Kant

Question 1

Copernican revolution

Answer 1

• Only know the world as it appears to us
• Our minds are key to understanding the world, reason and logic are crucial

Question 2

Human nature

Answer 2

• Animals and concern about others are basic levels
• We are rational beings who understand and appreciate the inherent value of human life

Question 3

describe kant’s ethical system

Answer 3

• Kant is deontological and is concerned with duty (Bentham’s utilitarianism is teleological)
• “Functions of one’s human nature”
• Act morally is our duty not love inclination or compassion (sense of removal in hedonic calculus in utilitarianism)
• “Ought to” - possibility, you KAN(t) do it
• Moral statements are prescriptive —> should prescribe what you should or shouldn’t do
• Tried to make ethical system that is secular and isn’t open to the subjectivity of religion

Question 4

Good will and duty

Answer 4

• Highest good = good will = duty
• Duty is to perform actions that are morally forbidden
• Similar to synderesis rule, but instead of doing good to achieve fellowship with God, but just because it is your duty and that is reason enough
• Duty is good in itself, not for consequences
• We are moral for the sake of duty not because of emotion
• Duty and reason can prevent us from being ruled by emotions, and can help us make good moral ethical decisions
• Emotions distract and cloud us

Question 5

summum bonum

Answer 5

• Greatest good, virtue and happiness united
• Humans seek the ultimate end but - Kant’s rejection of theological arguments for the existence of God

He believes morality leads to god
- Cannot reach summum bonum in one lifetime and needs to achieve in afterlife
- Existence of afterlife suggests existence of god
- Links with Buddhism and idea of merit making for karmic merit an a better rebirth
- ‘Two things fill the mind ever new…the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me’
- Move from logic, subject of criticisms

Question 6

moral law

Answer 6

• Objective, known through reason
• Moral laws exist and are binding
• Moral statements are a priori synthetic (do not need experience, but do need testing)
• Statements of fact are a priori analytic or a posteriori synthetic
• Ethical statements are knowable through reason (not sensation or experience) and may or may not be true

Question 7

the categorical imperative

Answer 7

• Help us know what actions are obligatory and which are forbidden
• I ought to do x
• Hypothetical imperatives is not moral, while categorical imperatives are
• CI has no reference to desires or needs

Question 8

what are the three parts of the categorical imperative

Answer 8

1. universal law
2. treat humans as ends themselves
3. act as if you live in a kingdom of ends

Question 9

universal law

Answer 9

• ”do not act on any principle that cannot be universalised”
• Applied to all situations and all rational beings without exception
• An action that is right has to be right for everyone
• A lie always harms someone, if not the liar then humankind

Question 10

treat humans as ends themselves

Answer 10

• ”never merely as a means but always at the same time as an end”
• Do not us humans for another purpose as we are highest point of creation due to reason
• All humans are equal and should have same moral protection
• Duty to develop our own perfection
• Seek happiness provided it is within the law and allows freedom for others
• Not promote one person’s happiness if that happiness prevents someone else happiness

Utilitarianism does not see humans as individuals in the same way - minority disregarded

Question 11

act as if you live in a kingdom of ends

Answer 11

• ”act as if you were through your maxim, a lawmaking member of a kingdom of ends”
• Act as if you and others were treating each other as ends
• Don’t create a maxim that would create an intolerable society
• Assume everyone else lives the same as you

Question 12

freedom

Answer 12

• All humans are free to make rational choices and distinguishing us from animals
• Free to do duty and follow categorical imperative, using reason
• Truest and best forms of moral decisions do not include religion
• Do not need to do things out of fear of God etc, as it taints your ability to make decisions using reason, duty and impact on others

Question 13

kant versus bentham ethical system

Answer 13

BENTHAM
teleological
- Utilitarianism
- Act utilitarian
- Relativity with hedonic calculus
- Principle of utility - greatest happiness for the greatest number
- Pleasure and pain as ‘sovereign pain’

KANT
deontological
- Categorical imperative
- Moral duty
- Absolutes with universal law
- Each person should be treated as an ends not a means
- Duty is our motivator, and we do good just because we should

Question 14

kant and bentham on lying

Answer 14

1. Bentham is teleological (Hedonic calculus) and Kant is deontological (categorical imperative)
   - Bentham would say lying is ok if it maximises happiness for the majority
   - Kant would say that lying is never permissible as it cannot become a universal law, and lying reduces others’ free will to make decisions
2. Bentham says that pain and pleasure motivate us, while Kant says we are bound by duty
   - Bentham would say we would lie if it promoted our pleasure and reduced our pain eg for saving our lives
   - Kant says we have a duty to never lie, and this should be upheld despite how it impacts us as individuals
3. Bentham focuses on maximising happiness for the majority, while Kant says that ever person should be treated as an ends not a means
4. Bentham is relativist while Kant is more absolutist

Question 15

how is kant compatible with religion

Answer 15

• sanctity - treating people as ends not means
• In Buddhism, cannot reach enlightenment in one life, same as summum bonum
• Categorical imperative are commands we follow regardless, similar to Gods absolute rules in DCT
• Good will - intentions
• Similar to NML, use of reason but NML is religious
• Kant accepted that there was a God and morality leads to God

Question 16

how is kant incompatible with religion

Answer 16

• no ethical authority such as scripture of God
  secular system
• Kant says you know things through reason not faith based
• Kant says we act morally not because god commanded it but because it is our duty
• Free will, autonomy without fear of God influencing actions
• Absolute nature of universalizability principle - Jesus did not have fixed absolutes, 8 fold path is not as fixed too

Question 17

how is bentham compatible with religion

Answer 17

• death of Jesus to save humanity in bible is similar to util values
• Reduction in pain in Buddhism
• Some school of Buddhism focus on social action
• Jesus acted situationally - he had a relative approach
• Self sacrifice of Jesus that is noted by Mill but can apply to Bentham

Question 18

how is bentham incompatible with religion

Answer 18

• lack of respect for sanctity of life
• Minority overlooked - importance of equality in religion
  Secular
• Teleological, break rules for greatest happiness
• Motivation is not pleasure or pain in religion
• Religion focuses on helping weaker members in society
• More rules in religion
• Buddhism is individualistic not community focused
• Happiness in this life is not the focus for religion

Question 19

what does Whittaker say about kant and buddhism

Answer 19

• Understanding Kant as purely duty bound is wrong
• It is about intention and development in line with these moral duties
• Similar to Buddhist ethics - trying to become the best person within guidelines