ASSIGNMENT #6

PART 1: Answer the following questions as briefly as you can.

1. When is “good will” related to “duty” in Kantian ethics?
- To act of a “good will” means to act out of a sense of moral obligation or “duty.” In other
words, the moral agent does a particular action not because of its consequences, but because
the agent recognizes by reasoning that it is the morally right thing to do. Kant answers that
we do our moral duty when our motive is determined by a principle recognized by reason
rather than the desire for any expected consequence or emotional feeling which may cause us
to act the way we do.

PART 2: Show the similarities and differences of Kant's "Categorical and Hypothetical Imperatives
through a Venn diagram.

Hypothetical Imperatives Categorical Imperatives

Commands you must

Moral commands that
follow irrespective of
are conditional on desires and motives.
personal desire.
An imperative
Shared humanity
Universal or Absolute. based on reason alone.
between individuals

Teaches us on how to Not universal or absolute

reach a specific goal.
Helps to evaluate our
moral actions and to
make moral judgements.

PART 3: What are the strengths and weaknesses of Kantian ethics?

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
Gives us rules that apply to Too abstract and not always easy to
everyone and command us to apply; tells you which actions are

respect human life
Removes utilitarian idea that some
can suffer as long as others are
happy
Sees humans as having intrinsic
worth means they cannot be
exploited or enslaved = basis of
declaration of human rights
Removes bias of ethical decision
making in equal treatment of
individuals
good but not what is good in
situations.
Kant says people who do their duty
out of a sense of sympathy or
kindness are just as good as those
who have to control themselves to
do their duty
People rarely act purely out of duty,
almost always have some
expectation
Not situation based so can be hard
to apply to specifics