Transcript Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant
The Good Will and
Autonomy
Context for Kant
Groundwork for Metaphysics of
Morals- 1785- after American
Revolution and Before Frenchrights
 Morality is about respect for
persons
 Informs contemporary thought
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Critiques Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism leaves rights
vulnerable-sacrifices one for
whole.
 That majority get pleasure or
favor a law- not make it right.
 No empirical interests,
pleasures- not calculation, right.
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Acting Freely
Acting according to pleasures
and desires- acting according to
a determination given outside of
us.- Sprite ’Obey your thirst.”
 Heteronomy- falling from
building- governed by law of
gravity- fall on someone- not
morally responsible.
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Look for Motive
 Ask
for intention- why was it
done?
 Prudent Shopkeeper
 The Spelling Bee Hero
 Doing what is right- not
because of consequences.
Kantian Ethics
 What
is the Ultimate
Good?- “Good Will”
 What makes a person
“good” is possession of a
will that makes its
decisions on the basis of
moral law.
The Good Will
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Would not forfeit our moral
goodness in order to attain some
desirable end or object.
The value of other qualities can
be sacrificed or diminished under
certain circumstances.
Williams- Integrity- living with self.
Good Will and Duty
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A good will is determined by moral
demands- constrained to act in
certain ways- according to duty.
The moral agent, for Kant, gives
priority to the moral demand- does
not mean rule-bound character
devoid of the warmth of human
emotion.
Respect for Moral Law
 How
different-? Respect
the law or don’t- May
violate moral requirements.
 As beings of rational will- it
is a law of practical
reason-prescribes now any
rational being should act.
Imperatives
Hypothetical- an “if then” type
of command- desire some end.
 Distinction between ends that
we “might will” and those
which we “must will.
 Happiness- indeterminatehappy without; happy with.
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Categorical Imperative
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“ Act only in accordance with that
maxim through which you can at
the same time will that it become
a universal law.”
Incorporates your reason as law.
Becomes a universal law
governing all rational agents.
What world becomes by this law.
Contrasts in Kant
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(Morality) Duty versus
Inclination
 (Freedom) Autonomy versus
Heteronomy
 (Reason) Categorical verus
Hypothetical Imperative
Different Duties
Perfect duty to self-suicide no.
 Perfect duty to otherspromises as example.- selfcontradictory, world. p. 63-4
 Imperfect duty-self-talents.
 Imperfect duty to othershelping others.
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The Humanity Formula
“Never act in a way that you
treat Humanity, whether self
or others, as a means only but
always as an end in itself.”
 Respect for persons’ wills.
 Regard- not a matter of degree
or standard of judgment.
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Kingdom of Ends
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“Act in accordance with the maxims of
a member giving universal laws for a
merely possible kingdom of ends.”
Our moral obligation is to act only on
principles which could earn the
acceptance of a community of fully
rational agents each of whom has an
equal share in legislating principles for
the community.
Autonomy
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“The idea of the will of every
rational being as a will that
legislates universal law.”- laws
are of our own making.
Autonomy- our status as free
moral agents is the source of our
dignity and worth- we are “moral
beings above all.”
Virtue and Vice
Virtue is acting according to
principles and have moral
strength of will. It is not a
matter of degree.
 It is a disposition to give
decisive priority to moral
demands.
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Deontological?
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Priceless value of a rational
agent’s autonomous will.
Value of good will and person
independent of the objects of our
rational choices.
You act out of universal principle
exceptionless- Elements, (124f).