...Kant's Categorical Imperative Deontology is the ethical view that some actions are morally forbidden or permitted regardless of consequences. One of the most influential deontological philosophers in history is Immanuel Kant who developed the idea of the Categorical Imperative. Kant believed that the only thing of intrinsic moral worth is a good will. Kant says in his work Morality and Rationality “The good will is not good because of what it affects or accomplishes or because of it’s adequacy to achieve some proposed end; it is good only because of it’s willing, i.e., it is good of itself”. A maxim is the generalized rule that characterizes the motives for a person’s actions. For Kant, a will that is good is one that is acting by the maxim of doing the right thing because it is right thing to do. The moral worth of an action is determined by whether or not it was acted upon out of respect for the moral law, or the Categorical Imperative. Imperatives in general imply something we ought to do however there is a distinction between categorical imperatives and hypothetical imperatives. Hypothetical imperatives are obligatory so long as we desire X. If we desire X we ought to do Y. However, categorical imperatives are not subject to conditions. The Categorical Imperative is universally binding to all rational creatures because they are rational. Kant proposes three formulations the Categorical Imperative in his Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Moral, the Universal Law formulation...
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...Most of the times in our life, there are certain acts that we should do and should not do. We usually determine our morality by the consequences of our actions. However, this does not apply to a theory called “deontology”, which was introduced by Immanuel Kant. This theory is more focused on what the people do, not the consequences of their actions. In other words, the people have a duty to act accordingly to the Categorical Imperatives, despite the fact that the actions will cause good or bad results (Bbc.co.uk, 2014). There are 3 formulations of the categorical imperative, which are the obligation to do our duty; our duty is derived by reason; and that reason gives rise to the need to observe categorical imperatives. In order to find out if things are categorical imperatives, Kant offers three principles for us to consider, such as the formula of universal law, the formula of the end in itself, and the formula of universal acceptability (Yount, n.d.). If the actions fail one or more of these tests, they should be avoided. In this essay, I am going to use Kant’s deontology principals to argue and to find out the solutions of the case of the confectionary company. The main issue in this case is that the children do not experience pleasure in their childhood. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bbc.co.uk. (2014). Duty-based ethics. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/duty_1.shtml [Accessed 9 Jul. 2016]. Yount, D. (n.d.). IMMANUEL KANT’S...
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...CRACK Should women addicted to crack be able to have children? Barbara Harris says no. Harris has adopted four children from a drug addict. She has also founded CRACK (Children Requiring A Caring Kommunity) a non-profit organization that offers $200 in cash to addicts who agree to be sterilized or undergo long-term contraception like Norplant, which is surgically imbedded under the skin. In this essay I will be discussing what the ethical dilemma is, who the stakeholders are in this ethical dilemma, analyzing the problem by reference to the categorical imperative, analyzing the problem from a Kantian and utilitarian standpoint and giving my overall opinion of this matter. As I understand it the ethical dilemma here is the procedure in itself. Some are saying that the women are doing it for the money to buy more drugs. Also, saying that it takes away women rights to reproduce. Physicians and attorneys are saying that the women are in no condition to consent to being sterilized. They say that because these women are mentally ill and poor they are not capable of making their own decisions. But Barbara Harris from her own experiences says that women addicted to crack do not need to have babies. These women are bringing babies into the world addicted to crack. She tells of a story of how she adopted four children from a crack addicted woman. One of the children would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. She says it looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head...
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...Abstract Many of the core values of Law Enforcement are found in the theories of Immanuel Kant. Kant’s main theory is that we all have the wisdom to make right decisions. We make those decisions based on our “duty” to morally exhibit good behaviors, regardless of the consequences. The duty of law enforcement officers is to enforce the good will and morals of society. This essay with show the links between Kant and Law Enforcement. INTRODUCTION Every profession is governed by a Code of Ethics. This code is specific to each individual profession, and shows the underlying values of that profession. This code also serves as a behavior guide for business professionals to follow. In a perfect world, everyone would make ethically moral business choices. German philosopher Immanuel Kant developed a moral philosophy/ethical theory based on this. In summary, his theory states that as humans, we are to act moral because, it is our duty to; it is our duty to make good decisions, with respect to the expectations of society, regardless of the consequences. In A Kantian Approach to Business Ethics (2008), Norman E. Bowie writes, “Kant argued the highest good was the good will. To act from a good will is to act from duty. Thus it is the intention behind an action rather than its consequences that make that action good,” (p. 57). From a Kantian perspective, law enforcement is built on the premise of duty, and moral standards. This means that law enforcement...
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...Kant Versus Mill On Morality Philosophy Essay Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher born in 1724 and died in 1804. His philosophical writings influenced people, not only in Europe but the world over. Centuries later, his works still form a major point of reference in studies carried out in the modern world. His writings were such that they brought a new dimension in religion, law and history. Among his many works was the ‘Metaphysics of Morals’ which form the basis for this paper. His view of morals is that our desires and emotions are categorically imperative, meaning that they are conscience driven. His philosophy is closely related to the golden rule which states that one should always act in accordance to the outcome that will give him the best outcome, while the categorical imperative rule of Kant seems to suggest that actions must be universal for them to be classified as either moral or immoral (Thomas, p10) John Stuart Mill on the other hand was a British philosopher born in 1806 and died in 1873. He also strongly contributed to the development of philosophical views that have continued to influence different aspects in different disciplines like sociology, politics and economy. Among his many developments is the utilitarianism theory that explains morality. Mill argues that the usefulness or moral worth of an action is determined by its utility (pleasure or satisfaction derived from the consequences of the action). Mill seems to suggest that our emotions and desires...
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...Introduction Ethics, or moral philosophy as it sometimes called, is the systematic endeavor to understand the moral concepts and justify on the moral principles and theories. It undertakes to analyze such concepts as ‘right,’ ‘wrong,’ or ‘ought,’ ‘good, and ‘evil’ in their moral contexts. It builds and scrutinizes arguments setting forth large-scale theories on how we ought to act, and it seeks to discover valid principles such as (never kill an innocent human beings) and the relationship between those principles are (does saving a life in some situations constitute a valid reason for breaking a promises?). Whereas much of philosophy is concerned with the knowledge of what is the (methaphysics, philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of the mind), ethics is concerned with values that what not is, but what ought to be (Pojman, 1998) Based on the assessment that has been given, it require us to choose an organization of our choice (could be a company or other organization in the private or public sector) that have a relevant reference to the key principles and approaches of the business ethics. However, in this assessment, we need to critically evaluate its performance by applying an appropriate criteria that may identify the extent to which ethical issues are being managed or resolved. With this, we need to include two of the following approaches in the assessment and that is by (1) including an identification and evaluation of ethical dilemmas within...
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...knowledge in astronomy. Kant was an independent person, meaning he did not let others influence his way of thought. He created his own moral values and acted alone in his findings and did not look for outside criticism. He believed that other people’s emotions and view towards a subject could impact one’s moral values and behavior. He was admired by his friends for this quality, and because of this he became famous for the concept known as the categorical imperative (Evers). Theory Developed and Its Example: Categorical Imperative: Kant developed a theory on morality that is known as the categorical imperative. This theory implies that one should only act on his or her own morals. Kant believed a person has a duty to be moral in every sense as he believed this was a moral requirement. He also believed that an action one takes must be moral enough for the entire universe to agree with, in order to become universally acceptable to keep peace and order (Hartman, 2011). According to Norman, “Kant’s moral imperative is categorical because it always holds – there are no ‘ifs, and, or buts’. One must always act on that maxim that one can will to be a universal law,” (Norman, 1983). In other words unless everyone in the universe benefits from the rule or duty it won’t...
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...Outline Kant: Basic definition and Ideas Mentions that good will, virtue of freedom are essential in obtaining happiness. Claims that establishment of a good will: shaping important desires, and attaining reasons for a good will is a process of striving for satisfaction. Very introspective to sensibility: Will is more valuable in making decisions than decisions under natural phenomenon. (Practical reason vs. Rational reason) Morality First Proposition of Morality: The relationship between duty and inclination: inclination has more personal connection and motivations which make the decisions and actions more introspective, which is why we need a strong will. Decisions can be moral if people do not perform actions under what they are told but truly become introspective about what they have in mind. Second Proposition of Morality: Duty lacks personal responsibility and thus, it cannot be understood as having followed by material principle. Third Proposition of Morality: Similar to the above: duty does not have a full account of respect, therefore does not require personal commitment into thinking under morality Mill: Basic definition and Ideas: Mentions satisfaction level, yet happiness are ultimately due to pride and dignity. Happiness cannot be measured under any quantity terms and each type of happiness is different. Happiness is the absence of pain and pleasure and unhappiness is deprivation of pain and pleasure. He also believes that people should enjoy...
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...The Categorical Imperative Analyzing Immanuel Kant’s Grounding for A Metaphysics of Morals Anders Bordum WP 4/2002 January 2002 MPP Working Paper No. 4/2002 © January 2002 ISBN: 87-91181-06-2 ISSN: 1396-2817 Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy Copenhagen Business School Blaagaardsgade 23B DK-2200 Copenhagen N Denmark Phone: +45 38 15 36 30 Fax: +45 38 15 36 35 E-mail: as.lpf@cbs.dk www.cbs.dk/departments/mpp 2 The Categorical Imperative Analyzing Immanuel Kant's Grounding for a Metaphysics of Morals By Anders Bordum Keywords: Categorical imperative, discourse ethics, duty, ethics, monologic, dialogic, Immanuel Kant, Jürgen Habermas, self-legislation, self-reference. 3 Abstract In this article I first argue that Immanuel Kant’s conception of the categorical imperative is important to his philosophy. I systematically, though indirectly, interconnect the cognitive and moral aspects of his thinking. Second, I present an interpretation of the Kantian ethics, taking as my point of departure, the concept of the categorical imperative. Finally, I show how the categorical imperative is given a dialogical interpretation by Jürgen Habermas in his approach, usually referred to as discourse ethics. I argue that the dialogical approach taken by discourse ethics is more justifiable and therefore more usefuli. I The Synthesis of Rationalism and Empiricism The philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is in the main inspired...
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...Deontology — Claudio Toro 2010/11/19 20:16 We all talk about what is right or wrong. Some think about why is it that way, or how it should be instead. Following said train of thought, philosophers from different eras have come up with different theories and genealogies. From these ideas emerge ideologies like utilitarianism, the Aristotelian virtue ethics, and deontology. This essay will try to give a short introduction to the latter one, explaining its basis and its most famous proponents. The cornerstone of deontology (from the Greek “deon” , which means duty or obligation) is that deciding upon what is right or not for any situation should be based on a preconceived set of rules and our duty to follow them, disregarding any possible consequences. Many of us abide to a set of regulations which we try not to betray, like for example “do not lie.” However, this maxim is often twisted by the moral agent to fit the current situation. A deontologist would not do that. If I were to subscribe to the deontological doctrine, my rule (in this case “do not lie”) would be constant and invariable, applying it by the letter in every context. It is easy to see that this view on morality is absolutist, leaving no space for exceptions, and it is this feature that makes this theory as old as human history: “when the word of the chief, or the king, or God, was given unconditionally and without invitation to appeal on the basis of consequences”1). But deontology is not a one-way-only...
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...The American manager in Italy was morally correct based on Kant’s three categorical imperatives1 even though the “Cultural Relativism”2 may put challenge on this statement. First of all, the American manager refused to file the tax “Italian style”3 on the grounds that understating profit is dishonest and not in compliance with corporate practice4. As Kant’s first categorical imperative states - one should “act only on maxims which you can will to be universal laws of nature”5, the manager acted on the maxim that a corporation should be honest when reporting profits. Being honest is a principle that has been universalized – consider the exception, which was exactly what happened in Italy back then: as a “generally accepted Italian practice”6, understating profits by 30%-70%7 was adopted by most companies in Italy when filing for tax. The consequence was that the Italian Tax Authorities no longer believed there is still any “honest player” and assumed every one cheats when filing tax. Thus in Italy a tax system that’s supported by honest and genuine self-reporting ceased to exist – the Tax Authorities had to meet the representative of the corporation (the commercialista8) and negotiate the “true tax payment” – the immoral action of being dishonest is thus self-defeating9. Kant’s 2nd categorical imperative promotes “respect for persons” principle10 which, put in business context, requires that “people in a business relationship not to be used (coerced or deceived) and business...
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...Question 1 An internal accountant should always take the following step after exhausting all avenues of appeal within the organization when there is a difference of opinion with top management on an accounting or financial reporting matter: Answer Inform the SEC Terminate employment with the entity Seek legal advice before taking any action All of the above Question 2 Choosing the action with the best overall consequences for everyone concerned is an example of: Answer the principle of egoism the principle of ethics the principle of deontology the principle of utility Question 3 Each of the following is an element of honesty according to the Josephson Institute except for: Answer Reliability Loyalty Fairness Integrity Question 4 If one's reputation is tainted it may create a: Answer Conflict of interests Loss of independence Lack of trust All of the above Question 5 In the Student's Dilemma case, the main ethical issue for Helen is whether: Answer She should use the copy of the final exam given to her by her friend to maximize her grade in the course. She should give a copy of the final exam she found in the Accounting department to her...
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...Is it Immoral to Watch The Super Bowl? Philosophers must challenge the ideals and beliefs of society to achieve an unbiased view of man’s behaviors. Football is one of the most influential sports in the United States. Most Americans come together to watch two teams battle headtohead on the Super Bowl weekend. Like every game of Football, the teams will rough up the turf and fight each other for points. During the game players will bang each other up and can cause serious injuries. The problem as Steve Almond says in his article to the New York Times is “The sport’s incredible popularity has turned players into national celebrities and has made their mental and physical deterioration frontpage news.” To summarize Mr. Almond’s article, Football is an enjoyable sport but we cannot ignore the fact that it’s causes life threatening injuries to young men. “I love the grace and the poise of the athletes. I love the tension between the ornate structure of the game and its improvisatory chaos, and I love the way great players find opportunity, even a mystical kind of order, in the midst of that chaos (Almond).” As moral thinkers of philosophy how can we sit around ignoring the players? The fans come together to watch, with passion, young men battle it out to win a trophy and godlike fame. With that said fans watching the game are partaking in this ritual. The fans are not just partaking, but influencing the game itself. Buying player’s jerseys or worshiping their favorite...
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...The ethical analysis can be conducted with the full understanding of what ethics in fact is. Ethics is all about proper behavior and acting for good; therefore, everyone has his/her own idea of what that means. In any case, the comparison of several ethical scandals should be based on the principles of action and the foundation of ethics. Being a large energy provider, Enron had its good and bad sides. Thus, in 2002 Enron announced its bankruptcy what turned out to be one of the biggest issues in American history. The company’s clients, investors and shareholders lost millions of dollars due to the drop in stock. In addition, many people lost their jobs or even the entire pensions. When and how did the issue start? In fact, there were a number of unethical business practices, poor accounting and corruption within the top management. It is considered by many that Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling demonstrated unmoral behavior without any form of justification and in a way that upheld moral principles. Money is a very powerful force driving even the most honest individuals to act unmorally. On the contrary, being Vice President of Corporate Development, Sherron Watkins acted in a very ethical manner when she became suspicious about the accounting. When she realized the depth of the issue, she referred to the media which decided to influence the situation by causing shareholders to dump their investments in Enron. In fact, the scandal could have been avoided if the top executive Kenneth...
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...Universal Law, Theory of Immanuel Kant Kantianism is one of the theories of ethics. The creator of this theory is Immanuel Kant. His central concept was categorical imperative. Universal law of this concept says that you should only act on maxims that you can will to become universal laws. I don’t think that this is a good test for determining what action is morally allowable. This test can be used for many situations, but it doesn’t always work. Each person is very individual, so we can’t say exactly what universal law said. The idea of Kantianism is all about acting on the basis of rules that everyone accepts, but not on the emotions or personal goals. Kant uses Universal law to make the test of those rules. To act only on maxims that you can will to become a universal law is the Universal Law Test. To make the test we have to know the maxim, which is always expressed as a general rule or policy. Maxim is your reason for choosing to act in a given way. Kant’s idea of that test is that if a maxim passes the Universal Law, then this action which passes the test is morally good. For example, if you will say “As a general rule, it is okay to buy sandwiches in school’s buffet because you are hungry”, ok yes, that passes the test. The Universal law said that you can buy sandwiches because everyone will accept that. But if you would say “As a general rule, it is okay to steal sandwiches in school’s buffet because you are hungry”, that would not pass the test. Not everyone will...
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