...Immanuel Kant Life 1. Immanuel Kant lived all his 80 years (1724- 1804) in the small provincial town of Königsberg in East Prussia. His parents belonged to the religious sect known as Pietists. His religious upbringing influenced his life and philosophy. 2. Kant entered the University of Königsberg were he studied the classics, physics, and philosophy. a. He was impressed by the advancements in learning made by science, particularly that of Newton. b. The dominant philosophy being taught at the University was Continental Rationalism, particularly that of Leibniz. 3. Kant’s life was remarkably unremarkable. He traveled little, and he had no notable political connections. He was known most for his meticulous, if not eccentric, behavior. Nevertheless, he was also known for being a brilliant thinker, writer, and lecturer. His most important writings include: Critique of Pure Reason, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, Principles of Metaphysics and Morals, Metaphysical First Principles of Natural Science, Critique of Practical Reason, Critique of Judgment, Religion within the Limits of Pure Reason, and Perpetual Peace. A. The Shaping of Kant’s Problem 1. The major philosophical systems of his time, Rationalism and Empiricism, seemed to Kant inadequate to explain the two major issues which he articulated in his famous statement: “Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration...
Words: 4837 - Pages: 20
...We tend to make flawed judgements both intentionally and unintentionally in our lives that we later regret and may even come to realization that they were morally incorrect. In order for us to make moral judgments upon our actions, Immanuel Kant provides a guideline for which actions are morally commendable in his text, “Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals”. He believes that an action is morally right when it is motivated by duty alone. Kant introduces the concept of rational beings, in which he defines it as beings with the capacity to act in accordance with the representations of laws or a will (4:412). According to Kant, we are considered to be imperfect rational beings, in which our rational capacities are influenced by various incentives, and therefore, we must be governed by a moral command that will tell us how to act accordingly with the law. In a broad sense, the law is equally valid for all rational beings, and ought to follow is what Kant refers to as the “moral law” (4:227). And the moral command can exist in two forms, either hypothetical or categorical, but only one of which is ideal for the purpose of the moral (4:412). Hypothetical imperative tells us to exercise our wills in respect of our desire for personal ends, and it follows a form: “if you want achieve a goal A, you ought to do B”. For instance, if you want to pass the chemistry exam, then you ought to study for it. Although hypothetical imperative can be universally valid, it cannot be a moral...
Words: 1213 - Pages: 5
...November 7, 2013 PHI 105 Reading Response #4 Kant In Immanuel Kant’s The Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, deontological or the right/logical thing to do is laid out through different categorical imperatives. Kant believes logically there is always a right thing to do. There are obligations that must be done without looking at consequences and only looking at that specific moment in time to decide whether or not good motivations are being practiced. I think that acting in the right way at one moment in time is difficult to achieve without looking at consequences, the end result should be taken into account otherwise people could be making vital mistakes in their life. Kant states that every person has a duty and that your responsibilities cannot look at the consequences, you must only act on the right thing to do first. In class we discussed the idea of euthanasia, for example if someone asks you to mercy kill them then technically that would be your new duty, at least in the eyes of Kant. You cannot think whether or not this will ease them of their pain and end their life, this would be looking at the consequences. According to Kant, if someone asks you to do something and you agree to it that is now something you must uphold to. This is clearly an example of not looking at the consequences, but I think the end result should be taken into account here. Living in that moment and performing mercy killing would have a terrible end result, there are so many other factors...
Words: 599 - Pages: 3
...“Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals”, argues upon the basis of morality introducing the ideals of the categorical imperative as the central concept of moral philosophy. The definition of the categorical imperative leads Kant towards the critique of pure reason arguing that without a goodwill one can’t even be worthy of being happy. Kant introduces goodwill, treating people as means rather than ends and doing the right thing for the right reason. Making a distinction between science and knowledge and eliminating common sense on a route to the philosophical, Kant defines reason as reason a practical faculty to influence will and also being essential to will. Kant argument in the Groundwork focuses upon the basic idea of what makes a good person good. It is the possession of a will that is a way determined by, or makes decision based of moral law. This goodwill is supposed to be the idea of one who only makes decisions that she holds to be morally worthy, taking moral considerations in themselves to be conclusive reasons for guiding her behavior. This sort of disposition or character is something we all highly value. Kant believes we value it without limitation or qualification. Formulated by pure reason, the categorical imperative according to Kant underscores his argument. The value of a good will thus cannot be that it secures certain valuable ends, whether of our own or of others, since there value is entirely conditional on our having and maintaining a good will. Kant’s...
Words: 597 - Pages: 3
...treating each other the way they would want to be treated which is known as the “Golden Rule”. In this article respect with regards to Kant’s theory takes respect from a casual exchange such as a polite “ excuse me” or “ thank you” to the very intents of the heart of persons in any exchange. The core argument in this case is the subject matter of whether or not companies treat their employees as a means to their end or if companies treat employees as an end in and of themselves. Most business’s look at their employees as resources used to accomplish task needed to generate revenues for the company‘s stockholders. In order to understand the issue Kantians have with this business viewpoint one must first understand what Kant considers respect. According to Kant human beings have dignity which cannot be bought. He also believes that human beings are not exchangeable. Kant’s second formulation of the categorical imperative says “Act so that you treat humanity whether, in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only. (Norman E. Bowie “Business Ethics” pg. 67-68) His views regarding human dignity poses a threat to the way businesses operate because from a business standpoint, machinery and humans are one in the same and whichever can meet the objectives of the company more efficiently the company will choose. In this article, Bowie brought forth several points of view in an effort to pin point whether there is a problem with the way companies...
Words: 390 - Pages: 2
...Kant's Moral Philosophy is, as you would expect, difficult to understand. It has become popular in our times, mainly as a viable alternative to utilitarianism. Since utilitarian theory downplays the moral significance of such important elements as respect, human dignity, individual rights, and minority protection, an alternative moral theory might b needed. [Utilitarianism, and consequential theories in general, do not accord an intrinsic and incommensurable value to any element - in other words, nothing - not even human dignity or even human life - is to be valued as morally good or morally valuable in itself and isolated from comparison, or weighing, against other goods. In utilitarianism, in particular, the conversion of all things is to happiness or pleasure or utility or preferences; in this way, everything has a common denominator - and this makes it possible to have a ready-made formular for assessment of what one should do morally [act in such a way as to maximize the overall happiness or happiness of the greatest possible number]; the down-side is that nothing - not even life or rights or human dignity - is to be kept out of the utilitarian calculus. Although utilitarianism is handy when it comes to tough cases and moral dilemmas - it has ample scope and range of cases it can handle in its own way - it is rather counter-intuitive in its insistence that even what we generally hold as the most morally valuable things are just numbers in a calculus. Also, since the greatest...
Words: 2496 - Pages: 10
...CONTEMPORARY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE Immanuel Kant and Euthanasia Euthanasia is defined the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. The topic of whether euthanasia is morally or ethical wrong has been argued for decades. In those arguments, philosopher Immanuel Kant’s theories have always been cited. Based on Kant’s Deontology theory, the outcome of an action is not relevant to morality; the only right thing is to do what reason dictates. His categorical imperative states: Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” (McLachlan, 2009, p70.). Thus as a rational being, man cannot to formulate a maxim to give other’s right to take his life because of he is in a terrible condition. This kind of maxim will not form a universal law thus it should be removed and replaced with a more reasonable maxim. If we will such maxim, we will end in hypothetical imperative not categorical. In addition, Kant explained the practical imperative further in his categorical imperative second formulation: “act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only” (McLachlan, 2009, p73.). Thus, if humanity is an end, no man has the right to take his life even in whatever condition he finds himself Overall, Kant’s theory is very influential in the argument of euthanasia ethical issues. Based on...
Words: 523 - Pages: 3
...categorical imperative. Why does Kant think that all moral commands are categorical rather than hypothetical? What does it mean to act from a good will? Do you agree or disagree with Kant that only actions performed from a good will have moral value? Immanuel Kant Imperatives are commands in which Kant distinguishes between hypothetical and categorical imperatives. A hypothetical imperative is one that is relative. It takes the form of “If this, then that.” (333) This kind of imperative is not universal or absolute since they are conditioned on a relevant desire or greater achievement out of one’s self-interest. On the other hand, a categorical imperative deals with universalizability and strips away the emotions that bind a hypothetical imperative. Kant uses a formula in order to determine if an imperative is categorical. “Act as if the maxim of thy action were to become a universal law of nature.” (334) Kant suggests that if the command can be made a rule for all of mankind then it is categorical since this would make it universally binding. Kant thinks that all moral commands are categorical rather than hypothetical because only when one is motivated by morality can he have moral worth. This is because morality is not fixed in consequences that may arise, however, it is out of a person’s duty to fulfill that job regardless of their emotional state or desires, which defies a hypothetical imperative. To act from a good will, according to Kant, depends on ones motives. He says...
Words: 497 - Pages: 2
...Immanuel Kant was born April 22, 1724 and died February 12, 1804. He lived throughout his life in what we know today as Kaliningrad, Russia. He is a well-known and studied philosophical researcher, lecturer, and writer whose main interests include epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and logic. After learning of David Hume, Kant began to develop his own ideas of morals and values. Although Kant has many writings one of his greatest pieces is his, “Critique of Pure Reason” (1781). He is also well known for his moral cade, ‘The Categorical imperative’ and ‘Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals, and Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.’ Knowledge Kant has many theories on knowledge in which are interesting, in my opinion. Kant states that, “In the order of time, therefore, we have no knowledge antecedent to experience, and with experience all of our knowledge begins, but although all of our knowledge gins with experience, it does not follow that it all arises out of experience.” I feel that knowledge and experience are connected but to have pure knowledge there are other sources other than experience. Kant calls these judgments or absolute truths,a priori.According to Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, “Necessity and universality are sure criteria of a priori knowledge,and areinseparable from one another”. According to Wikipedia.org, a priori is “knowledge or justification id independent of experience”. For example, saying all household...
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...Kant & Mill Kant and Mill were two philosophers known and recognized for their moral integrity, merit, and their contributions to society through philosophical beings. Kant and Mills perspectives are alike; yet differ, in a variety set of ways. Through an actual real life event, I will describe how their philosophical theories would be demonstrated and the consequences of those actions according to the choice that is being ultimately made. Being that they are philosophers, who has the correct theory and which theory should the world abide by? The great philosopher Kant stated that “Act only on that maxim whereby thou canst at the same time will it become a universal law.” This statement is the categorical imperative of the philosopher Immanuel Kant. Another way to describe this philosophical concept is by stating that good will should be good in itself regardless of the obstacles that may interfere with the end results of an action. Kant utilizes some space throughout his moral philosophy to argue that good will should merely depict good intentions even if the conveyer is victimized. Lets get deeper in Kant’s ethical theory. Actions that are being done only because of initial duty are morally good in relation to their maxims, the subjective principles of choice. Duty, according to Kant, “is the necessity of acting from respect for the law.” The law is the objective principle of choice. So, for Kant, for a maxim to be morally good it must conform to a universal law...
Words: 1631 - Pages: 7
...all times. Aquinas was considered a philosopher by his mates but he strongly objected and criticized other philosophers who pagans that the missed the massive wisdom available in the Christian revelations. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who formulated the theory of ethical deontology (Fagothey) Kant was a strong proponent of enlightenment rationalism which basically meant that for something to be good , it must be from a good will so and that the action just follows the will and the moral law. He also perpetrated the principle of universibility and strongly believed that for an action to be permissible by the society, must equally apply to all the people in the same manner and not biased. He also believed in the theories of perfect and imperfect duty and advocated that the perfect duty should an obvious thing in the eyes of the humanity such as committing murder is a criminal to both the mind and the soul and can be referred as a perfect duty. Imperfect duty such charitable works can be substantiated and simply bases on different to people to church the act as good or bad therefore, it is an imperfect duty to the human race. (McInerny) Several philosophers have criticized the theories of Kant terming it inconclusive and prescriptive. They argue that Kant was biased in his theories and was influenced by other past philosophers and even his parents. The catholic church has seriously criticized his laws...
Words: 686 - Pages: 3
...In Favor Of Kant 3/17/13 As per reading this assignment, one can already tell how complicated the situation is. How can I prevent an upheaval in my town by not finding the actual murderer but framing an innocent homeless man who is oblivious to the entire situation prior to entering the town? How can this be justified? Should the idea of framing someone innocent even be thought of? Having two philosophers in mind, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill, I immediately distinguish the theories and arguments and come to a conclusion which I think will justify this difficult case. I shall argue in favor of Immanuel Kant that that the homeless man should not be arrested and framed and why Mill’s theory of Utilitarianism doesn’t apply to this case. Immanuel Kant observed the world around him and realized that everyone despite different cultures or religions obeyed a specific kind of moral law. For Kant, an action can only be correct, if it is the taken out of duty. He believed that the rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend on their consequences but on whether they act on moral duty. We all have a duty, and those duties should obey the supreme principal which is the categorical imperative. These are duties that we ought to do because they are unconditional commands. The universal law formulation explains that one should act on maxim through which can become a universal law in nature if it applies to each and every person in society. Everyone should conform to an...
Words: 854 - Pages: 4
...Section One In section one, Kant argues from common sense morality to the supreme principle of morality, which he calls the categorical imperative. Kant thinks that uncontroversial premises from our shared common sense morality, and analysis of common sense concepts such as ‘the good’, ‘duty’, and ‘moral worth’, will yield the supreme principle of morality, namely, the categorical imperative. Kant’s discussion in section one can be roughly divided into four parts: (1) The good will (2) The teleological argument. (3) The three propositions regarding duty and (4) The categorical imperative. The Good Will Kant thinks that, with the exception of the good will, all goods are qualified. By qualified, Kant means that those goods are good insofar as they presuppose or derive their goodness from something else. Take wealth as an example. Wealth can be extremely good if it is used for human welfare, but it can be disastrous if a corrupt mind is behind it. In a similar vein, we often desire intelligence and take it to be good, but we certainly would not take the intelligence of an evil genius to be good. The good will, by contrast, is good in itself. Kant writes, “A good will is not good because of what it effects or accomplishes, because of its fitness to attain some proposed end, but only because its volition, that is, it is good initself . . . .” (4:394) The precise nature of the good will is subject to scholarly debate. The Teleological Argument Kant believes that a teleological...
Words: 4313 - Pages: 18
...Immanuel Kant was born April 22, 1724 in Königsberg, East Prussia, and its dominant language was German. Kant was born into an artisan family with modest means. His father was a harness maker, and his mother was the daughter of a harness maker. Kant's family was never destitute, but his father's trade was in decline during Kant's youth and his parents at times had to rely on extended family for financial support. In his youth, Kant was a solid, albeit unspectacular, student. He was brought up in a Pietistic household that emphasized intense religious devotion, personal humility, and interpretation of the Bible. Kant received a stern education that preferred Latin and religious instruction over mathematics and science. Kant attended college at the University of Königsberg, where his early interest in classics was quickly overtaken by philosophy, which all first year students studied and which encompassed mathematics and physics as well as logic, metaphysics, ethics, and natural law. Kant's philosophy professors exposed him to the approach of Christian Wolff. But Kant was also exposed to a range of German and British critics of Wolff, and there were threads of Aristotelian and Pietism represented in the philosophy faculty as well. Kant's favorite teacher was Martin Knutzen, a Pietistic follower who was influenced by Christian Wolff and the British philosopher John Locke. Kant released his first work, Thoughts on the True Estimation of Living Forces in 1747, which was...
Words: 489 - Pages: 2
...Thinking between Deleuze and Kant: a straneg encounter; Eds. Edward Willat Matt Lee continuum 2009 NY 04 For Deleuze it seems that we need a transcendental empiricism so that the forces immanent in sensation produce individuation; we need mechanisms that ensure that individuation is the result of the work of forces. In other words thought is never to lose sight of the individual because the individual is the ever developing outcome of forces rather than being swept away by them. 08 What sensation can do. 08 Deleuze avoids the language of Kantian faculties that has been present in a number of his earlier solo works. Instead they develop a materialism that is characterized as transcendental in terms of Machinic operations rather than the work of faculties. This provides a reading or appropriation of Kant that places the transcendental further from consciousness and closer to matter. All hint of the psychologism that had characterized Kant’s three syntheses is radicaly blown away by the terminology of desiring machines. D&G talk of machines in anti Oedipus as an attempt to focus upon use and function so as to evacuate all reference to meaning and hence to conscious life. Undermine the hold of consciousness upon the conditions of thought. 69 (how do we recognize structuralism?) it moves away from an understanding of structure as being developed through its own relations, things already given or secured. It thus moves away from a concern with “arriving at secure knowledge...
Words: 301 - Pages: 2
