Deontological Ethics Activity

INSTRUCTION: Read pp. 77-80 of the module and using Kantian Ethics, answer the
questions asked.
1. Why is legal not moral?
- Kant thinks of human beings as ends in themselves, and so, collectively, we are
a "kingdom of ends" or, more simply, a moral community. As I act, I should
consider whether my actions contribute to or detract from the moral community.
Specifically, I should consider whether the intended maxim of my action could
productively function as a universal rule in the moral community. The word
"liberty" is central to Kant's view of law and morality. For legal purposes, external
freedom, or the freedom to act on one's own choices, is the relevant form of
freedom. These decisions do not need to be based on logic. They aren't required
to be morally sound alternatives.
2. What is the difference between legal right and moral right?
- The rights of citizens and the state are reflected in the laws that govern them. If
an action does not violate any of the written rules, it is permissible. Because the
moral law is essentially universal and timeless, Kant's rights theory is commonly
described as a strict logical deduction of the principle of justice from the moral
law, and because the moral law is essentially universal and timeless, the
principle of justice is essentially universal and timeless as the set of necessary
and fixed human rights that any empirical investigation can uncover.
Kant's theory is an example of a deontological moral theory, which determines
the rightness or wrongness of actions based on whether or not they fulfill our
obligations rather than their consequences. Morality is a set of guidelines that
attempts to define what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Kant
believed in a supreme moral principle he dubbed "The Categorical Imperative."
3. How is Kant's principle of Categorical Imperative: "Act only on that maxim by
which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law"
applied to a moral case?
- The Formula of Universal Law depends on the reasoning, “Act only on that maxim
by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”
(Kant 330). This means that whatever your action is, it would be recast to apply to
everyone. The maxim in this case is the rationality of carrying out a goal-oriented
action. If your maxim were to be followed, everyone would behave in the same
manner. As a result, if your maxim has the potential to become a universal law,
your action is moral, i.e., motivated by a sense of obligation.
4. What are the Kantian Ethics' strengths and weaknesses?
  In my opinion, Kantian ethics has more flaws than strengths. Although treating
humans as ends helps to abolish slavery, in some cases humans must be
treated as means to an end for the majority to benefit. Some may argue that this
concept is powerful because it is the foundation of the United Nations Declaration
of Human Rights, while others argue that these broad terms only tell us what to
do for the majority, not in specific cases. Furthermore, one could argue that,
despite his efforts to make his theory accessible to all by relying on logic, not
everyone is capable of making rational moral decisions. Furthermore, atheists
cannot accept Kant's theory because it relies on the concept of God to explain
rationality in the ordered world. This accessibility' is also predicated on the
assumption that people hold similar moral beliefs. However, because people
differ and do not always share the same ideas or sense of 'good will,' Kant's
theory is not universal and cannot be applied to everyone. Another flaw in Kant's
theory is that it contradicts human nature at times. Some philosophers argue that
it is human nature to consider the consequences of one's actions before acting,
and that it is also natural to act coldly when one does not. We are motivated by
love and compassion in everything we do because we are human. Furthermore,
people almost never act out of a sense of duty without considering what they will
receive in return. Duty is a part of the human experience, but making decisions
based on what we will gain as a result of doing our duty is not moral. Finally,
Kant's theory contradicts itself in that he advocates freedom while also stating
that the categorical imperative must be followed: you are free as long as you
obey the categorical imperative.
5. If you have to choose between a legal but not moral and moral but not legal decision,
what would you choose? Justify your answer.
 Moral but not legal
- it may be not pertaining to the law or to the legal profession but morals are
accepted standards of behavior that allow people to collaborate in groups.
Societies consider to be right and acceptable. The vast majority of people follow
societal norms and act morally. Morality frequently requires people to put their
own short-term interests aside in order to benefit society as a whole. Certain
principles guide individual behavior in society. Morality has long been linked to
religious traditions, but it now holds equal weight in the secular world.