KANT’S AND

RIGHT
THEORISTS
The Moral Philosophy of Immanuel Kant
Group 3 Members :
Arvic Mitra Reinz Andrie Armillo
Anieleah Borlagdatan Edwin Sallao
Lyren Laguilles John Cris Selga
Cris Ann Secopito Jonis Ashly Navales
Mariel David Almeda Rangasajo
Althea Jones Saysay Kaye Gecoso
 Know who is Immanuel Kant

Understand Kantian Theory

Analyze Ethical situation using

OBJECTIVES: Kantian Theory

Differentiate Legal Rights from Moral

Rights
Who is Immanuel Kant?
April 22, 1724, Kaliningrad, Russia
(Birth)

February 12, 1804, Kaliningrad, Russia

(Death)

Anna Regina Reuter (Mother)

Johann George Kant (Father) Harness

maker
1724 -1804
German Philosopher and Lutheran Theologian
Influenced by David Hume
Has three (3) known books
Known for his “Categorial Imperative” and Inspiration
for German idealism
 Kantian Ethics
Deontological derives from the Greek word
- “Deon” (duty)
- an ethical theory that says the rightness and wrongness
of an action is determined whether they satisfy our
obligations rather than their consequences
Focuses on duty, obligation and rights instead of
consequences or ends
 Kantian Ethics
Kant would us believe, telling the truth is always “right” in
itself even if again doing so might produce some
unfavorable results.
Hence, telling a lie, on the contrary, is always wrong for
deontological ethics
- In deontological ethic, actions
and their outcomes are two
independent things.
GOOD WILL
Chooses to fulfill its moral obligation voluntarily
Only good without qualification is good will
For Immanuel Kant it is the highest good or virtue
Will derives our actions and grounds the intention of
our act
Immanuel Kant did not accepted happiness but he
accepted reasons
GOOD WILL
Reason (accepted by Kant)
- One of the functions and capabilities of it is produce a will
which is good
- It is acceptable if combined good will
Happiness (did not accepted by Kant)
- It is Zero% or worthless for Kant
- It is not acceptable if we cannot combined good will
GOOD WILL
Other things that he considered that are not
intrinsically good
- Intellectual Eminence
- Talents
- Character
- Fortune or Wealth
All of these cannot be intrinsically good for they can
be used to bad ends or things
GOOD WILL
A good person to Kant
- it is the person who acts from the sense of duty
- Even if it hard of experiencing difficulty if the person is
acting from a sense of duty means that person is exhibiting good
will.
DUTY
Means anything that ought to be done or the obligation of a
person.
Kant recognized four categories of duties:

a. Perfect duties towards ourselves

b. Perfect duties towards others

c. Imperfect towards ourselves

d. Imperfect towards others

DUTY
It is dictated solely by reason
The only reason that gives an action moral
worth is an action from duty .
 2. Hypothetical Imperative
● Hypothetical imperatives identify actions we ought to
take, but only if we have some particular goal.
● Kant is not condemning hypothetical imperatives. In fact,
he agrees that these are the sorts of imperatives that we live
by are hypothetical in nature. But they are not moral. (They
are not immoral -- they are non-moral.)
● If – then statements.
● Subjective.
● An opposite of Categorical Imperative
 3. Categorical Imperative
Kant defines it as command or moral laws all persons must follow,
regardless of their desires or extenuating circumstances. As morals
these imperatives are binding on everyone.
It is the centerpiece of Kant’s ethical theory. The term categorical
imperative, basically means “absolute command.” Kant is referring
to, what he sees as, an exceptionless obligation to perform the
action dictated by the categorical imperative.
 Categorical Imperative
There are 3 formulation of Categorical Imperative

Formulation #1: Universalizability

-It’s also known as the law of nature, because it argues
that if an action is morally right, then it must apply
consistently to everyone.
 Categorical Imperative
Formulation #2: Humanity
- states: “So act as to treat humanity, whether in your own
person or in that of any other, in every case as an end and
never as merely a means.”
 Categorical Imperative
Formulation #3: The Principle of Autonomy
- says we are not dependent upon others to tell us what is
right and wrong, but that we are free and able to discover this
for ourselves through the use of reason.
Practical Imperative
 Distinguishes between treating someone as a means and
treating them as a mere means.
  “Act to treat humanity, whether yourself or another, as an
end-in-itself and never as a means.”
 Treating them as a mere means involves deceit.
 People are not to be used unjustifiably in order to obtain
your goals or seek an edge or unfair advantage
 Theory of Rights
 Kant's theory of rights is generally characterized in
exactly those terms: as a strict logical deduction of
the principle of justice from the moral law, and since
the moral law is essentially universal and timeless, so
is the principle of justice as the set of necessary and
fixed human rights that any empirical
 According to Kant there are 3 kinds of Rights
 Different Kinds of Rights
1. Natural rights
- Every rational being had both an innate right to freedom
and a duty to enter into a civil condition governed by a social
contract in order to realize and preserve that freedom.
- not dependent on the laws, customs, or beliefs of any
particular culture or government, and are therefore universal
and inalienable.
 2. Legal Rights
 Is an interest protected, authorized and accepted by rules of
law.
 Rights that are given or imposed by the government to its
people.
 Its principles are based on the rights of the citizen and the
state expressed in the rules. Every action is permissible if it
does not violate any of the written rules.
3. Moral Rights

Rights that arise from being part of a social community

which recognizes the inherent worth of a human being to
one another. Represent the natural law.
It is brought out from the basic respect and value one
give to another person.
 Moral Rights are rights that belong to any moral
entities, such as human beings and animals.

"If any person disrupt any moral right, no legal action

can be taken against him/her. But if any person disrupt
any legal rights, can be taken away with it without
consent"
Moral Entities Features:

FREEDOM – human beings are the only beings that enjoy

freedom

SENTIENCE – human beings are not the only beings who

are capable of experiencing pleasure and pain

RATIONALITY – human beings are the only beings gifted

with rationality
Categorical Imperative Hypothetical Imperative

Both
Rule- based Contingent
Universal Self - interest
Moral law Psychological desire
Good life
Necessary
Not absolute
Absolute
Good will Morality Happiness

Moral worthiness Benefits & reward

Deontological consequential

Utilitarianism
1. MAXIM
A general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct.
A rule which tells you how to act in order to achieve
certain ends
To figured out on which you are acting, you need to think
about why you are doing what you are doing