DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS

Immanuel Kant
 Imperatives: commands
Hypothetical Imperatives
• command conditionally on
your having a relevant
desire
• Examples: if you are
hungry, eat; if you want to
go to medical school,
study biology
• NOT Kantian
Categorical Imperatives
• Command unconditionally
• Examples: Don’t cheat, don’t
harm animals
• Intertwined with morality in
the sense that morality must be
based on the categorical
imperative,
• Kantian ethics based on
goodwill, which is out of duty
 Universality

Conditions of Universality of an Act:

All conditions must be affirmed, no
exceptions
Formula of Universal Law
• “Act only on that maxim you
can at the same time will to
be universal law.”
• Act as if everyone were
going to act according to
your maxim
• Don’t make an exception of
yourself
 Kant’s Reasoning
1. A moral choice must be a rational decision since morality
involves what is necessary for us to do, and only rational
considerations are necessary
2. Moral choices our rational motive must be in the form of a
principle since human reason operates by issuing principles.
Our reason gives us universal and necessary principles of
mathematics, principles of logic, and, in this case, a principle
of morality.
3. The principle must be in the form of a command or
imperative since morality involves commands, such as "Do not
steal!"
General Formulation of the Categorical Imperative:
“Act only on that maxim by which you can at the
same time will that it should become a universal
law.”

Formula of the Law of Nature:

“Act as if the maxim of your action were to
become through your will a universal law of
nature.
 4 MORAL DUTIES

1.Keeping promises
2.Self-preservation
3.Developing talents
4.Charity
Formula of the End in Itself:
"Act in such a way that you always
treat humanity, whether in your own
person or in the person of any other,
never simply as a means, but always
at the same time as an end."
 OBLIGATIONS
PERFECT OBLIGATIONS IMPERFECT OBLIGATIONS
• specific obligations to • allow choice in how to
specific people— give
others rights— unjust to fulfill— give no one else
violate them rights— wrong, but not
• To self: not to commit unjust, to violate them
suicide
• To others: to repay debts;
• To self : talents
more generally, to keep • To others: charity
promises
 GOOD WILL
“Nothing can What is a good will?
possibly be -Deciding on the
conceived in the
world, or even out of basis of universal
it, which can be considerations
called good, without -deciding on the
qualification, except
a good will.” basis of respect
Formula of Autonomy:
"So act that your will can regard itself at
the same time as making universal law
through its maxims."
The focus of this formula is the authority that rests
within our human will to productively shape the
world around us when following reason. As we act,
we should consider whether our intended maxims
are worthy of our status as shapers of the world.
Formula of the Kingdom of Ends:
“So act as if you were through your maxims a
law-making member of a kingdom of ends.”

The point here is that the moral fate of all people hangs together.
We saw that 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.
 MAIN POINTS OF KANT'S THEORY:
• Motives behind true moral choices are not those of selfish inclination but
instead those of a rational duty conforming to the categorical imperative.
• Hypothetical imperatives have the form "If you want something, then you
must do some act" ; the categorical imperative mandates, "You must do some
act."
• The general formula of the categorical imperative has us consider whether
the intended maxim of our action would be reasonable as a universal law.
• Specific formulations of the categorical imperative focus on a particular
feature of human rationality, such as the absence of contradiction, free choice,
and inherent dignity.