KANTIAN ETHICS
IN FIVE EASY (?) STEPS
Sandel’s Classification of
Normative Ethical Theories
1. Core concept: maximizing happiness
– Utilitarianism (morality, justice)
2. Core concept: protecting freedom
– Libertarianism (justice)
– Kant (morality)
– Rawls (justice)
3. Core concept: promoting virtue
– Aristotle (morality, justice)
1. HUMAN DIGNITY
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What’s so special about people (vs. animals)?
Animals are pushed around by their urges
Humans govern themselves morally
Moral self-governance = autonomy, freedom
Moral self-governance  human dignity
We have dignity even if we don’t always govern
ourselves morally
• We owe special respect to all who have dignity
(ourselves and others)
Compare and contrast
Utilitarians
• Human dignity not a part of
utilitarian ethics
• Humans different from
animals because of higher
pleasures
Libertarians
• Humans are special because
of self-ownership, not
because of dignity (in Kant’s
sense)
2. The Moral Law
• Hypothetical imperatives (IF you want a good
grade, then you should study)
• Categorical imperatives (no IF, unconditional)
• Kant calls the moral law “the categorical
imperative”
• Kant thinks there’s one categorical imperative,
but it can be formulated in several ways
3. The Moral Law
(formula of humanity)
• Never treat another person as a means
only but always also as an end in himself.
• Why? Because persons have dignity.
APPLICATIONS
1. May I hire someone to clean my house?
2. May we torture the suspect’s wife in a ticking bomb case?
3. May the rich buy teeth from the poor? May the rich buy
gestation from the poor?
4. Why is rape always wrong?
Compare and Contrast
Utilitarians
• May use someone as a
means, so long as doing so
maximizes total happiness
Libertarians
• Not concerned with dignity
in Kant’s sense but with
self-ownership
APPLICATIONS
1. May I hire someone to clean my house?
2. May we torture the suspect’s wife in a ticking bomb case?
3. May the rich buy teeth from the poor? May the rich buy
gestation from the poor?
4. Why is rape always wrong?
4. The moral law
(formula of universalizability)
• Always act on a principle that (a) everyone
could follow and (b) you would want
everyone to follow
• Shorter: act in a way that’s universalizable
• Core idea: don’t put yourself in a special
category
• Some similarity with Arthur’s view that
morality is social
4. The moral law
(formula of universalizability)
• Always act on a principle that (a) everyone
could follow and (b) you would want
everyone to follow
• Shorter: act in a way that’s universalizable
• Core idea: don’t put yourself in a special
category
APPLICATIONS
1. The hotel mini-bar problem
2. Over-using a handicap parking permit
3. Lying about illness so daughter can visit grandpa
4. The case of the inquiring murderer
Compare and contrast
Utilitarians
• Agree that we should not
put ourselves in a special
category—every individual
counts.
• But important thing is
actual consequences.
• Should lie to the inquiring
murderer
Libertarians
• Hard to compare, as
libertarianism is mainly
about justice, not morality
5. What acts have moral merit?
• Must have motive of duty, not just act in
accordance with duty
• Suppose it makes me nervous and
uncomfortable to lie, so I tell the truth
• No moral merit
• Only thing with ultimate worth: acting with
moral merit
Summary
• Human dignity is foundation of ethics
• Prime directive: the categorical imperative
• Two forms: formula of humanity, formula of
universalizability
• Kant’s absolutism: always wrong to lie, break a
promise, commit rape, commit suicide
• Moral worth: you only have it when your
motive is duty