1. Moral law and Kant’s imperatives.
Wednesday 25th September 2013
Moral law and Kant’s imperatives.
Starter: Look over and remind yourself what the difference between
A priori and A posteriori is.
And
Analytic and Synthetic

2. The moral law
Using your keyword sheet complete the task on your A4 sheet. If you struggle also use pg
Conclusion:
What type of statements are ethical ones?
Remember as well it must be able to be universalised to be moral.
What is good will to Kant?

3. How do we become moral?

4. Duty… We each have a duty to act morally and to follow moral law.
Duty is different from acting out of inclination or compassion
Kant’s theory of ethics is an absolute one; he
believes we should do our duty because it is our
duty to do so.

5. For Kant moral judgements are not relative or subjective.
Continued…
Kant believed in an objective right and wrong based on moral
reason. We should do the right thing just because it is right and
not because it fulfils our desires or is based on our feelings. We
know what is right not by relying on our intuitions or facts about
the world about the world, but by using our reason. To test a
moral maxim, we need to ask whether we can always say that
everyone should follow it and we must reject it if we cannot.
For Kant moral judgements are not relative or subjective.
Although modern deontology avoids too close a link with Kant,
criticising him for being too absolute, his moral theory is still
influential.

6. CELEBRATION!! Kant’s moral theory begins with The phenomenon of
Key thought
We know we are free because we experience moral choice. We do not experience moral choice only after coming to the conclusion that we are free.
CELEBRATION!!
Kant’s moral theory begins with
The phenomenon of
‘GOOD WILL’, celebrating
what can be achieved by the
application of human reason.
GOOD WILL
For Kant if I am to act morally then I must be capable of
exercising freedom or autonomy of the will.
“It is impossible to conceive of anything in all the world
which can be taken as good without qualification, except a
good will. Good will is like a jewel, it should shine by its own
light, as a thing which has it’s own value in itself”

7. The shopkeeper
A shopkeeper is always kind and friendly to you when you go into his shop, he highlights special offers and is prepared to offer you cut price deals as a regular customer. All of these will be limiting his profits
What possible reasons are there for this kind of behaviour?
What would the reason be for Kant?

8. An example from Kant
There are two butchers in a town one of them ( Frank) desires increased trade, a good reputation and an ever expanding turnover. In order to achieve this he sells only the best meat, gives excellent service and never cheats his customers.
The other butcher (Fred) does exactly the same as Frank except that he believes, by reason, that he ought to and for no other reason than this. His motive is pure and unconditional.

9. Imperatives… Imperative – Something that must be done.
“All imperatives command either hypothetically or
categorically… if the action would be good simply
as a means to something else, then the imperative
is hypothetical; but if the action is represented as
good in itself… then the imperative is categorical.”

10. Hypothetical Imperative
A moral command that is conditional on personal
motive or desire. It informs us of a factual relation
between a goal and how to achieve it. There is no
concept of obligation attached to it and Kant didn’t see
any moral reference in there.
Hypothetical imperatives always begin with an ‘if’.
If you want X then you must do Y.
If I want to lose weight then I ought to go on a
diet…

11. Categorical Imperative
Tells us what we ought to do.
Kant argued that morality is prescriptive and moral
statements are categorical in that they prescribe
actions irrespective of the result. They are
moral obligations.
An unconditional moral law that applies to all
rational beings and is independent of personal
motive or desire. For Kant the C.I. was the
principle that one should act on a maxim only if
one can will that it becomes universal law.

12. An example from Kant CATEGORICAL HYPOTHETICAL
There are two butchers in a town one of them ( Frank) desires increased trade, a good reputation and an ever expanding turnover. In order to achieve this he sells only the best meat, gives excellent service and never cheats his customers.
HYPOTHETICAL
The other butcher (Fred) does exactly the same as Frank except that he believes, by reason, that he ought to and for no other reason than this. His motive is pure and unconditional.
CATEGORICAL

13. Three Principles of the C.I.
Universal Law.
Treat Humans as ends not as ‘means to an end’
The Kingdom of Ends

14. Universal Law.
Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should be universal law.
Kant calls this the Formulation of Nature and argued
that the only actions that are moral are those that can
be universalised – applied in all situations and to all
rational beings, without exception.

15. Treat humans as ends not a ‘means to an end
This means that you should act so that you treat humanity,
both in your own person and in the person of every other
human being, never merely as a means, but always at the
same time as an end.
Kant held human beings as the pinnacle of creation.
Therefore, it can never be moral to exploit people, to use
them as a means to an end. Each person is unique and of
equal value so cannot be sacrificed, even if it would result
in some overall greater good.

16. The Kingdom Of Ends Act on the assumption that all will act in the
same way. You should act as if you were
through your maxim a law-making member of
a kingdom of ends. (Christian saying?)
Kant argued that our actions had to be
based on the assumption that others would
also act morally and treat everyone as ends,
not means.

17. Key Thought
The implication of Kant’s Categorical Imperative is that, as free, autonomous, rational, moral agents, we do not discover morality – we make it!

18. Examples… An example of a moral rule, derived from the
previous principles of the Categorical Imperative ,
would be: ‘Do not lie’.
Kant argues that this rule applies universally. He
applied the following reasoning. Is it moral to lie? He
would apply the first law and reason what would happen
if it were universalised. Such action – lying – would
clearly harm society. It would also involve treating
people as means to an end rather than as ends
themselves. The conclusion is the lying is immoral.

19. Write the correct words in the correct diagram
Not absolute * ‘ought’
Unconditional * characterised by the word if
Universally valid * extrinsic
Must be obeyed * A priori law
Not unconditional * intrinsic
Only works for the heteronymous will
Non moral
Only works for the autonomous will
Duty
For the sake of something else
External
Use of reason

20. Imperative
Hypothetical
external

21. CATEGORICAL
IMPERATIVE

22. Hypothetical Imperative Not absolute Not unconditional Only works
from the
Heteronymous
will
Non
moral
For
the sake of
Something
else
external
extrinsic
Characterised
By the word IF

23. IMPERATIVE unconditional Universally valid Must be obeyed Use of
CATEGORICAL
IMPERATIVE
unconditional
Universally
valid
Must be
obeyed
Use of
reason
intrinsic
‘ought’
A PRIORI LAW
duty
Only works
from the
AUTONOMOUS
WILL

24. AUTONOMOUS WILL Acts freely Acts rationally Without compulsion Willing
Dutiful
No inner desires

25. HETERONOMOUS WILL Does not act freely Rationally constrained
Morally fettered
Inner desires

26. Homework Kant week – Complete the Log.
This will help you to begin to consider the
strengths and weaknesses of Kant’s ethical
theory.
You must complete this to help you with the
tasks next lesson. No exceptions!!!