ImmanuelKant: GroundworkfortheMetaphysicsofMorals Dr.

Morris

HonorsEthicalTheoryPL3150

I.Background: worldview transcendentalidealism. A. TheoryofKnowledge innateideas. B. HumanNature twopointsofview(twoworlds): 1) noumenal vs. phenomenal 2) freedom vs. determinism II.SectionTwo:TransitionfromPopularMoralPhilosophytoaMetaphysicsofMorals A. DUTY:popularmoralityhasgivenusanideaofDUTY,butthisideaisimpure(p.19). 1) TopurifyourideaofDUTY,andtherebyrecognizeinititsfullmoralworth,wemustexamine DUTY apriori thatis,wemuststudytheconceptfreefromourexperienceofthenatural,physical world(theworldofphenomena). a)Moralitymustapplyingeneraltoallrationalbeings(p.20). 2) Andso,theprinciplesofmoralitymustbederivedfromtheconceptofdutyfromtheuniversal conceptofarationalbeingingeneral sothatwecanbesureitwillapplytoallrationalbeings,and notjusthumanbeings(p.23). B. LAW:everythinginnatureworksaccordingtolaws(p.23). 1) However,arationalbeinghasthepowertoactaccordingtotheconceptionoflaws(thatis,we understandlawasanabstractidea). 2) Thus,wefollowprinciples(ourideasofwhatthelawcommandsofus). 3) Thisalsomeans thatwepossessaWILL(whichalsoimpliesthatweareFREE). C. WILL:sincethederivation/determinationofactionsfromlawsrequirestheuseofreason,ourWILLis simplyapracticalpartofourreason(thepartthathelpsusdecidehowtoact). 1) Aperfectlygoodwillisonethatalwaysfollowsreason,andisneverinfluencedbypersonal inclinations italwaysrecognizesthegoodandchoosesproperly. 2) Animperfectwillisinfluencedbypersonal inclinations,andsoisnotcompletelyfreeinitsabilityto followreason thatis,ourinclinationshinderourfreedom(p.24). D. IMPERATIVES:thepresentationofanobjectiveprincipleinsofarasitnecessitatesthewilliscalleda commandofreason,andtheformulaofthecommandiscalledanimperative(p.24). 1)Therearetwotypesofimperatives(p.2526): a) HYPOTHETICAL: rulesofskill and counselsofprudence. (1) RulesofSkill the means onemustacquiretoreachaspecific end (p.27). (2) CounselsofPrudence althoughhappinessiswishedforbyall,themeansvarygreatly however,eventhoughthemeansvary,sincetheendiswishedfor(happiness),themeansare alsowishedforandcanbediscoveredbyanalyzingthegoal(p.28). (a)Bothtypesofhypotheticalimperatives,then,aresaidtobe analytical onediscovers thattheyexistfroman analysis ofthegoalwilledbytheagent. b) CATEGORICAL: commands(laws)ofmorality. (1) CommandofMorality isdifferentfromtheothertwowemustbecarefultokeepit pure andnotletitbecomehypothetical(directedtoacertainend)(p.2829). (a) Problem:wemustexaminethecategoricalimperativemerelyfromits concept. E. CATEGORICALIMPERATIVE Firstapproach. 1) IfIthinkofahypotheticalimperative,Idonotknowwhatitwillcontainuntilitsconditionisgiven butifIthinkofacategoricalimperative,Iknowimmediatelywhatitcontains (p.29). a) Besidesthelaw,theimperativecontainsonlythenecessitythatone'smaximshouldaccordwith thelaw thatis,one'smaximshouldconformto theuniversalizabilityoflaw. b) ThisleadsKanttothe classicformulation ofhisfamous categoricalimperative:p.30 there isonlyonecategoricalimperativeanditisthis: ACTONLYACCORDINGTOTHAT MAXIMWHEREBYYOUCANATTHESAMETIMEWILLTHATITSHOULD BECOMEAUNIVERSALLAW! (firstpracticalprincipleofthewill) (1) Secondformulation: actasifthemaximofyouractionweretobecomethrough yourwillauniversallawofnature.

F. FOURCASES: 1) suicide:cannotbeuniversalized,why? 2) lying: cannotbeuniversalized,why? 3) laziness:canbeuniversalized,butcontradictsitself,why? 4) nonbenevolence:canbeuniversalized,butcontradictsitself,why? a) Therecanbetwofailingsofthetest: first,someactionsaresoconstitutedthattheycannoteven beconceivedofwithoutcontradiction second,otherscanbeconceivedof,butifdonethe actionscontradicttheagent'swill(p.32). b) Thenhowdoweactagainstthiscategoricalimperative?Wedosobymakingexceptionsfor ourselves p.3233. c) Wemustkeepinmindthatthefewerinclinationsmixedinwiththecategoricalimperativethe greateritsmoralworthalso,itmustbeabletoapplytoallrationalbeings(p.33). G. CATEGORICALIMPERATIVE secondapproach. 1)Rationalbeingshaveawillthatdeterminesactionaccordingtoitsconceptionoflaw(p.35). a) Whateverobjectivelydeterminesthewillisan endendsaresetbyreasonalonethegroundsfor objectiveendsaredeterminedbymotivesthatholdforallrationalbeings. b) Whateversubjectivelydeterminesthewillisa meansmeansaresubjectivelydeterminedbyour desires,orincentives. c) Allsubjectiveincentivesaremerelyrelativetoeachagent. 2) However,ifthereissomeendthathasabsoluteworth,itcouldserveastheobjective groundforthe categoricalimperative. a) Humanbeingsaresuchends weexistasendsandnotmeanstobeusedbyothersthatis, rationalnatureexistsasanendinitself,ithasnootherpurposebuttobeitself. 3) Thisleadstothe thirdformulation of thecategoricalimperative: actinsuchawaythatyoutreat humanity,whetherinyourownpersonorinthepersonofanother,alwaysatthesametimeas anendandneverasameans. (secondpracticalprincipleofthewill) a) Fourcases revisiteddoyouagree??? 4) Thisprincipleofhumanityandofeveryrationalbeingasanendinitselfservesasthelimiting conditionofeveryhumanbeing'sfreedomofaction thatis,wecandoanythingaslongaswedo nottreatothersasmeans(p.37). a) Thisprinciple isdiscovered apriori first,becauseitappliestoallrationalbeings,notjust humans,andwedonothaveexperienceoftheseotherrationalbeingssecond,inexperience,we donotactuallythinkofothersasendsandrespectthem. 5)Combiningthe firstprincipleofthewillasbeingdeterminedbythe form ofuniversallawsofnature, withthesecondprinciplethateveryrationalbeingisanendinitselfleadsto thethirdpracticalprinciple ofthewill theideaofthewillofeveryrationalbeingasawillthatlegislatesuniversallaw (p.38). a) Accordingtothisprinciple,allmaximsarerejectedthatarenotconsistentwiththewill'sown legislationofuniversallawthewillisthusnotmerelysubjecttothelawbutissubjecttothe lawin suchawaythatitmustalsoberegardedaslegislatingforitselfandonlyonthisaccount asbeingsubjecttothelawofwhichitcanregarditselftheauthor(p.38). (1) Thispointstressesthedifferencebetween autonomy and heteronomy autonomyis characterizedbyfollowingthelawofone'sownwillheteronomyischaracterizedbyone whoissubjecttolawtohavemoralworthwemustactautonomously!(p.39). H. KINGDOMOFENDS: whatdoesthissoundliketoyou???? 1) Arationalbeingbelongstothekingdom ofendsasamemberwhenhelegislatesinituniversallaws whilealsobeinghimselfsubjecttotheselawshebelongstoitassovereignwhenaslegislatorheis himselfsubjecttothewillofnoother(p.40). a) Sincethekingdomisestablishedthroughthe autonomyofitsmembers,autonomybecomesthe groundsofthedignityofhumannatureandofeveryrationalbeing(p.41). I. SUMMARY:actionscompatiblewiththeautonomyofthewillarepermissibleandgoodaperfectwill necessarilyactsontheseanimperfectwillisobligatedtoactinaccordancewith DUTY (p.44).