Transcript 1 - HCC Learning Web

Kantian Ethics
Immanuel Kant
1724-1804
Spent virtually all of
his life in
Konigsberg, East
Prussia.
From a Lutheran
family.
Never married.
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Distinguish
Utilitarianism—Teleological
Theory
–Goal directed
Kantian Ethics—Deontological
Theory
–Duty based
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Kant’s Moral Theory
Kant wanted to “seek
out and establish the
supreme principle of
morality.”
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Morality and Rationality
For Kant, all of morality has its
ultimate source in rationality. The
categorical imperative, in any
formulation, is an expression of
rationality, and it is the principle
that would be followed in practice
by any purely rational being.
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Morality and Rationality
Moral rules are not mere
arbitrary conventions or
subjective standards. They
are objective truths that have
their source in the rational
nature of human beings.
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Autonomy
For Kant, morality presupposes
autonomy.
Autonomous = not controlled by
others or by outside forces;
independent. Independent in mind
or judgment; self-directed.
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Consequences are Morally Irrelevant
For Kant, the consequences of
an action are morally irrelevant.
Rather, an action is right when
it is in accordance with a rule
that satisfies a principle he
calls the “categorical
imperative.”
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Categorical Imperative
And to act out of respect
for the law means to follow
the “categorical
imperative.”
Cf. Hypothetical Imperative
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Categorical Imperative
Kant’s moral theory centers
around the categorical
imperative.
“Act only on that maxim which
you can at the same time will to
be a universal law.”
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Universality
You must be willing to see
your maxim universalized (by
similarly situated persons)
even though it may turn out
on some other occasion to
work to your disadvantage.
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Psychological Agreement Not Required
For a maxim to satisfy the
categorical imperative, it is not
necessary that we be agreeable in
some psychological sense to seeing
it made into a universal law.
Rather, the test is one that requires
us to avoid inconsistency or conflict
in what we will as a universal rule.
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Similar Cases = Similar Treatment
All things being
equal, justice dictates
that similarly situated
people ought to be
treated similarly.
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Other Formulations
“I am never to act unless I am acting on a
maxim that I can will to become a universal
law.”
“Act as if the maxims you choose to follow
always become universal laws of nature.”
“Act so as to treat people as ends unto
themselves and never merely as a means.”
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What’s a Maxim?
A maxim is a succinct
formulation of a
fundamental principle,
general truth, or rule of
conduct.
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Maxims
More specifically, they are the
general rules or principles on
which rational agents act and
they reflect the end that an
agent has in view in choosing
actions of a certain type in given
circumstances.
15
Maxims Are Principles Of The Form:
When in an S-type
situation, act in an Atype manner in order
to attain end-E.
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Maxim Example
“When I incur a debt, I should
pay off the debt as soon as
possible so as to avoid incurring
unnecessary obligations.”
(You should promptly pay off your
debts.)
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Maxim
The categorical imperative
tests maxims by prescribing
a thought experiment in
which you ask yourself
whether everyone should
do what the maxim states.
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Categorical Imperative
If the maxim passes
this test, then it’s
morally permissible. If
it fails the test, then it’s
morally impermissible.
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Objective Rules of Morality
In passing the test, the
maxims cease to be merely
personal and subjective.
They gain the status of
objective rules of morality
that hold for everyone.
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Categorical Imperative
So can you live in a
world in which
everyone promptly
repaid his or her debt?
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Another Maxim
Can you will this maxim to be
a universal law?
“You should borrow money
by falsely promising to repay.”
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Promising
Probably not, because
the institution of promising
would break down. No
one would take you
seriously when you made
a promise.
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Ends versus Means
We should always
treat persons as ends
in themselves, never
as a means to an end.
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Example
So with the lying
example, the maxim is
morally impermissible
because it treats the
person being lied to as a
means to an end.
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Kant’s Views on Lying
By being deceived, I am being
denied the dignity inherent in my
status as a rational being. Lying is
wrong in general, and it deprives
me of my autonomy, of my power to
make decisions and form my own
opinions. As a result, such
deception dehumanizes me.
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Motive
The moral worth of an action is
determined by one’s motive.
Motive = An emotion, desire,
physiological need or similar
impulse that acts as an incitement
to action.
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Good Will
“Nothing can possibly be
conceived in the world, or even
out of it, which can be called
good without qualification,
except a good will.”
Happiness is a qualified good.
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Duty
The proper motive is to
do one’s duty simply
because it is one’s duty.
To act out of duty means
to act out of respect for the
law.
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Example
Nurse provides special care to severely
ill patient. Why?
–Hopes the patient or family will reward
him with a generous gift.
–Fear of getting sued.
Is he doing the right thing for the wrong
reason?
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Distinction
Perfect Duty: One we must
always observe. Examples?
Imperfect Duty: One that we
must observe only on some
occasions.
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Group Discussion
Do you agree with Immanuel Kant
that lying is wrong in all
circumstances? What are some
situations in which you believe lying
might be ethically justified? Why?
How do you think Kant would
respond to these "exceptions" to
telling the truth?
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Difficulties with Kant’s Ethics
Kant’s ethical theory is not realistic.
Don’t moral principles have
exceptions?
Examples: Prohibitions against
killing, lying, stealing, etc.
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Kant’s Ethics in the Medical Context
1. No matter what the consequences may be,
it is always wrong to lie.
2. We must always treat people (including
ourselves) as ends and not as means only.
3. An action is right when it satisfies the
categorical imperative.
4. Perfect and imperfect duties give a basis for
claims that certain rights should be
recognized.
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Discussion Questions
Is it morally permissible to lie for
(supposedly) benevolent purposes?
Is it morally permissible to lie to a
patient who has Stage 4 cancer?
How about the surgeon who promised
the patient that only he would operate
on her?
Cadaver example?
Body Worlds?
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Difficulties with Kant’s Ethics
What do we do when duties conflict?
Example:
– Doctor promises a colleague that he’ll
attend a staff conference. On the way, he
sees a patient lapse into an insulin coma.
– Duty to keep our promises vs. Duty to
assist others.
– What does your moral intuition tell you?
– Hierarchy of duties?
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Difficulties with Kant’s Ethics
It seems that we can act virtually in any
way we choose if we are willing to describe
the situation in sufficient detail.
(1) “Lie when it is convenient for you.”
(2) “Lie when telling the truth is likely to cause
harm to another.”
(3) “Whenever a physician has good reason to
believe that a patient’s life will be seriously
threatened if she is told the truth about the
condition, then the physician should lie.” 37
Difficulties with Kant’s Ethics
The concept of autonomy might be
problematic. Under what conditions
can we assume that an individual
possesses such a will? Does a child, a
mentally-challenged person, or
someone in prison? Without such a
will, in Kant’s view, such an individual
cannot legitimately consent to be the
subject of an experiment.
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