Professional Ethics

HU-222

Instructor
Dr. Ehsan ul Hassan
 Kant: Concept of moral rights 2
“Do unto others as
Kant’s Categorical imperative: A moral principle you would have them
that based on the idea that obligates everyone do unto you”
(regardless of their desires) that everyone should be
treated as a free person equal to everyone else.
“I ought never to act except in such a
way that I can also will that my maxim Universaliza
should become a universal law” bility
OR
“An action is morally right, if and only
First if, When a person carrying out an
Formulation action, would be willing to have Reversibility
Reversibility
everyone act on the same way in any
similar situation.”

“An action is morally right for a

person if, and only if, in performing
the action, the person does not use Means
Means
Second
Formulation others only as a means for advancing
his or her own interests, but always
(1) treats them as they have freely and
Immanuel Kant rationally consented to be treated, and Ends
Ends
(1724 –1804) (2) contributes to their ability to
German Philosopher pursue what they have freely and
rationally chosen to pursue
 Kant: Concept of moral rights 3

Kant’s theory implies that individuals generally must be left equally free (or helped)
to pursue their interests.

Why do we have Moral rights identify the specific interests of individuals that
MORAL Rights should be entitled to freely pursue (or be helped to pursue).

WHAT PARTICULAR How to determine Moral Rights

MORAL RIGHTS DO
WE HAVE 2. Determine
1. Determine importance of
Human Interests interests

We must determine what specific We must determine which

interests human beings have particular interests are so
simply in virtue of being human important that they merit being
beings given the status of a right

Interest: An interest would have such importance if :

(1) We would not be willing to have everyone (including
ourselves) deprived of the freedom to pursue that interest
(2) The freedom to pursue that interest is necessary if we are
to live as free and rational beings.
Criticism on Kant’s 4

Moral concept of Right

Both versions of Kant categorical Libertarian OBJECTION

imperative theories is not clear
enough to always be useful Nozick
Believe that freedom from
Rights can conflict and Kant’s human constraint is necessarily
theory cannot resolve such conflicts good and that all constraints
imposed by others are
necessarily evil except when
Kant’s theory implies moral needed to prevent the imposition
judgments that sometimes goes of greater human constraints.
wrong