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Kantian ethics - Coggle Diagram
Kantian ethics
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reason, good will and duty
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action is only good when acted from good will
- e.g. not good when done to make somebody feel good
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summum bonum
- end goal of categorial imperative
- supreme good/ highest happiness
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to recieve, you must be following CI and innate duty
- acting for good will not selfishness
- not acting with goal of achieving it
three postulates of practical reason
- explain why you should act moral- being moral is rational
freedom
- must act autonomously according to duty
- if not free cannot achieve SB
immortality
- accept afterlife exists and we have an immortal soul
- SB not possible if felt that we only existed now
God
- only being who can reward those who follow CI
- because he is omniscient, omnibenevolent and omnipotent
- must believe he exists
discussion
strengths
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emphasises autonomy and freedom
promotes moral actions and rejects immoral actions e.g. slavery
- equality and fair treatment
- people ends in themselves
weaknesses
difficult to apply
- doesn't give specific advice on individual situations
too prescriptive
- emphasises freedom but also states must follow CI to be moral
- contradictory
Nagel- ignores situation and circumstances
- may think doing right thing by following duty, but this may be wrong in situation
too abstract
- doesn't explain which actions morally acceptable/unacceptable
- difficult to apply
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lacks empathy
- ignores consequences and focuses purely on duty and reason
- humans cannot innately ignore others feelings
- too reliant on reason, difficult to applu