Kantian Ethics
(Duty and Reason)
Guiding Principle 4
Kantian Ethics
• This is an example of an autonomous value
system. It is based on human reason.
• Kantian ethics is deontological (what
matters is the intention, not the outcome)
• Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a German
philosopher.
• His moral philosophy is based on 2 key
ideas
– The Good Will
– Duty
The Good Will
• The ‘good will’ can be likened to having good
intentions
• For Kant, an action cannot be good unless it was
performed out of ‘good will’
• Therefore, a person’s inward motive must be good
in order for the action to be good
• All humans have various capacities and skills. We
need to use our good will to put them to good use.
• For example, most people have the capability to
write. We must use our good will to direct the skill
of writing towards good uses. Without good will,
skills can be used for ‘bad’.
Duty
• A person is acting in a good way if they perform their duty.
• It does not matter what you feel you should do – you should
always do your duty.
• You can know what your duty is by using your human
reason.
• Example: If you see a homeless person and give them
money because you feel sorry for them, then this is not a
good action. If you see a homeless person and, with use of
reason, decide that as a more ‘well off’ person your duty is
to help, then giving them money on that ground would be
good!
• In this case you are combining good will (intent) with duty
and reason to perform a good action.
• A person’s duty can differ depending on the situation they
are in (e.g. a mother’s duty is different to that of a teacher,
and so on)
The Categorical Imperative
• Although your specific duty involves
different things, there are compulsory
moral laws which everyone has a duty to
follow
• These are ‘imperatives’
• The categorical imperative is a moral law
that should apply equally to all people in
all situations = it is universalisable!
The Categorical Imperative
• This is based on something similar to the Golden
Rule
• If you think someone stealing something of yours is
wrong, than anyone stealing anything should be
wrong.
• If you would not like to be lied to, then no-one
should lie.
• By doing this you are not just making the world a
nicer place, but you are also making sure that
morality is based on reason instead of emotion – it
becomes consistent and equal to everyone.
• Kant argued that if a moral rule cannot be applied
to all people at all times then it is meaningless.
The benefits of the Categorical
Imperative
• Act only on that maxim which you can at the
same time will that it should become a universal
law.
• If you don’t want people to go around beating each
other up, then you should never do it yourself.
• This kind of system is also good for personal
relations: if you are treating everyone like this, then
every person should be values as an individual and
not ‘used’ for any reason (e.g. you should be
interested in your cleaner as a person, not treat
them like a slave!)