...Adam Smith and The Lego Movie Midterm Paper In the Warner Brother’s production, The Lego Movie, many of the characters, scenes, themes, and movie lines illustrate the ideas of the economist, Adam Smith. Smith expresses his ideas through two of his books, The Wealth of Nations and The Theory of Moral Sentiments. In The Wealth of Nations, Smith explains “what it means to be ‘wealthy’ in a commercial society,” and in The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith explains “how deeply flawed humans learn to be civil, cooperative, happy, and free” (Garnett). In these two books, Smith writes about not only what he thinks is most beneficial for a growing economy, but also about what is most detrimental. The Lego Movie illustrates both of Smith’s views of the economy through the components and make-up of the movie. One Smithian idea appears in the lines of The Lego Movie’s theme song, “Everything is Awesome.” The lyrics are as follows: “We’re all working in harmony. Everything is awesome. Everything is cool when you’re a part of a team.” Smith’s example of the woolen coat from The Wealth of Nations is represented through these song lyrics. “The woollen coat… is the produce of the joint labour of a great multitude of workmen” (WNS). This definition from Smith’s work states that the “woolen coat,” which symbolizes wealth, is created through the cooperation and harmony of workmen who all hold different jobs and have different specialties (Garnett). The ‘woolen coat,’ and furthermore, the division...
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...Doug Ventura April 22, 2012 PHL 215 Mia Rowland Paper One A recent proposal to eliminate the ban of selling kidneys so that college students can pay for college has sparked much debate on the ethics of human rights and morality. The question is whether or not selling body parts for money is moral. I will be discussing how Utilitarianism, Kant’s Theory, and Negative Natural Rights theory determine morality and whether each theory deems the proposal as a moral act or not. The first theory we can use in deciding if selling kidneys for tuition is ethical is Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism determines morality by saying an act is moral if it creates the greatest overall utility. This means it will require that we sacrifice our own pleasure and happiness for the greater good. The first step in determining the moral worth of the act is defining the utility. In this situation, financially poor student are selling their kidney to pay the tuition costs to go to school. The groups that are being affected are college students who cannot afford tuition and people who are in desperate need of a kidney. In the UK, “three people die every day in the UK while awaiting kidneys”. There is a clearly a high demand of kidneys. Since utilitarianism looks to produce the greatest overall utility, we need to measure the consequences to determine whether the positive consequences outweigh the negative consequences. The positive consequences are that poor students receive money for their kidneys so...
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...deceived by false statements. Kant believes that it is our duty to tell the truth no matter the circumstances. He believes that by lying, regardless of any harm done to either person involved, there was harm done to humanity in general, inasmuch as it vitiates the very source of right (Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals 64-65). I unequivocally disagree with Kant’s view on lying. The premise behind Kant’s theory is morally correct, but there are various circumstances where lying is necessary for the betterment of mankind. Kant is also not consistent with his categorical imperatives with regard to intentional deception as opposed to lying. There is a major discrepancy regarding deception and lying with his moral viewpoint. Where is the line drawn in regard to deception versus lying? Certain situations including the case of the “would be murderer” are examples where disagreement becomes evident and Kant’s absolute moral rule on lying is exploited. The first argument against Kant’s view on lying deals with his belief that all lies harm someone or humanity, either directly or indirectly, and everyone has “a right to the truth” (Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals 64). I disagree with this because in many circumstances small lies are necessary. For example, parents lie to their children about Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny, and many other things. Now this may seem a bit absurd of an argument but Kant would argue that if asked by your child about these three...
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...for our society than Immanuel Kant’s principle that it is better to do what's morally just. I will explain why Mill’s theory served as a better guide to moral behavior and differentiate between the rights and responsibilities of human beings to themselves and society. Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral customs are formed. Immanuel Kant presented one perspective in The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his skill to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another belief as presented in the book, Utilitarianism, which is seemingly conflicting with the thoughts of Kant. What is most unique about the ethics of morality is the idea of responsibilities to particular individuals. According to both Mill and Kant, moral obligations are not fundamentally particularistic because they are rooted in universal moral principles. Both philosophers have made great impacts in their niche areas in the field. An analysis of their theories may help develop a better understanding of them and their theories. Mill holds an empiricist theory while Kant holds a rationalist theory. Kant explains morality through forms that he believes are essential to free and sensible judgment. Mill’s utilitarian approach is a form of consequential theory because the rightness or wrongness of an act is determined by the outcomes. Kant’s ethics of duty is the foundation...
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...“The Final Form of Kant’s Practical Philosophy,” Mark Timmons (ed.) Essays on Kant’s Moral Philosophy (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000). The Final Form of Kant’s Practical Philosophy Allen Wood Yale University By the year 1768, Kant claimed to be at work on a system of ethics, under the title “metaphysics of morals” (Ak 10:74).[1] During the so-called ‘silent decade’ of the 1770s, when Kant was working on the Critique of Pure Reason, he promised repeatedly not only that he would soon finish that work but also that he would soon publish a “metaphysics of morals” (Ak 10:97, 132, 144).[2] Yet it was not until four years after the first Critique that Kant finally wrote a work on ethics, and even then he merely laid the ground for a metaphysics of morals by identifying and establishing the supreme principle on which a system of duties would be based (G 4:392). Three years later, in the Critique of Practical Reason Kant once again dealt entirely with foundational questions in moral philosophy. Kantian ethics is primarily known, especially among English-speaking philosophers, through these two ethical works of the 1780s, neither of which contains anything like a ‘metaphysics of morals’. Many of Kant’s chief works in the early 1790s are devoted to practical philosophy. The Critique of Judgment’s treatment of taste and teleology is concerned both with moral psychology and with the view of the world which a morally disposed person should take. Other works even...
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...assignment will define and discuss the ethical theory of Kantianism. Kantian ethics is based on abiding by moral laws that are universal for everyone. It allows us to rationalize our decisions based on our duty to do what is right. This assignment will also discuss how Kantianism represents my personal principles. Kantianism provides moral laws that provide a sense of equality for all people. There are also several arguments that are against Kantianism and will dispute the theory. But the overall goal of Kantianism is to ensure that every person is treated with respect. In addition, this assignment will discuss and defend my position on a contemporary IT issue using a practical ethical theory. Unit 1 Assignment 1 Ethical Theory-Kantian The ethical theory that I have chosen that best represents my personal principles is Kantianism. This theory was named after the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. According to Quinn, “Kant believed that people’s actions ought to be guided by moral laws, and that these moral laws were universal” (Quinn, 2013, para. 2). The universal law is the belief that everyone tries to do the right thing and be a rational person and therefore rational decisions can be applied to everyone in the world. Kantianism does not consider the consequences of the ethical issues to be important, rather it is based on what should be done or doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. Kant’s decision is based on the theory that nothing is good without qualification...
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...Philosophy Open access to the SEP is made possible by a world-wide funding initiative. Please Read How You Can Help Keep the Encyclopedia Free Author & Citation Info | Friends PDF Preview | InPho Search | PhilPapers Bibliography Kant and Hume on Morality First published Wed Mar 26, 2008; substantive 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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...judged right or wrong on the basis of their consequences. Consequentialism theory is also known teleological moral theories. Which teleological word is from Greek ” Telos”,means “end” and ” logos” means “science”. This theory of morality derives duty or moral obligation from what is good or desirable as an end to be achieved. This general approach can be applied at different levels to different normative properties of different kinds of things, but the most prominent example is consequentialism about the moral rightness of acts, which holds that whether an act is morally right depends only on the consequences of that act or of something related to that act, such as the motive behind the act or a general rule requiring acts of the same kind. ( www. plato.stanford.edu) Consequentialist, have two major theories that is ethical egoism and utilitarianism. Both these theories agree that human beings ought to behave in ways that will bring about good consequences. They differ, however, in that they disagree on who should benefit from these consequences. The ethical egoist essentially says that human beings ought to act in the interest of all concerned. ( Jacques P. Thiroux , Keith W. Krasemann) The rough idea behind ethical egoism is that the right thing to do is to look out for own self-interest. That’s mean we are morally required only to make ourselves as happy as possible and have no moral obligations to others. Ethical egoism have three forms which is individual...
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...study of knowledge) and theology (the study of religion) are still influential to current philosophers of our time. He was also known for his beliefs in ethics and his knowledge in astronomy. Kant was an independent person, meaning he did not let others influence his way of thought. He created his own moral values and acted alone in his findings and did not look for outside criticism. He believed that other people’s emotions and view towards a subject could impact one’s moral values and behavior. He was admired by his friends for this quality, and because of this he became famous for the concept known as the categorical imperative (Evers). Theory Developed and Its Example: Categorical Imperative: Kant developed a theory on morality that is known as the categorical imperative. This theory implies that one should only act on his or her own morals. Kant believed a person has a duty to be moral in every sense as he believed this was a moral requirement. He also believed that an action one takes must be moral enough for the entire universe to agree with, in order to become universally acceptable to keep peace and order (Hartman, 2011). According to Norman, “Kant’s moral imperative is categorical because it always holds – there are no ‘ifs, and, or buts’. One must always act on that maxim that one can will to be a universal law,” (Norman, 1983). In other words unless everyone in the universe benefits from the rule or duty it won’t...
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...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 that only autonomous beings can be moral. Moreover, Autonomy seems...
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...Immanuel Kant remains one of the most influential modern philosophers in the realm of western philosophy. As a philosopher, Kant’s teachings stretched into the fields of, yet not inclusive to, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. However, it was Kant’s view of ethics that perhaps was paramount; it is as well important to delve further and pinpoint reason and good will as the source of morality in his ethical teachings. It is utterly inconceivable to simplify Kant’s works and theologies into less than 2,000 words; however, I will try. Kant’s philosophical teachings branched into many different disciplines – challenging common notions and making significant impacts as he taught them. However, it is his ethical theory that has been the most...
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...Kant’s moral argument focuses on the notion that God must exist to provide structure to the moral universe. Technically he did not believe that is was possible to prove the existence of God through rational or empirical means. It is important to outline two key ideas before explaining the details of the moral argument. These ideas centre around his assumptions of the universe: that the universe was fair; and that the world around us is fundamentally rational. He begins with the unspoken assumption that the world is fair, owing to the dominance of the enlightenment belief that the universe was fundamentally knowable through reason. It is important to note that Kant began a new way of looking at knowledge. He believed that we could know the world through reason in a prior synthetic way. This was a complete change from how the world had been view previously and was known as Kant’s Copernican revolution. In essence Kant believed in two separate worlds of knowledge: noumenal and the phenomenal worlds. The noumenal world is the world as it truly is without being observed. It is fundamentally unknowable because the act of observation changes the very thing that we observe. It is as though human beings have a specific set of spectacles that cannot be taken off and like the proverbial rose tinted ones they change our perception of the world around us. This personalised view of the universe is the phenomenal world. However, what is key to explaining Kant’s moral argument is the fact that...
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...A Moral Program for Myself as a Person and Professional A Moral Program for Myself as a Person and Professional Education is the key pillar of the modern world. Through education, we achieve a personal sensation of achievement and sole satisfaction. However, what lessons do we draw from the classes and lessons that we attend? In addition, are there ways in which we can apply the knowledge and the information we learn from the class and use it to shape our personal and professional lives? Throughout the eight weeks that I have enrolled in philosophy 415, I have pondered how I will use the information I learn and the knowledge I gain to better myself. In this regard, I need to better myself in both my personal and professional capacities. Nevertheless, in order to attain this betterment, I need to come up with a moral program for my personal and professional lives. Whether it is applying the ethical principles of Aristotle, Kant and Mill, or combating moral illiteracy within my department, I plan to use my newfound information to its greatest potential. Therefore, this article first elucidates on the moral program that I would implement in my professional life as a nurse. Consequently, the second part is on a program fitted for my personal life as a single mother to a four-year-old child. Out of all the philosophers that we studied during the course, Aristotle's virtue ethics is the most suitable theory for my profession. According to Solomon (1992)...
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...CHAPTER 2 Normative Theories of Ethics Chapter Summary Points 1. Consequentialist moral theories see the moral rightness or wrongness of actions as a function of their results. If the consequences are sufficiently good, the action is right; if they are sufficiently bad, the action is wrong. However, nonconsequentialist theories see other factors as also relevant to the determination of right and wrong. 2. Egoism is the consequentialist theory that an action is right when it promotes the individual’s best interests. Proponents of this theory base their view on the alleged fact that human beings are, by nature, selfish (the doctrine of psychological egoism). Critics of egoism argue that (a) psychological egoism is implausible, (b) egoism is not really a moral principle, and (c) egoism ignores blatant wrongs. 3. Utilitarianism, another consequentialist theory, maintains that the morally right action is the one that provides the greatest good for all those affected. In an organizational context, utilitarianism provides an objective way to resolve conflicts of self-interest and encourages a realistic and result-oriented approach to moral decision making. But critics contend that (a) utilitarianism is not really workable, (b) some actions are wrong even if they produce good results, and (c) utilitarianism incorrectly overlooks considerations of justice and the distribution of happiness. 4. Kant’s theory is an important example of a purely nonconsequentialist...
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...In both Immanuel Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism, the authors give several strong, well structured arguments on the composition of ethics. Largely, their works help to draw focus to two different explanations of what makes an action morally just as opposed to morally unjust through essentially opposite viewpoints. Despite a key difference between their philosophies, Kant and Mill contribute to an overall picture of the historical ethical argument. Chronologically, the first major philosopher, Immanuel Kant, presents an argument that is based upon solely “a priori” knowledge, or rather knowledge that does not come from experience. Kant explains that because we are all rational beings, we are able to separate ourselves from our current human condition and use our own ability to reason to see a broad picture of what is morally acceptable to others. Similarly, Kant finds that the only thing which is good without limitation is a good will; that is, it is the intention of an action that determines the moral validity of any claim, not the effects both foreseen and actual. Kant connects this idea of morality to the claim that humans should act out of duty instead of just what is according to duty. The difference between these two ideas, Kant argues, is that “according to duty” is acting in the right way only because of the negative consequences associated with not performing a morally correct action whereas “from duty” refers to the...
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