PHIL 111 Lecture Notes - Thought Experiment, Hypothetical Imperative, Categorical Imperative
27 Feb 2014
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Career divided into three parts: the pre-critical period, silent decade, the critical period. We will read part of the foundations of the metaphysics of morals. Utilitarianism involves means-end reasoning toward a specific good, which is happiness: there is an end: maximizing happiness, the right action is the best means to that end: it is the one most likely to maximize happiness. Happiness and other gifts of fortune may inspire pride, and often presumption, if there is not a good will present (648lc) Happiness is neutral: the goodness of happiness depends on whose happiness it is; good if the person himself is good. Since happiness is not wholly good as utilitarianism requires, something is wrong with utilitarianism. Instead of thinking about morality in means-end terms, kant proposes that we should think about it in terms of duty or what we have an obligation to do. So far, kant"s ethics have been entirely formal.
