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Kantian Ethics - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Kant thinks morality cannot be dependent on our personal desires - so our duty must be to follow categorical imperatives - which means something we should do in all situations, regardless of how we feel/desire...
        
        Kant thinks everyone is equal because we are all the same - we are all beings with reason who have goals. No one is special or superior to anyone else. In that case, it morality has to apply to everyone equally as well. So, something can only be morally good if it is universalisable - if everyone equally can do it
        
        The first formulation of the CA, only do an action if it is universalisable - if it is possible for everyone to do it.
        
        e.g. it's not possible for everyone to steal, since if everyone stole there would be no property and then no one could steal. So, stealing is always wrong
        
        e.g. it's not possible for everyone to lie - since if everyone lied, there would be no honesty or trust, and then no one could lie. So, lying is always wrong
        
        The second formulation - always treat persons, never merely as a means but always at the same time as an end
        
        1 more item...
- - - - Yet, they cannot do both - the duties clash - so they actually cannot both be a duty. So, Kant's ethics doesn't tell us our duty
  - - - e.g. the soldier could help his country by staying home and making bombs
        
        Or they could pay someone else to look after their sick parent
        
        Kant's saying - you can find a way to fulfil both duties, so they don't really clash
- - - - However - this means giving to charity because of empathy is not morally right/wrong. Most people would find that absurd
        
        Bernard Williams said Kant was wrong for this reason
  - - - Kant it too optimistic in thinking we can act without emotion
- - - - Kant is making the classic critique of consequentialist ethics which is that we cannot predict or control consequences and therefore we cannot be responsible for them, Kant concludes
  - - - So, Kant is wrong to think we should only focus on the abstract action in itself, consequences also matter ethically