Kant s Argument Of The Metaphysics Of Morals - 1363 Words

1A Immanuel Kant, in â€Å"Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals†, gives three propositions. I’m going to explain the second proposition using the help from the â€Å"Friend of Mankind† example he gives. The example state’s â€Å" this person has been a friend to mankind, but his mind has become clouded by a sorrow of his own that has extinguished all feeling for how others are faring. He still has the power to benefit others in distress, but their need leaves him untouched because he is too preoccupied with his own. But now he tears himself out of his dead insensibility and acts charitably purely from duty, without feeling any want or liking so to behave.† In Kant’s second proposition he states â€Å"an action that is done from duty doesn’t get its moral value form the purpose that’s to be achieved through it but from the maxim that is involves, giving the reason why the person acts thus.† Kant makes it clear that any action must be done for its own sake and not for the sake of any other end. The moral worth of some action is to be found in the maxim itself rather than the effects it produces. Kant says that the difference between acting from duty and acting according to duty would hold no weight. By looking only at the end of our actions we would not be able to distinguish between people who act because they reason it is their duty to do so and people who act because they desire some of the end. We could all act for self-interested reasons because we desire some outcome. Kant says thatShow MoreRelatedThird Breaking Down His Most Important Philosophies1097 Words   |  5 PagesGroundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals 2. Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science 3. Critique of Practical Reason 4. Critique of the Power of Judgment 5. Critique of Pure Reason a. Knowledge b. Metaphysics Topic: Critique of Pure Reason In order to understand Kant’s position, we must first understand the philosophical environment that influenced his thinking. There are two major historical movements in the early modern period of philosophy that had a very large impact on Kant: Empiricism andRead MoreEmmanuel Kant and Moral Theory1589 Words   |  6 Pagescontributions to moral theory is the concept of pure practical reason that, as an alternative to moral sense theory or teleological ethics, more positively views the capability of fallible individuals to act morally. Practical reason, the basis of Kantian metaphysics, was revolutionary because it challenged skepticism towards human moral capacities and insisted that the moral faculty is an implicit part of common human reason. Practical reason is an instrumental theory in Kants Metaphysics of Morals and greatlyRead MoreThe Law Of Non Contradiction1581 Words   |  7 Pagessaid of one A must be held for the second A . It is a proposition that is either tr ue or false, and a cornerstone notion for Kant in relation to god and morality. Also, known as the Law of non-contradiction. Concerning the Law of Identity, Leibniz reasoned that it could only be satisfied as a law in the abstract. Or, what could be said in the realm of metaphysics, or a different ontology. He concludes that because nothing in our sensory experience satisfies that law. If nothing in our sensoryRead More Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian Ethics Of Justice2753 Words   |  12 PagesImmanuel Kants The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. Immanuel Kant has presented one viewpoint in The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his ability to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another opinion as presented in the book, Utilitarianism thatRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill And Immanuel Kant1387 Words   |  6 PagesImmanuel Kant. Mill, in Utilitarianism defines happiness as pleasure without pain. He builds upon this idea of happiness when establishing his moral philosophy, stating that the action that would bring about the maximum amount of happiness is the most moral action. On the other hand, Kant establishes happiness as well-being and a satisfaction with one’s condition. Kant, however, argues that happiness is too fully based upon one’s own personal experience to use as a grounds for a universal moral philosophyRead Mo reTwo Views of Capital Punishment Essay1283 Words   |  6 PagesCapital punishment has been a debatable subject for decades. Human thinking often ignores the equal-value relationship when it comes to the taking of life. Attention shifts from the victim’s life to that of the murderer. Immanuel Kant believes that moral laws apply equally, and if someone breaks the law, we should make sure that the law applies to everyone. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such thing as morality. And without morality, life is meaningless. We should be morally strong and be able to killRead MoreEssay about Kant and Mill’s Positions on Capital Punishment1847 Words   |  8 Pagesfigures are Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. Although both stand in favor of capital punishment, their reasons for coming to this conclusion are completely different. I personally stand against capital punishment, but my own personal view on it incorporates a few mixed elements from both individuals as well as my own personal insight. Firstly, in order to understand why Kant and Mill support capital punishment, we must first understand their views on punishment in general. Kant believes in the theoryRead MoreA Philosophical Analysis Of Assisted Suicide Essay1518 Words   |  7 Pagesvoluntarily ending one s life has always been a topic of much debate. This essay will be split into two joint parts. Firstly, I will identify and analyze two major ethical issues of the death with dignity debate, while looking at the contrasting viewpoints of Aristotle and Immanuel Kant. Secondly, I will reflect and critique on the issue of assisted suicide from a fairly personal standpoint. I. Analyzing the Death with Dignity Debate There are many different major ethical arguments that might be intertwinedRead MoreKant s Philosophy On Moral Philosophy Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough Kant s philosophy, outlined in The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, has some value as a moral guide, it alone is not always sufficient. After analysing Kant s objective moral imperative, I will show that implementing his philosophy has the potential to permit what is considered to be immoral. This is due to its rigid conditions, which are formed on the basis that he believes in the existence of a perfect morality that always holds true. However, I will argue that there is notRead MoreKant s Theory Of Moral Theory1466 Words   |  6 Pagessince Kant s publication of his renowned ethical treatises, deontologists and utilitarians alike have argued over which moral theory is most coherent. Yet, in Mill s critique of Kant, Mill sidesteps this issue, not by directly critiquing Kant s moral theory, but rather by asserti ng that Kant s moral theory is actually just a form of utilitarianism. Essentially, Kant s universal law test is nothing more than a veiled appeal to consequences, as Mill correctly claims in his critique of Kant. After