...The categorical imperative tells us to act according to maxims we can want as universal laws. A maxim always contains the reasons according to which someone acts; In the previous examples, the reasons are to recover energy, avoid sanctions, maintain a good reputation and respect others. What the categorical imperative does is tell us if our reasons for action are good or bad. The principle will tell us that maintaining a good reputation is a bad reason to keep promises and that doing it out of respect for others is a good reason. So, keeping promises, for example, is not a well-formed maxim because it does not specify the reasons someone has to act in this way. I must mention, however, that Kant's exposition is not perfectly clear and consistent...
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...Utilitarianism and Kant’s Categorical Imperative The issues of morality are most clearly expressed through examples of different methods of analyzing a situation. The case of Holmes, an officer in charge of a sinking ship, shows the striking differences between philosopher Immanuel Kant’s beliefs and those of the Utilitarians. After Holmes’ ship sinks, there are twenty passengers in a lifeboat that is only meant to hold fourteen people. There was no time to send out a signal for help before the ship sank, so no rescue is guaranteed and the nearest land is fifteen hundred miles away. Holmes decides to force the wounded passengers and those wearing life jackets off of the lifeboat and make his way to shore without them. This action can be described as either moral or immoral depending on the way morality is perceived. One perspective on morality is that of the Utilitarian view. Utilitarianism states that an act is morally right in proportion as it tends to secure the greatest utility, pleasure, or happiness for the greatest number; wrong as it tends to produce disutility, pain, or unhappiness. This means that what is morally right can be decided by what action will create the most pleasure for the most people. It can be said that Utilitarians “measure” each deciding factor to determine what is morally right, as if it were part of a mathematical formula. The values of different sources of pleasure and pain can be based on many considerations including: intensity, duration...
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...The Categorical Imperative Analyzing Immanuel Kant’s Grounding for A Metaphysics of Morals Anders Bordum WP 4/2002 January 2002 MPP Working Paper No. 4/2002 © January 2002 ISBN: 87-91181-06-2 ISSN: 1396-2817 Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy Copenhagen Business School Blaagaardsgade 23B DK-2200 Copenhagen N Denmark Phone: +45 38 15 36 30 Fax: +45 38 15 36 35 E-mail: as.lpf@cbs.dk www.cbs.dk/departments/mpp 2 The Categorical Imperative Analyzing Immanuel Kant's Grounding for a Metaphysics of Morals By Anders Bordum Keywords: Categorical imperative, discourse ethics, duty, ethics, monologic, dialogic, Immanuel Kant, Jürgen Habermas, self-legislation, self-reference. 3 Abstract In this article I first argue that Immanuel Kant’s conception of the categorical imperative is important to his philosophy. I systematically, though indirectly, interconnect the cognitive and moral aspects of his thinking. Second, I present an interpretation of the Kantian ethics, taking as my point of departure, the concept of the categorical imperative. Finally, I show how the categorical imperative is given a dialogical interpretation by Jürgen Habermas in his approach, usually referred to as discourse ethics. I argue that the dialogical approach taken by discourse ethics is more justifiable and therefore more usefuli. I The Synthesis of Rationalism and Empiricism The philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is in the main inspired...
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...QUEEN OF APOSTLES PHILOSOPHY CENTRE JINJA (PCJ) CRITIQUE OF THE NOTION OF AUTONOMY IN KANT’S MORAL PHILOSOPHY AN UNDER GRADUATE DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE INSTITUTE OF ETHICS AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES OF UGANDA MARTYRS UNIVERSITY (UMU) NKOZI, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN PHILOSOPHY BISIMWA MUNYALI EVARISTE MARCH 2011 1 DEDICACE This work is dedicated in a special way to: My ever loving and caring God, My family and the community of the Missionaries of Africa. 2 DECLARATION I………………………………………………………..have read the rules of Uganda Martyrs University on plagiarism and hereby state that this work is my own. It has not been submitted anywhere else for any qualification. I have acknowledged the secondary sources used in this work. NAME OF STUDENT…………………………………………………………. SIGNATURE…………………………………………………………………… DATE: …………………………………………………………………………… SUPERVISOR………………………………………………………………….. SIGNATURE…………………………………………………………………… DATE: ………………………………………………………………………….. 3 ABSTRACT The importance of a philosophical study dealing with moral issues, especially the principle of autonomy is indisputably great. It is a common agreement that morality is located within the scope of duty. Kant corroborates this held agreement by stating the categorical imperative which every human is obliged to act upon. He conceived this categorical imperative as the moral law which all those who claim to be moral beings have to live on. However, he also affirmed...
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...CRACK Should women addicted to crack be able to have children? Barbara Harris says no. Harris has adopted four children from a drug addict. She has also founded CRACK (Children Requiring A Caring Kommunity) a non-profit organization that offers $200 in cash to addicts who agree to be sterilized or undergo long-term contraception like Norplant, which is surgically imbedded under the skin. In this essay I will be discussing what the ethical dilemma is, who the stakeholders are in this ethical dilemma, analyzing the problem by reference to the categorical imperative, analyzing the problem from a Kantian and utilitarian standpoint and giving my overall opinion of this matter. As I understand it the ethical dilemma here is the procedure in itself. Some are saying that the women are doing it for the money to buy more drugs. Also, saying that it takes away women rights to reproduce. Physicians and attorneys are saying that the women are in no condition to consent to being sterilized. They say that because these women are mentally ill and poor they are not capable of making their own decisions. But Barbara Harris from her own experiences says that women addicted to crack do not need to have babies. These women are bringing babies into the world addicted to crack. She tells of a story of how she adopted four children from a crack addicted woman. One of the children would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. She says it looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head...
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...become Canada’s favourite place to work”. (McLachlan, 2009, pg. 287) Ms. Vuicic further implies that rather than simply meeting this goal to a satisfactory degree, their ultimate goal is maximization. In other words, there is no limit to becoming the top employer in Canada and this is evidenced by her quote, “...It’s an ongoing process...The best-employer lists recognize we’ve got a great foundation in place to meet our goal.” (McLachlan, 2009, pg. 287) Another approach used by the author is based on deontology – treating people as ends, not means. The article describes Wal-Mart’s positive work in treating people fairly and equally, and Wal-Mart’s behaviour of promoting existing staff to senior roles. This describes Kant’s categorical imperative because it recognizes the value of employees and the fact that they have “goals worthy of consideration and respect.” (McLachlan, 2009, pg. 74) To further support equality and justice for all, the author uses a...
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...Examining the Ethicality of Airborne’s Marketing Strategy Patrick Legendre Business Ethics Prof. Martin Wednesday, October 16, 2013 I. Case Overview Dietary Supplement Industry The growing dietary supplement industry, which includes the hundreds of weight loss and immune support supplements on the market, grosses approximately $20 billion annually (Burke). As established by the Dietary Supplement and Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), these supplements are not required to undergo testing or receive approvals from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Instead, companies must notify the FDA of all new products and ensure that they are safe for consumers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) does not prohibit dietary supplements from claiming health benefits but rather requires thorough clinical trials to support such statements. In 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services investigated 127 supplements and found that 20 percent of them were illegally labeled and lacked the necessary scientific evidence to support the proclaimed health benefits (Ibid). Many of these illegal labels included confirmatory statements on curing or preventing diseases such as diabetes or cancer. The report also revealed that 7 percent of the surveyed supplements did not have the mandatory disclaimer stating that the FDA had not evaluated statements on the label for validity (Ibid). Airborne Case Airborne, a popular vitamin and herbal supplement known for its controversy over preventing...
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...Nova Southeastern University Wayne Huizenga Graduate School Of Business & Entrepreneurship Assignment for Course: – Legal, Ethical and Social Value of Business Submitted to: Professor Submitted by: Muzna Ali Date of Submission: March 2012 Title of Assignment: Term paper CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledge and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas of words, whether quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared specifically by us for this course. ************************************************************* Instructor’s Grade on Assignment: Instructor’s Comments: Integrating Values - The Legality, Morality, and Social Responsibility of Bodog Online Gambling- Legal and Moral Issues Table of Contents Abstract- Muzna Ali………………………………….………………………………………...…4 Introduction- Muzna Ali………………..………………………………...……………………….5 Introduction to Legal Section- Byron Creech……………………..…….………………..……….6 Utilitarian Ethical Analysis – Wendy Burrion……………….……………………………...
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...lives abiding by. One of these prominent ethical theories include act utilitarianism. This is a utilitarian theory of ethics which states that a person's act is morally right if and only if it produces at least as much happiness as any other act that the person could perform at that time. Another prominent ethical theory is Kantianism, an act (token) morally permissible if and only if, in preforming that action, the agent satisfies the Categorical Imperative. The Categorical Imperative include two different versions, one being the “Universal Law” version. This claims that an act token is morally permissible if and only if, in performing it, the agent acts on a maxim that he can at the same time, will to be a universal law. The second version is the “Mere Means/ Respect for human persons.” This states an act token is morally permissible if and only if, in performing that act, the agent does not treat anyone, even himself, merely as a means, but instead treats people as an end in themselves. Part II: These ethical theories played a role in analyzing the decision making of characters, Patrick (Casey Affleck), and Captain Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) in the film Gone, Baby Gone. The case of Amanda McCready grew complicated as Patrick discovered that Captain Jack Doyle had kidnapped her, with the help of the uncle, because they felt that Amanda's mother was neglecting her child. It was here that Patrick had to decide whether to let Amanda live this alter life with Captain Jack Doyle...
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...The term that his entire theory is based around is called a person’s will, or more specifically his good will. Kant defines a will as a person’s natural tendency in given situations, and if said will is a “good will” it is unconditionally good. Another key term that Kant uses in the definition of Kantian Ethics is a person’s duty, or his inclination to always follow this good will or moral law. It can be said that it is a person’s duty to follow his or her maxim, which is a rule or principle. A maxim is typically defined by an individual, and has to be consistent no matter what the circumstance is. These maxims become important through the categorical imperative, which as Kant defines it is a way or test to move from the individual maxim to universal moral...
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...revision Sun Aug 12, 2012 The ethics of Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) is often contrasted with that of David Hume (1711–1776). Hume's method of moral philosophy is experimental and empirical; Kant emphasizes the necessity of grounding morality in a priori principles. Hume says that reason is properly a “slave to the passions,” while Kant bases morality in his conception of a reason that is practical in itself. Hume identifies such feelings as benevolence and generosity as proper moral motivations; Kant sees the motive of duty—a motive that Hume usually views as a second best or fall back motive—as uniquely expressing an agent's commitment to morality and thus as conveying a special moral worth to actions. Although there are many points at which Kant's and Hume's ethics stand in opposition to each other, there are also important connections between the two. Kant shared some important assumptions about morality and motivation with Hume, and had, early in his career, been attracted to and influenced by the sentimentalism of Hume and other British moralists. The aim of this essay is not to compare Hume and Kant on all matters ethical. Instead, we examine...
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...Recently, there have been numerous reports on “honour killings” the papers, with coverage of stories not only from Canada but from countries all over the world. Honour killings are the killing of women by her husband or family members when she has, or is suspected of, having dishonoured the family by adultery or other acts deemed inappropriate by the cultural values of the family. While the practice of honour killing has been in practice for some time, it has lately become more visible as cases that deal with honour killings have been appearing in Canadian courts. The Vancouver Sun reports that honour killings have been on the rise in Canada, or at least brought to the forefront of legal courtrooms and the media, as “first generation Muslims struggle to balance strict, old world ways of their parents with a desire to fit into a more liberal society (Cohen).” Problems arise when people charged for murder plead for leniency on account that the killing was done to defend their family’s honour (Massinon). For many “honour killers,” the act of killing in defence of family honour allow for a “full or partial defence against criminal ruling” in their countries of origin (Cohen). If honour killing is indeed considered a moral and ethical behaviour in one’s culture, to the extent that such actions are supported by a country’s law, could such an action then be considered moral? Using the approaches of utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics, this paper attempts to determine the morality...
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...Nova Southeastern University Wayne Huizenga Graduate School Of Business & Entrepreneurship Assignment for Course: MGT 5015 Legal, Ethical, and Social Values of Business Submitted to: Dr. Frank J. Cavico, J.D. LL.M Submitted by: James Jones N01456933 Date of Submission: March 12, 2013 Title of Assignment: Integrating Values – The Legality, Morality and Social Responsibility of, “Is it moral for the University of Notre Dame to pay their college football players?” CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used this data, ideas of words, whether quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Student Signature: Jill Burgess *************************************************************** Instructor’s Grade on Assignment: Instructor’s Comments: Table of Contents Introduction Many students who are currently active players for their university's football team are struggling to make ends meet. They simply don't have the funds to buy new clothes, tools for education, or even food not supplied by the university. To make matters worse, the NCAA has created policies restricting players from pursuing avenues of being compensated for services...
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...her search. She saw that the typical target price for medical start ups was $10 during the initial offering. She would lose $20,000 from her salary decrease, but make $262,000 from 30,000 shares in the company. This was not guaranteed and no one at the company could promise these results, but she took the risk anyways. Grantz, the founder and CEO of the company, sold MoniMed to CV Diagnostix just prior to the IPO causing the price of shares to drop to 27 cents per share. Gallagher and the other employees suffered while Grantz made $2.5 million on the acquisition. Was Grantz ethically wrong to withhold the financial status of the company from his employees and shareholders because it prevented them from making an informed decision? By analyzing this case according to the Act Utilitarian theory, it was immoral for the CEO and founder Barry Grantz to withhold the financial records of his company from Leanne Gallagher. When Gallagher interviewed for her position in Grantz’ organization, she was seeking not only a paid salary position, but also the stock offer of 30,000 options at 30 cents a share. By accepting the job it put Gallagher in the role of both an employee and a stockholder. Act Utilitarian theory says that an action is good if it benefits someone,...
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...7 Step Case Analysis Copyright infringement has been a recurrent ethical issue that has revealed its presence in a multitude of industries throughout the realm of business for numerous years now. Of the thousands of products that have been reproduced and distributed without the authorized use of the copyright holder, it can be argued that the downloading of music is one of the most controversial matters pertaining to this era of mass internet usage. One of the most significant examples of such a case can be found in the Napster copyright infringement that occurred early in the twenty-first century. Napster proves to be a unique and worthy example for the reason being that the online file sharing service had been recognized to directly infringe the exclusive rights of artistes by freely distributing their musical projects online. Napster was developed in 1999 by Sean Fanning and Sean Parker, and it served as an independent, internet-based peer-to-peer file sharing service. The service used digital technology that created the opportunity for users to transmit and retain sound recordings. The service quickly gained immense popularity especially among students across the United States, who became the largest proportion of Napster’s subscribers. As Napster’s reputation grew, several recording companies such as A&M via the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) began to contest Napster, in order to regain dominance in the music industry. This...
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