1. Deontology Morality Depends on the Motives
Chapter 24
Deontology
Morality Depends on the Motives

2. The Good Will
There are many things we would want to call good, but Kant insisted that there is:
Only one good that is good without qualification: good will
A truly good will is the intention to act coupled with all the powers at your disposal
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3. The Good Will
For all other goods there’s a possible set of circumstances which we would be:
Inclined to say, “It would be better, all things considered, if that good were not the case.”
There can be circumstances in which a person of good will suffers horribly:
Because of his or her good will
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4. Acting from Duty
A truly moral act, moral in Kant’s sense, is an action carried out from a sense of duty
There are laws imposed on us by others:
And there are laws imposed on us by ourselves
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5. Acting from Duty We cannot be moral if we are acting in:
Accordance with a law or rule imposed on us by someone else
Kant suggests that we first ask ourselves what maxim is the basis for our action
Then ask yourself whether your maxim could become a universal law
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6. Hypothetical and Categorical Imperatives
Kant called the principle of morality the categorical imperative
A categorical imperative is unconditioned, and it alone is the principle of moral duty
Dimensions to the categorical imperative
Problems that arise when we attempt to apply Kantian principles
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7. Hypothetical and Categorical Imperatives
Are we, for example, always able to know what principles we are acting on?
Are the consequences of an action never important in our moral deliberations?
Our moral decisions, particularly the difficult ones:
Rarely come to us in a neat and tidy choice
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8. Kant: Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Ethics
Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it:
Which can be called good, without qualification, except a good will
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9. Kant: Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Ethics
Intelligence, wit, judgement, other talents of the mind:
Courage, resolution Perseverance, qualities of temperament, are undoubtedly:
Good & desirable in many respects
But these gifts of nature may also become extremely bad
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10. Kant: Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Ethics
Now all imperatives command either hypothetically or categorically
Act only on that maxim whereby thou canst at the same time will that it should:
Become a universal law
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