself or in other people, as an end in itself and never as a mere means.” --Immanuel Kant

Categorical Imperatives: What do they mean? If you wouldn’t want everyone to act on the rule, then that action is morally wrong. Act “as though the maxim of your action were by your will to become a universal law of nature” such as the laws of physics.

Categorical Imperatives: Conclusions Results of Kant’s Categorical Imperative one should treat people with respect one should never lie one should never commit suicide one should never break one’s promises etc.

In Kantian Terms, there is a difference between an action being Blameworthy, Acceptable and Praiseworthy. BLAMEWORTHY ACCEPTABLE PRAISEWORTHY - 0 + |--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------| ACT ACT RIGHTLY ACT RIGHTLY WRONGLY BUT NOT FROM AND FOR RIGHT RIGHT MOTIVE MOTIVE (GOOD WILL)

Classroom Exercises Most of us live by rules, obedience to which we take as a duty. What are the most important rules you live by? What were the most important rules in your family? What rules have you rejected as you have gotten older?

Lying Is it possible to universalize a maxim that permits lying? What is the maxim? It’s ok to cheat when you want/need to? Can this consistently be willed as a universal law? No, it undermines itself, destroying the rational expectation of trust upon which it depends.

Academic Cheating Cheating involves not playing by the rules. Is it possible for the cheater to will his/her maxim as a universal law? No, because then others (including the teacher) could refuse to follow the rules as well, failing the cheater even with a good grade.

Kantian Ethics: Strengths Realm of duty free from utility Respect for persons Golden rule – do unto others, expressed in rational terms

Kantian Ethics: Weaknesses Hyper-rationality and lack of emotion The irrelevance of human feelings Overly formal and universal, i.e., most of our duties are in social roles Inflexibility