Lawrence M. Hinman, Ph.D. Director, The Values Institute University of San Diego The Kantian Heritage: An Assessment

The Kantian Heritage n What Kant Helped Us to See Clearly n Where Kant Missed the Mark

What Kant Helped Us to See Clearly n The Admirable Side of Acting from Duty –The person of duty remains committed, not matter how difficult things become. n The Evenhandedness of Morality –Kantian morality does not play favorites. n Respecting Other Persons –The notion of treating persons as ends in themselves is central to much of modern ethics.

Where Kant Missed the Mark n The Neglect of Moral Integration –The person of duty can have deep and conflicting inclinations and this does not decrease moral worth— indeed, it seems to increase it in Kant’s eyes. n The Role of Emotions –For Kant, the emotions are always suspect because they are fickle and causally determined and passive. n The Place of Consequences in the Moral Life –In order to protect the moral life from the vicissitude of moral luck, Kant held a very strong position that refused to attach moral blame to individuals who were acting with good will, even though some indirect bad consequences could be forseen.

Conclusion Overall, after two hundred years, Kant remains an absolutely central figure in contemporary moral philosophy, one from whom we can learn much even when we disagree with him.