Transcript History of Ethics Section 3 Some Kantian Themes

History of Ethics
Section 3
Some Kantian Themes
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Kant & Morality

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Kant wanted to supply a criterion for morality
based on reason alone, & thus on what all
rational beings could accept.
Kant introduced ‘The Categorical Imperative’
(CI).
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First Formulation of the CI

‘Act only on that maxim through which you
can at the same time will that it should
become a universal law’ (see note 1 [final
slide of this Section]).
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Universalization
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Kant’s universalization (concerning a world in
which everyone acts on a proposed maxim) is
distinguished from Hare’s universalizability (which
requires that like cases be judged alike).
Kant’s first formulation rules out actions of which
the maxim (when universalized) involves either a
‘contradiction in concept’ or a ‘contradiction in
will’.
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To Consider

Distinguish between ‘a contradiction
in concept’ and a ‘contradiction in
will’.
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Problem: First Formulation
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Overcomes some objections, but allows
many actions to be impermissible under
some descriptions (or maxims) but
permissible under others.
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Second Formulation of the CI
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Urges us to treat humanity always as an end
but never as a means alone:
‘So act as to treat humanity… in every case at
the same time as an end, never as a means
only’ (see note 2 [final slide of this Section]).
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Bans exploitation; rejects racial discrimination.
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Seems to fare better than the first formulation.
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To Consider

Think about whether Kant’s advocacy of
treating people as ends & never only as
means captures or fails to capture the
core of morality.
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Third Formulation

‘So act that your will can regard itself at the
same time as making universal law through
its maxim’ (see note 3 [final slide of this
Section]).
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Variant:
‘So act as if you were through your maxims
a law-making member of a kingdom of
ends’ (see note 4 [final slide of this
Section]).
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Problems: Second and Third Formulations
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Similar problems to the first one.
Indifference towards non-human animals.
Cases where someone is treated as a means
whatever we do.
Kant’s examples (lying, promises, etc.), seem to
work because they turn on human institutions
that depend on solidarity. But few other actions
(maxims) resemble these.
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Final Thought

Kant’s belief that each moral agent has
obligations to all others, regardless of their
location or community (his cosmopolitanism)
is arguably one of his most important
contributions to ethics.
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References
1. Kant, Immanuel, Groundwork for the
Metaphysic of Morals, trans. Thomas K.
Abbott, ed. Lara Denis (Peterborough,
Ontario: Broadview, 2005), p. 81.
2. Kant, ibid., p. 88.
3. Kant, ibid., pp. 90-92.
4. Kant, ibid., p. 92.
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