Ethics Chapter 10

These three statements sum up Kant's attempt to define good will:

" a will that follows practical reason" "the goal of reason is to produce a good will" "the good will is achieved through the exercise of reason"

What are Immanuel Kant's two conceptions of duty?

1. Duty as following orders 2. Duty as freely imposing obligations on oneself

What are Kant's three propositions of morality?

1.An action has a moral worth only when it is done from duty. 2. "An action done from duty has its moral worth not in the purpose to be attained by it but in the maxim in accordance with which it is determined." (G 4:399 - 400) 3. "Duty is the necessity of an action done out of respect for the law" (G 4:400)

The will is responsible for ________

Action

How did Kant believe that good will was formed?

By exercising reason

According to Kant, this is the test for behavior, it tests us as to whether an action is right or wrong. It is an unconditional directive that is binding at all times.

Categorical Imperative

This is also understood as putting yourself in someone else's shoes.

Categorical Imperative

What is this statement from Kant called? "I should never act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law". This means if you want to do something, can you will that it should become a universal law?

Categorical Imperative

What kind of law can determine the will in such a way that the will's action can be absolutely good without limitation?

Categorical Imperative

This type of deontologist believes in approval of moral actions depending on their results. To them, intentions do not matter.

Consequentialist

According to Kant, _______ is the necessity of an action done out of respect for law.

Duty

According to Kant, an action has a moral worth, ONLY if it is done from __________.

Duty

Acting from this moral motivation includes doing things for their own sake and doing something because it is right to do it. We perform an action b/c it is what we should do. This implies following the demands of reason. The central issue is overcoming certain subjective limitations & hindrances. This is both a motivating AND justifying reason, i.e., the right motivation for action. This expresses a good will!

Duty

This moral motivation, according to Kant, does express a good will.

Duty

What does the 'Deon' in Deontology mean?

Duty

What are Kant's two types of maxims?

Formal or universal - and material or subjective

According to Kant, this is the only thing in the world that is unconditionally good without limitation.

Good will

What is the title of the book written by Immanuel Kant?

Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals

What is Kant's Supreme Principle of Morality?

He wants to find a principle that, if everybody used it, everybody would be able to know right from wrong. According to him, this was called the Categorical Imperative.

Who said "Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above and the moral law within."?

Immanuel Kant

Who said, "A man is morally good, not so far as he acts from passion or self-interest, but insofar as he acts on an impersonal principle valid for others as well as for himself."?

Immanuel Kant

Who said, "Moral actions are good, not just because they conform to the Moral Law, but because they are done for the sake of the moral law."

Immanuel Kant

Who said, "There is nothing in the world that could be considered good without limitation except a good will." ?

Immanuel Kant

Who wrote Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals?

Immanuel Kant

What is a maxim?

It is a subjective principle of volition. It determines our actions. It refers to motivations.

What was Kant's discussion of the purpose of reason?

It is not to secure happiness. If the purpose were happiness, nature would have provided us with an instinct for such purpose. The purpose of reason is to achieve a good will.

According to Kant, what is the good will?

It is the will that acts in accordance with practical reason

It was a bright day in spring. About 150 people boarded an airliner flying from Spain to Germany. Somewhere midair, the pilot decided to go use the restroom. Once he left, the copilot locked him out and decided to crash the plane into the French Alps. How would Kant evaluate the action of the copilot who crashed the plane?

It's just immoral period.

Bill and Belinda Gates see 10 starving children on the street. Belinda is moved by sympathy and they take the children into their home and fed them. How would Kant evaluate the action of Bill and Belinda Gates?

It's not morally excellent because she acted out of sympathy. It's good, but not excellent. She was acting from natural inclination rather than duty.

What is the Categorical Imperative?

Kant believed that if you know what this principle is (from within your human mind) that you will know right from wrong naturally.

How did Kant understand happiness to be?

Kant understood happiness to be low pleasure

What is this statement called? "An action done from duty has its moral worth not in the purpose to be attained by it but in the maxim in accordance with which it is determined."

Kant's Second Proposition of Morality

_________ duties take precedence over legal duties & cultural norms

Moral

The Categorical Imperative is the formal representation of the ___________ ______ to the human mind.

Moral Law

What is the difference between moral and legal duties?

Moral duties are transcultural and universally binding. Legal duties are according to the law. They change depending on the society.

What does 'moral worth' mean to Kant?

Moral excellence. Also, if an action merely accords with duty, then it has moral approval but not moral worth. Only actions done from duty in the absence of other incentives have moral worth (according to Kant).

This moral motivation, according to Kant, includes FEELINGS, such as love, sympathy, and instinct for self-preservation, or the love of happiness. It is the dependence of the faculty of desire on feeling. It is merely habitual and occurs unreflectively. It is entirely devoid of reason. It is a motivating reason, BUT a non-moral motivation. Does NOT express a good will.

Natural inclination

These two non-moral motivations, according to Kant, does not express a good will.

Natural inclination and prudence

According to Kant, what are three kinds of motivating and justifying reasons?

Natural inclination, prudence and duty.

This type of deontologist believes in duty for the sake of duty. They need good will and the right intention.

Non-consequentialist

These are considered by Kant to be gifts of fortune.

Power, riches, honor, health, happiness (complete well-being)

This moral motivation, according to Kant, is the pursuit of one's own self-interest and one's own advantage. It is the same with ethical egoism. This does not express a good will. It is a motivating reason, BUT a non-moral motivation .

Prudence

This part of our mind shows us the 'whatness' of things.

Reason

Bill and Belinda Gates see 10 starving children on the street. Belinda is moved by sympathy and they take the children into their home and fed them. How could Belinda act so that her actions would have more worth to Kant?

She could have used reason and decided that they had so much food at home that they had might as well feed the starving children.

It's the end of the semester. Students are supposed to go online and do a course evaluation. The professor pleaded with the entire class to please take 5 minutes and do the course evaluation. No sooner had he finished making his plea, then a student put her hand in the air to ask a question. "Would you consider giving an extra credit if at least 51% of the class goes online and does the course evaluation?" The professor said yes. That student went online and did the evaluation. How would Kant evaluate the actions of the student?

The action has no moral worth because they were acting out of self-interest or prudence.

Which conception of Immanuel Kant's does deontology refer to?

The second, which is freely imposing obligations on oneself.

True or False: The value of a good will is not consequence oriented

True

These are considered by Kant to be talents of the mind.

Understanding, wit, judgment

How can a bad will make something naturally good - bad?

Wealth, knowledge, etc....if these things fall into the hands of somebody with bad will they can use them (good things) to do bad things.

What is a simple question to explain the Categorical Imperative as a universal law?

What would happen if everybody acted like that? (i.e. Can I make this a universal law?)