Duty/Deontological Ethics:

Immanuel Kant

Daryl Y. Mendoza
Department of Philosophy
dymendoza@usc.edu.ph

FOR CLASS PURPOSES ONLY; do not distribute nor reproduce without consent
Duty Ethics: an act is moral if
and only if it follows duty???
Sense of Duty = > Moral Worth
“duty has its moral worth not in the purpose
to be attained by it but in the maxim in
accordance with which it is decided upon”

“duty is the necessity of

action from respect for law.”
 “We shall set before ourselves the
concept of duty, which contains that
of a good will though under certain
subjective limitations and hindrances,
which, however, far from concealing it
and making it unrecognizeable, rather
bring it out by contrast and make it
shine forth all the more brightly.”
Immanuel Kant
(22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804)
German philosopher Immanuel Kant
(1724-1804) is considered the most influential
thinker of the Enlightenment era and one of
the greatest Western philosophers of all times.
His works, especially those on epistemology
(theory of knowledge), aesthetics and ethics
h a d a p r o f o u n d i n fl u e n c e o n l a t e r
philosophers, including contemporary ones.

Besides establishing himself as one of the

foremost Western philosophers, Kant also
made an important contribution to science
and is considered one of the most important
figures in the development of modern science
despite the fact that he was most interested in
philosophy of science and knowledge that
science produces. His main contribution to
the rise modern science was its liberation
from theology.

http://www.philosophers.co.uk/immanuel-kant.html
1785 1788 1797
What is good without
qualifications?

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. Intelligence, wit, judgement, and the other talents of the mind,
however they may be named, or courage, resolution,
perseverance, as qualities of temperament, are undoubtedly good
and desirable in many respects; but these gifts of nature may also
become extremely bad and mischievous if the will which is to make
use of them, and which, therefore, constitutes what is called
character, is not good. It is the same with the gifts of fortune.
Power, riches, honour, even health, and the general well-being and
contentment with one's condition which is called happiness, inspire
pride, and often presumption, if there is not a good will to correct
the influence of these on the mind, and with this also to rectify the
whole principle of acting and adapt it to its end. The sight of a
being who is not adorned with a single feature of a pure and good
will, enjoying unbroken prosperity, can never give pleasure to an
impartial rational spectator. Thus a good will appears to constitute
the indispensable condition even of being worthy of happiness.”
How do we know if my will is
really the good will?
This a priori principle is the
Categorical Imperative
 Distinction between hypothetical and
categorical:

hypothetical: if x, then, y.
categorical: x is y.
hypothetical: desire/inclinations
categorical: duty
hypothetical: outcomes
categorical: no qualifications
Sense of Duty = > Moral Worth
Categorical Imperative =
Duty

1. Universal Formulation
2. Humanity Formulation
3. Autonomy Formulation
 Universal Formula:

“act only in accordance with

that maxim through which you
can at the same time will that it
(shall) become a universal law”
Act Maxim Universalize

Contradiction in Conception Test

Perfect Duty
No Yes &
Negative Duty
Consistency Test
Positive Duty
Yes No &
Imperfect Duty
Positive Duty& Perfect Duty
 Contradiction in Conception:

Is there a contradiction to the conception of

the universalization of the act?

Contradictions:
1) The chair is brown but it is not brown.
2) He is tall, but he is short.
3) A married bachelor
Consistency test / Contradiction in Willing test:

Can the act be reasonably done in a given

possible world?

Reasonable: can be done consistently

Act Maxim Universalize

Contradiction in Conception Test

Perfect Duty
No Yes &
Negative Duty
Consistency Test
Positive Duty
Yes No &
Imperfect Duty
Positive Duty& Perfect Duty
Lying Promise
 Duties
Perfect or Imperfect Positive or Negative

Perfect: always Positive: to do

Imperfect: Not always Negative: Not to do
 Humanity Formula:

“Now I say that the human being and in general

every rational being exists as an end in itself,
not merely as a means to be used by this or that
will at its discretion; instead he must in all his
actions, whether directed to himself or also to
other rational beings, always be regarded at the
same time as an end.”
 Autonomy Formula:

“the Idea of the will of every

rational being as a will that
legislates universal law.”
hypothetical: Externalist
categorical: Internalist

hypothetical: Heteronomy
categorical: Autonomy
 The Kingdom of Ends:
“act in accordance with the maxims of a member giving
universal laws for a merely possible kingdom of ends”
 Kingdom of Ends can be
contrasted to Kingdom of Means
…
“if we abstract from the personal differences of rational beings
as well as from all content of their private ends we shall be
able to think of a whole in systematic connection”

Rawls’ ‘veil of ignorance’

 Postulates:

1.Freedom of the Will

2.Immortality of the Soul

3.Existence of God