CAS PH 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Categorical Imperative, Noble Eightfold Path, Rationality
3 Feb 2017
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PH150- Lecture 5- Kant Continued
Theory of Value
● Good will is the only thing that is good in itself
○ A good will does the right thing because it is the right thing (acting from duty)
○ Ex: donating to charity because you believe in the cause and want to help others
■ Acting in accordance to duty would be donating to charity, but because
you want to look good and get recognition
○ Only those who act from duty deserve moral praise
■ Acting in accordance to duty isn’t a wrong action, but it isn’t praiseworthy
Theory of Right Action
● Right action is acting in accordance to the categorical imperative
Universal Law Formulation Proofs
● Lying Promise Example
○ Maxim 1 (M1): “When I want money and can only get it by making a lying
promise, I will borrow the money by making a lying promise.”
■ Suppose that M1 was a universal law.
■ If everyone acted on M1, no one would believe promises
■ If no one believes promises, then promises are impossible.
■ If promises are impossible, then I cannot make a lying promise.
■ If I cannot make a lying promise, then I cannot act on M1.
● Proof are important because they show why immoral maxims cannot logically become
universal law, it is deeper than “bad consequences”
○ Morally right and permissible actions can logically be universal
■ Ex: When I want to give to charity, then I’ll give to charity.
● If everyone gives to charity, you can logically continue doing that
● The overall idea of Universal Law is that you can’t make exceptions for yourself
○ Morally wrong actions only work if most people don’t do them (ex: cheating)
Humanity Formulation
● Treat humanity and yourself as an end, not as “mere means”
● People are:
○ Ends in themselves
○ Autonomous
○ Rational
○ Dignified
○ Worthy of respect
● Things can be used as means and don’t have the characteristics of people
● Rationality: the ability to set ends, think about their morality, and meet them
○ For Kant, rationality sets humans apart (dogs don’t think about the morality of
their ends)
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Document Summary
Good will is the only thing that is good in itself. A good will does the right thing because it is the right thing (acting from duty) Ex: donating to charity because you believe in the cause and want to help others. Acting in accordance to duty would be donating to charity, but because you want to look good and get recognition. Only those who act from duty deserve moral praise. Acting in accordance to duty isn"t a wrong action, but it isn"t praiseworthy. Right action is acting in accordance to the categorical imperative. Maxim 1 (m1): when i want money and can only get it by making a lying promise, i will borrow the money by making a lying promise. Suppose that m1 was a universal law. If everyone acted on m1, no one would believe promises. If no one believes promises, then promises are impossible. If promises are impossible, then i cannot make a lying promise.
