Moral Absolutism (Deontological)

-Immanuel Kant (1780’s)

Murder Ex: Hanging out in front yard and somebody runs across in front of
you. You don’t know who this person is but you know they live in the area.
An axe murderer runs behind that person. The axe murderer asks where the
guy went? What do you do?
You think lying is wrong so do you lie because you know if you tell the
murderer where the guy went then he will die.
Is it more important for me to protect the life of that person or to not lie
Everyone who said it was ok to lie, is immoral.
It is NEVER morally permissible to lie.
—>Morality is about following Absolute Moral Rules; it does not depend on
the context
Universal in all times and all places and for all people
For Kant: Reason / Rationality demands for morality to be absolute.
- This launched a new way of thinking :Moral Rationalism : The idea that
moral principles are discoverable only by reason
- An action has moral worth ONLY if it is performed from duty
, an action that is performed from sentiments, feelings, desires of
inclination, even if they conform with the dictates of duty = they have no
moral value
A moral rationalist must distinct themselves from sentiments, emotions so
that they can act from duty alone. Learn to act from reason.Actions dictated
by reason. In order to act from duty you have to detach yourself from those
emotions.
Duty: What does he mean by duty? -“oughts” According to Kant- We use the
term “ought” in two different ways.
A) Nonmoral way – Hypothetical imperatives
If you want to go to law school, you ought to sign up to take the LSAT
If you want to graduate from OU, you ought to go to class.
Form: If you desire _________, you ought to do ________.
-Most of our actions are driven by this form^ The binding force of that
“ought”, depends on one having those relative desires. If you renounce the
desire then there is no reason for the “you ought to do____”, you get out of
the command part. The OUGHT only matters if you have the desire
 B) Moral way – categorical imperatives
DOES not depend on our desires at all.
You ought to do _______. That’s it, periottt. What is the binding force of a
categorical imperative? REASON
Reason requieres to do these categorical imperatives.
Absolute Moral Rules: They should all be considered categorical imperatives
according to Kant.
Kant’s ULTIMATE MORAL PRINCIPLE/ The categorical imperative
Perform only those actions whose maxims you can at the same time will a
universal moral law.
1. When contemplating whether or not you ought to do x, ask yourself what
rule (maxim) you would be following if you performed the action
2. Would I will that rule to be a universal law? (meaning something that
everyone could do all the time)
3. If yes, act is morally right/ if no, act is morally wrong

Ex: Should I ask for the money alone, saying you’ll repay it (knowing you
cant’), what’s the maxim?rule you are following.
-Whenever you need money, lie and say you will repay it knowing you
won’t.

Problems? Criticisms with Categorical Imperative:

The inquiring murdered example : Kant would say the CI says its
impermissible to lie.
1.What’s the rule/maxim that you’re following? Problem with how you
formulate the maxim.
2. It looks like it is possible that some rules can conflict, therefore one of
them could be incoherent. Lying is impermissible and killing is
impermissible.
-Kant responds: We often lie because we think that telling the truth is going
to have really bad consequences. You can not, nor do not know that the
consequences of telling a lie are.
3.
Reason engages in things like the contemplation of mathematics and it is
capable of taking an objective view form nowhere. Rational being: for Kant,
only human beings are rational beings. It is precisely because we have
reason and rationality we are required to follow the CI.
We are capable of self legislating/ autonomy = this comes from reason.

The Practical Imperative:

Does not conflict with the categorical imperative
Act always so that you treat yourself or others as ends and never as means
only
We have to treat others as capable human beings who can follow the
demands of reason. Me lying to somebody is a way of a means instead of an
ends.
We have a duty to others (respect for rationality) and to ourselves to perfect
our rational natures (via acting on Cat. Imp).