1. Ethics:
Kantian “DUTY” Ethics

2. Part I. The Ethics of Duty
Kant’s ‘Duty’ ethics are a moral obligation which must come from within each individual.

3. Part I. The Ethics of Duty
“It is not our desires that ground morality but our rational will. Reason is sufficient for establishing the moral law as something transcendent and universally binding on all rational creatures.”
-Louis Pojman of Kant

4. Part I. The Ethics of Duty
“The obligation to do our duty is unconditional. That is, we must do it for the sake of duty, because it is the right thing to do, not because it will profit us psychologically, or economically, not because if we don’t do it and get caught we’ll be punished. The categorical imperative was Kant’s name for this inbred, self-imposed restraint, for the command of conscience within that tells us that the only true moral act is done from a pure sense of duty.” Admiral James Stockdale

5. Part I. The Ethics of Duty
“Morality is not based on the fact that it has instrumental value, that it often secures non-moral goods such as happiness. Rather, morality is valuable in its own right.”
-Louis Pojman on Kant

6. Part I. The Ethics of Duty
More than any other philosopher, Kant emphasized the way in which the moral life was centered on duty.

7. Duty and Following Orders
“I had known the Categorical Imperative, but it was in a nutshell, in a summarized form. I suppose it could be summarized as, ‘Be loyal to the laws, be a disciplined person, live an orderly life, do not come into conflict with laws’—that more or less was the whole essence of that law for the use of the little man.”
Adolph Eichmann

8. Duty and Inclination
Kant was mistrustful of feelings as motivations for doing good
Saw feelings as
Unreliable
Passive
Phenomenal

9. Duty and Inclination Kant’s motivation:
wants “supreme principle of morality” with a firm foundation in reason...
wants moral principles which all people can recognize by using their reason
- Moral rules that are:
universally applicable
exert a special force on us
concerned with more than just outcomes

10. Part II. Universalizability and the Categorical Imperative
Central insight:
What is fair for one is fair for all

11. Living by Rules
Most of us live by rules much of the time. Some of these are what Kant called Categorical Imperatives—unconditional commands that are binding on everyone at all times.

12. Types of Imperatives Hypothetical Imperative: Categorical Imperative
“If you want to drive to UCLA from San Diego, take the 405 freeway.”
Structure: if…then…
Categorical Imperative
“Always tell the truth”
Unconditional, applicable at all times

13. Categorical Imperatives: Universality
“Always act in such a way that the maxim of your action can be willed as a universal law of humanity.”
--Immanuel Kant

14. Categorical Imperatives: Respect
“Always treat humanity, whether in yourself or in other people, as an end in itself and never as a mere means.”
--Immanuel Kant

15. Categorical Imperatives: What do they mean?
If you wouldn’t want everyone to act on the rule, then that action is morally wrong.
Act “as though the maxim of your action were by your will to become a universal law of nature” such as the laws of physics.

16. Categorical Imperatives: Conclusions
Results of Kant’s Categorical Imperative
one should treat people with respect
one should never lie
one should never commit suicide
one should never break one’s promises
etc.

17. In Kantian Terms, there is a difference between an action being Blameworthy, Acceptable and Praiseworthy BLAMEWORTHY ACCEPTABLE PRAISEWORTHY | | | ACT ACT RIGHTLY ACT RIGHTLY WRONGLY BUT NOT FROM AND FOR RIGHT RIGHT MOTIVE MOTIVE (GOOD WILL)

18. Classroom Exercises
Most of us live by rules, obedience to which we take as a duty.
What are the most important rules you live by?
What were the most important rules in your family?
What rules have you rejected as you have gotten older?

19. Lying Is it possible to universalize a maxim that permits lying?
What is the maxim?
It’s ok to cheat when you want/need to?
Can this consistently be willed as a universal law?
No, it undermines itself, destroying the rational expectation of trust upon which it depends.

20. Academic Cheating
Cheating involves not playing by the rules. Is it possible for the cheater to will his/her maxim as a universal law?
No, because then others (including the teacher) could refuse to follow the rules as well, failing the cheater even with a good grade.

21. Kantian Ethics: Strengths
Realm of duty free from utility
Respect for persons
Golden rule – do unto others, expressed in rational terms

22. Kantian Ethics: Weaknesses
Hyper-rationality and lack of emotion
The irrelevance of human feelings
Overly formal and universal, i.e., most of our duties are in social roles
Inflexibility