PHLA11H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Egotism, Kantianism, Ocean Liner
Document Summary
Phla11 lecture 9 continuation of kantianism and intro to psychological. Example: slavery: by definition, slavery does not respect the autonomy of the enslaved, slavery treats the oppressed without regard for their own goals and hopes. (p. 161, so, slavery is intrinsically wrong, according to kant. Duties to aid the poor: respecting people as rational, autonomous agents requires more than just not doing certain things to them, example: victims of famine. Cannot pursue their own projects and goals. Treating them as ends requires trying to make it possible for them to live their lives on their own terms. Evaluating the principle of humanity: problem 1: indeterminacy. The doctrine that the only thing anyone is capable of desiring or pursuing ultimately (as an end in itself) is his own self-interest. (feinberg, p. 80) Denies the possibility of altruistic actions (actions aimed at benefiting others, for their own sake). It does not deny that people sometimes desire things other than their own welfare.