Garcia Jr.

Richard Rhamil 10/26/19

Saldivar John Marvin SOCSCI101 WSAT 7:30-9:30
COA Block 2D

Kant Ethics

One of the most important non-consequentialist ethical systems is due to Immanuel Kant, an 18th
century German philosopher who is widely regarded as one of the most important, as well as one of
the most difficult, philosophers in the history of Western philosophy.

Kantian Ethics
Kant rejects and said that ethical judgements are not based on our feelings. Because for him, our
feelings hinders the discernment between right and wrong.
 Good will
He concluded that “It is impossible to conceive anything at all in the world, or even out of it,
which can be taken as good without qualifications, except a “Good will.” Other goods like intelligence
and health can be qualified, so for him, it is the good will which is the highest good. Good will also
refers to “good in itself”.
 The Notion of Duty
Kant described that the one who is a good person or the person of a good will, is the person who
acts from a sense of duty. Where acting from a sense of duty means exhibiting good will even in the
face of difficulty or hardships.
According to Kant, for an act to be moral, it is a requisite that it be an art of a free-agent. This
moral agent gives priority to the moral demand and does not mean the rule is a bound character devoid
of the warmth of human emotions. It must be a voluntary action, not a forced or compelled one.
The Notion of Duty is the distinction between “I want “and “I ought”. It is where Kant calls rules
which says, “What we ought, is to do imperatives”.
A maxim is a principle upon which we act. It is maybe god or bad. Now, Kant further divide the
maxims of conduct into two classes, the Hypothetical and Categorical Imperatives.
Hypothetical imperative simply means “If you want to ought, the-ought or the duty is conditioned
by your desires, wants and goals.” In short, our goods are grounded in self-interest. While the
Categorical imperative, it is the general form of “Do” or being unconditioned.
For Kant, there is only one imperative command and it is the “Moral law”. Thus, the Categorical
imperative is divided into two formulations:
 “Act as if the maxim of your action were to secure your “will” in a universal law of nature”.
An objective maxim is considered as the “universal law” (refers to universalizability) wherein
the meaning of the act is as if in your “will” defining the maximum rule for all to follow.
 “Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or that of another always as an
end and never as a mean”. It said that we should see our actions using others or affecting
others, in the meaning of never using them as a mean to achieve, but always as “an end”.

Contrast in Kant Ethics:

  (Morality)- Duty versus Inclination
Inclination refers to the feeling that pushes as to make a particular decision.
 (Freedom)- Autonomy versus Heteronomy
In the perspective of autonomy, the individual self is the basis of morality. In this instance, it
all comes down to the “Choice of the Individual”. While heteronomy, is the opposite of
autonomy. It only means that “You do not define humanity, it is define for you.”
 (Reason)- Hypothetical versus Categorical

Rights Theory:
Rights Theory simply means that government should respect the trusts entrusted to them by
their citizens especially when it comes to their law making power. Thus, the government officials
must not violate any of the pinnacle principle of morality. They shall not abuse their position and not
exercise the power of law making in such dealings possessing an evil or cruel intent.
There must be an equal and fair treatment between the government and the citizens to come
up with the right intentions that is associated to their end goals.