KANT RIGHTS

Immanuel Kant
 German philosopher
 Concerned with duty and reason
 Believed that the intentions behind an action were
more important than the consequences.
 We cannot predict the consequences so we cannot
judge a person good or bad based on the conse-
quences of their actions.
KANTIAN ETHICS
KANTIAN DEFENI-
TION
 Kantian ethics refers to a deontological ethi-
cal theory developed by German philosopher
Immanuel Kant that is based on the notion
that: "It is impossible to think of anything at
all in the world, or indeed even beyond it,
that could be considered good without limita-
tion except a good will."
 KANTIAN DEFENI-
TION
 The theory, developed as a result of Enlightenment
rationalism, is based on the view that the only in-
trinsically good thing is a good will; an action can
only be good if its maxim – the principle behind it
– is duty to the moral law.
 A sets of universal moral principles that apply to
all human beings, regardless of context or situa-
tion.
 MAXIMS
– ‘Maxim’ refers to general rule with which
agent intends to act.
– ‘Law’ refers to an objective principle, a
‘maxim’ which passes the test of universaliz-
ability.
Types of Imperatives

 Hypothetical Imperative
 "If you want to attain a certain end, act in such-
and-such a way."
 Categorical Imperative
 "No matter what end you desire to attain, act in
such-and-such a way."
 KANT CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVES
3 - Formulations
 “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the
same time will that it would become a universal law.”
 Act “as though the maxim of your action were by your will to
become a universal law of nature” such as the laws of physics.
 ‘Act so that you treat humanity, whether in you’re your own
person or that of another, always as an end and never as a
means only.’
 KANTIAN ANALYSIS
Kant’s moral philosophy is a deonto-
“ logical normative theory, which is to
say he rejects the utilitarian idea that
the rightness of an action is a function
of how fruitful its outcome is. He says
that the motive (or means), and not
consequence (or end), of an action de-
termines its moral value.

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RIGHTS THEORY
 The principle of rights theory is the
notion that in order for a society to be
efficacious, "government must ap-
proach the making and enforcement of
laws with the right intention in respect
to the end goals of the society that
governs.
 Right Based Ethics

Right Based Ethics is broad moral theaory in

which Kant's principle of rights theory is in-
cluded. The concept of right based ethics is that
"there are some rights, both positive and negative,
that all human have based only on the fact that
they are human."
RIGHT BASED ETHICS SYSTEM EXAMPLE

a. The right to life

b. The right to liberty
c. The right to pursue happiness
d. The right to a jury trial
e. The right to a lawyer
f. The right to freely practice a religion
of choice.....
g. The right to marry
h. The right to bear children
i. The right to free education...
j. The right to own property
Legal vs. Moral Rights

 Legal Rights
 The rights that are on the books.
 Embody the conventional positive law.
 Moral Rights
 Refer to what ought to be.
 Represent the natural law.
UTILITARIANISM
Utilitarianism Explained
Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory, a subclass of teleological
moral theory, and it is perhaps the most well-known moral philosophy
of the previous two centuries.

A teleological ethical system judges the rightness of an act in terms of

an external goal or purpose.

Consequentialist Ethics propose the actions, rules or policies should

be ethically measured and evaluated by their consequences, not by the
intentions or motives of the agent.
 Utilitarianism is the most influential
consequentialist theory. Derived from
Latin term utilis which means useful,
utilitarianism basically states that what
is useful is good, and that the moral
value of action are determined by the
utility of its consequences.
The Principle of Utility

 Act Utilitarianism
 Applied directly to every alternative act
in a situation of choice.
 Rule Utilitarianism
 Used to decide the validity of rules of
conduct (moral standards or principles).
Origins and Nature
of the Theory 1. Bentham's Utilitarianism
> Jeremy Bentham proposed the primary form of
utilitarianism in his Intriduction to the Principles of
Morals and Legislation (1789).
> Seven criteria or ingredients that allow one to
quantify the amount of pleasure or pain an action
brings.
1. Intensity 2. Duration 3. Certainty
4. Propinquity 5. Fecundity 6. Purity
7. Extent
Origins and Nature 2. Mill's Utilitarianism
of the Theory > John Stuart Mill is the most famous proponent of the
utilitarianism after Bentham. He made the doctrine the
subject of his philosophical treatise (Utilitarianism)
published in 1863.
> Two central aspects
1. Mill rejects the purely quantitative treatment of the
principle of utility
2. Mill introduce the so-called ‘secondary principle’
which set the tone for a contemporary variant form of
the theory called rule utilitarianism.
 UTILITARIANISM ANALYSIS
Utilitarianism appears to be a direct
“ negative reaction against Kantian
ethics. While Kant propose that an act
is justified by the person's motive to
perform his duty, Bentham and Mill
counteract this by submitting that ac-
tions are evaluated through their con-
sequences.

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 Business's Fascination with Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is probably the most widely understood and com-
monly applied ethical theory to business in an organizational
framework.
Utilitarianism argues that a business decision was correct but only
if it generates the greatest quantity of goods for the highest number
of people.
Another reason business managers are so fascinated with utilitari-
anism lies in its flexibility in response to differing situations.
Thank you!!