Premium Essay

Immanuel Kant Biography

In: Philosophy and Psychology

Submitted By trebon76
Words 329
Pages 2
Week 3 Dropbox Assignment

Immanuel Kant was born in Prussia (Germany) in 1724 and was a major contributor to the study of Ethics. He was known as a philosopher and scientist and was also very involved in the study of mathematics, astrophysics, geography and anthropology. He also wrote about metaphysics, morality, science, politics, and free will. However, it was his study of ethics for which he is best known. Kant played a major role in developing the theory of deontology (duty). The deontological theory says people should adhere to their obligations and duties when analyzing an ethical dilemma. In other words, a person will follow his or her obligations to another individual or society because upholding one's duty is what is considered ethically correct. Utilitarianism seeks to maximize happiness and pleasure, regardless of the action taken to reach the desired state of pleasure. Deontology differs from the theory of utilitarianism in that the ends do not always justify the means – meaning there are some actions that are always wrong to engage in, regardless of it producing a positive result. According to deontology, an action should be taken without regard to the outcome or consequences of the action. It assumes that people are rational and decisions should lack emotion and any consideration of the consequences. The goal of deontology is to produce more consistent decisions based on an individual’s sense of obligation to others or society. It seems that deontology relies too heavily on the belief that humans are rational and that a person’s emotions, personal biases, or self-interest not be part of action taken. It makes no room for the gray area in life or consideration for the result of the action taken. It tries to dictate morality while also placing constraints on free will. It seems to be very Puritanical in its rigidity. In addition,

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Immanuel Kant - Biography

...IMMANUEL KANT - BIOGRAPHY Dropbox Assignment #3 By Michael Johnson Darryl Sanborn Business Ethics (MGMT 368) 04/12/06 Michael Johnson Darryl Sanborn Business Ethics (MGMT 368) 04/12/06 IMMANUEL KANT - BIOGRAPHY Immanuel Kant was born in Königsberg, East Prussia in 1724. He attended the Collegium Fridiricianum when he was eight years old. He studied there for eight years. He then went into the University Of Königsberg, where he spent his academic career focusing on philosophy, mathematics and physics. When his father passed away it affected him strongly and he left the university. He earned his living as a private tutor. In 1755 he accepted the help of a friend and resumed his studies at the university. He received his doctorate in 1756. He taught at the university for 15 years, in the beginning his lectures were in the sciences and mathematics arenas. He would eventually also lecture most branches of philosophy. Even though he had a growing reputation as an original thinker, he did not gain tenure at the university until 1770. That is when he received his professorship of logic and metaphysics. [1] He continued writing and lecturing at Königsberg for 27 years. He attracted many students there due to his rationalist and hence, unconventional approach to religious texts. This led to political pressure from the government of Prussia, and in 1792, he was barred from teaching or writing on religious subjects by the King of Prussia, Fredrich William...

Words: 855 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

John Brawls

...Joe Altenhofen Professor Maddox Management 368 January 26, 2016 Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant was born on April 22, 1724, in Konigsberg, Prussia, or what is now known as Kaliningrad, Russia. He is the definition of an intellectual. He had his hand in the study of Physics, Theology, Latin, and of course Ethics. Immanuel Kant was the fourth child of nine. His father was a saddle maker and his mother was a homemaker. His parents were devout followers of Pietism, which was an 18th-century branch of the Lutheran Church. His Pastor saw something in Immanuel and had arranged to manage Kant’s education at a young age. While in school as a child he became quite found of Latin literature. At the age of 16 Immanuel enrolled at the University of Konigsberg. He decided to make a devotion to the field of Theology. Not long after his start at the University he changed his field of study to Mathematics and Physics. Only six years after his start there his father died and he was forced to leave. He then worked as a tutor for almost ten years. In 1755, Immanuel returned to the University to continue his education. That same year he received his doctorate of Philosophy. Though he may have gotten his doctorate in Philosophy it should be well noted that he never lost his interest in mathematics and physics. It was said that his interest in these were more of an amateur liking or hobby per say. Kant is more well known for his work in ethics and moral thought. Once again one of his early...

Words: 693 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Immanuel Kant

...Immanuel Kant was born April 22, 1724 in Königsberg, East Prussia, and its dominant language was German. Kant was born into an artisan family with modest means. His father was a harness maker, and his mother was the daughter of a harness maker. Kant's family was never destitute, but his father's trade was in decline during Kant's youth and his parents at times had to rely on extended family for financial support. In his youth, Kant was a solid, albeit unspectacular, student. He was brought up in a Pietistic household that emphasized intense religious devotion, personal humility, and interpretation of the Bible. Kant received a stern education that preferred Latin and religious instruction over mathematics and science. Kant attended college at the University of Königsberg, where his early interest in classics was quickly overtaken by philosophy, which all first year students studied and which encompassed mathematics and physics as well as logic, metaphysics, ethics, and natural law. Kant's philosophy professors exposed him to the approach of Christian Wolff. But Kant was also exposed to a range of German and British critics of Wolff, and there were threads of Aristotelian and Pietism represented in the philosophy faculty as well. Kant's favorite teacher was Martin Knutzen, a Pietistic follower who was influenced by Christian Wolff and the British philosopher John Locke. Kant released his first work, Thoughts on the True Estimation of Living Forces in 1747, which was...

Words: 489 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

4152252525

...------------------------------------------------- Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (German pronunciation: [ɪˈmaːnu̯eːl ˈkant]; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher from Königsberg in Prussia(today Kaliningrad, Russia) who researched, lectured and wrote on philosophy and anthropology during the Enlightenment at the end of the 18th century.[1] Kant's major work, the Critique of Pure Reason (Kritik der reinen Vernunft, 1781),[2] aimed to unite reason with experience to move beyond what he took to be failures of traditional philosophy and metaphysics. He hoped to end an age of speculation where objects outside experience were used to support what he saw as futile theories, while opposing the skepticism of thinkers such as Berkeley and Hume. He stated: "It always remains a scandal of philosophy and universal human reason that the existence of things outside us ... should have to be assumed merely on faith, and that if it occurs to anyone to doubt it, we should be unable to answer him with a satisfactory proof."[3] Kant proposed a "Copernican Revolution-in-reverse", saying that: "Up to now it has been assumed that all our cognition must conform to the objects; but ... let us once try whether we do not get farther with the problems of metaphysics by assuming that the objects must conform to our cognition."[4] Kant published other important works on ethics, religion, law, aesthetics, astronomy, and history. These included the Critique of Practical Reason(Kritik...

Words: 724 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Movie “Blood Work” Deontological and Utilitarian Analysis

...consideration that this time around, his life is a gift from a victim who was murdered and this time is possibly his last chance at life. When analyzing McCaleb, we must consider his living medical condition, potential terminal risks that come with receiving a heart transplant, and his personal struggle to fight rejection of his peers. Even though aware of all disadvantages involved in proceeding with his decision to pursue the killer, McCaleb acts out of duty towards other people disregarding all and any consequences. Kant believed that the real character of people is seen at times when their decisions are hanging in a fine line between different choices. For Kant, a person’s temperament and nature would prevail on the road taken. “It is just then that the worth of this character comes out, which is moral and incomparably the highest, namely, that he is beneficent not from inclination but from duty….”(Pg. 356 Groundwork of the Metaphysics of morals, Immanuel Kant) All throughout the movie, there are other multiple Deontological dilemmas that McCaleb encounters. McCaleb seems to take the Categorical Imperative route almost every time. In the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to the...

Words: 2174 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Jason

...------------------------------------------------- Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (German pronunciation: [ɪˈmaːnu̯eːl ˈkant]; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher from Königsberg in Prussia(today Kaliningrad, Russia) who researched, lectured and wrote on philosophy and anthropology during the Enlightenment at the end of the 18th century.[1] Kant's major work, the Critique of Pure Reason (Kritik der reinen Vernunft, 1781),[2] aimed to unite reason with experience to move beyond what he took to be failures of traditional philosophy and metaphysics. He hoped to end an age of speculation where objects outside experience were used to support what he saw as futile theories, while opposing the skepticism of thinkers such as Berkeley and Hume. He stated: "It always remains a scandal of philosophy and universal human reason that the existence of things outside us ... should have to be assumed merely on faith, and that if it occurs to anyone to doubt it, we should be unable to answer him with a satisfactory proof."[3] Kant proposed a "Copernican Revolution-in-reverse", saying that: "Up to now it has been assumed that all our cognition must conform to the objects; but ... let us once try whether we do not get farther with the problems of metaphysics by assuming that the objects must conform to our cognition."[4] Kant published other important works on ethics, religion, law, aesthetics, astronomy, and history. These included the Critique of Practical Reason(Kritik...

Words: 724 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Immanuel Kant and Hume, David

...initiative. Please Read How You Can Help Keep the Encyclopedia Free Author & Citation Info | Friends PDF Preview | InPho Search | PhilPapers Bibliography Kant and Hume on Morality First published Wed Mar 26, 2008; substantive revision Sun Aug 12, 2012 The ethics of Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) is often contrasted with that of David Hume (1711–1776). Hume's method of moral philosophy is experimental and empirical; Kant emphasizes the necessity of grounding morality in a priori principles. Hume says that reason is properly a “slave to the passions,” while Kant bases morality in his conception of a reason that is practical in itself. Hume identifies such feelings as benevolence and generosity as proper moral motivations; Kant sees the motive of duty—a motive that Hume usually views as a second best or fall back motive—as uniquely expressing an agent's commitment to morality and thus as conveying a special moral worth to actions. Although there are many points at which Kant's and Hume's ethics stand in opposition to each other, there are also important connections between the two. Kant shared some important assumptions about morality and motivation with Hume, and had, early in his career, been attracted to and influenced by the sentimentalism of Hume and other British moralists. The aim of this essay is not to compare Hume and Kant on all matters ethical. Instead, we examine...

Words: 24372 - Pages: 98

Free Essay

Nursing

...Carper, B. (2013). Fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. In W. Cody (Ed), Philosophical and theoretical perspectives for advanced nursing practice (pp. 23-33). Burlington, MA: Jones & Barlett Learning. The author identifies the structure of knowledge and the fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing. It is in understanding these patterns that is essential for the teaching and learning of nursing. She describes what kinds of knowledge are held to be of the most value in the discipline of nursing. The four fundamental patterns of knowing she describes are: (1) empirics, the science of nursing, (2) esthetics, the art of nursing, (3) the component of personal knowledge in nursing, and (4) ethics, the component of moral knowledge. Understanding each of these patterns makes it possible for increased awareness of the complexity and diversity of nursing knowledge. She then goes on to say that each pattern may be necessary to achieve mastery in nursing but none of them alone should be considered sufficient. The patterns all work together, but one needs to understand each component to understand the overall concept. She then identifies three major significances to the discipline of nursing in distinguishing patterns of knowing, (1) the conclusions of the discipline conceived as the subject matter cannot be taught or learned without reference to the context of the structure; (2) each of the patterns represents one way of approaching the problems and questions of the...

Words: 272 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Enlightenment

...Past philosophers, tradition, Church authorities Early cosmology (See attached) – See attached – Heliocentric – Geocentric Scientific Method – Integrating observations – Limitations (Why, moral, limited by sin) Big Names (Astronomy) – Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) – Heliocentricism (what's the big deal?) – Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) – Eliptical orbits – Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) – Worked with new instruments – pendulums & telescopes – Isaac Newton (1642-1727) – Everything – Newton's Rules (see attached) In your book – Chemistry – Medicine 1 Age of Reason WH 2 Unit II 2 Age of Reason WH 2 Unit II Use of Reason (look it up) • Solves all problems (look at Kant “What is Enlightenment) • Provided new approaches to learning • Rationalism Two major schools of thought (at the time) • Inductive ◦ Roger Bacon • Deductive ◦ Rene Descartes 3 Age of Reason WH 2 Unit II Kinds of philosophies • Dualism ◦ Mind and Body are different ◦ Binary oppositions- Two fundamental principals for everything ▪ Not monism • Pantheism ◦ Promoted by Spinoza ▪ 'Deus sive Natura' (God or Nature) We are part of Nature as a whole whose order we follow... A substance cannot be produced from anything else : it will therefore be its own cause, that is, its essence necessarily involves existence, or existence appertains to the nature of it. (Spinoza, 1673) 4 Age of Reason ...

Words: 387 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Occupy Wallstreet

...Occupy Wall Street Movement Liz Croutch Annette Redmon Bus309 May 8, 2013 Discuss the moral and economic implications involved in the movement According to Occupywallst.org, The Movement Occupy Wall Street is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that “We Are The 99%” that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants. (Occupywallst.org) The movement began out of frustration in the growing inequality between the wealthy 1% and the rest of the population. Greed, corruption and the perceived undue influence of corporations on government especially in the financial services sector produced this momentous uprising. This movement is the embodiment of all of the frustrations that Americans have dealt with particularly; economically. The rich are getting richer and the poorer getting poorer. This has been the downward spiral for the last forty years. This movement gives a voice to the grievances of the people. According to newpol.org “Occupy is a kind of a party, not a party with a formal structure, but potential peoples party in formation, the party of working people, the party of the poor, the party of the dispossessed, the oppressed, and the exploited. The Occupy movement excoriates the banks...

Words: 1542 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Argument Analysis 1: Kant, "What Is Enlightenment?"

...Throughout, Immanuel Kant’s essay, he addresses the causes for a lack of Enlightenment in society, and the requirements a person must meet in order to gain it. Also he emphasizes a direct critique of church, education and state with regard to how it tells citizens to think, he argues that any lack of Enlightenment is really due to lack of courage on the thinker's part. For instance, all this restraints makes us incapable of actually thinking for ourselves and consequently it limits our actions. However, at the same time education, rules and the knowledge that have influenced our society has also allowed us to protest or at least think different. On one hand it has been a limitation, but to others has inspired us. It also has offered the opportunity to keep an open mind about things that are not certain. If we are able to understand, then we can make our own decisions about life and the pursuit of happiness. Definitely, knowledge offers different perspectives and the possibility to stand for what you believe to be right. Furthermore, if there were no laws established by the government, there would be chaos and uncertainty. But that doesn’t mean that people have to be submissive and accept everything without having a say in it. Now as we saw in the past, there have been some laws that have been established by elected officials, for example segregation back in the days in American history. It was considered to be breaking the law to protest against it, but if there were no...

Words: 540 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

2nd Journal Entry

...SBUS10040 Foundations of Management Thought Bachelor of Commerce International, University College Dublin Tutorial CRN: 74866 Tutor Name: Carolin Grampp Student Name: Brian Allen Student Number: 12459812 Submission Deadline: 7th November 2013 Essay Title: critique scientific management-as promoted by Frederick Taylor- and rational legal bureaucracy-as described and analysed by Max Weber- highlighting how they are both outcomes of enlightenment thinking. Your essay should draw on the assigned readings, as appropriate, from week two to week seven. Word count: 1000 “By submitting your work via this SafeAssign link you declare that all materials included in this submission are product of your own work and that due acknowledgement have been given in the text and in the bibliography to ALL sources, be they printed, electronic or personal. You also declare that you will not facilitate plagiarism by making your work available to others through hard copy distribution or other means. Furthermore, you declare that the submitted material has not been submitted for grading purposes in the past, be it for this module or other modules that you have undertaken as part of your studies.” Date: 6/11/13 Signature:Brian Allen Reflection: In general I found myself more capable...

Words: 1537 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

What Is Enlightenment

...In his essay titled "What is Enlightenment?" Immanuel Kant defines enlightenment as "man's leaving his self-caused immaturity." (145) In order to fully comprehend his definition, one must first clearly understand Kant's use of the term "immaturity." He explains that immaturity is not thinking for oneself because of a "lack of determination and courage to use one's intelligence without being guided by another." (145) To Kant, immaturity is the individual's fault. He explains that a pattern of immaturity is difficult to break, because it becomes comfortable for the individual to rely on others for knowledge. (145) The chief example that Kant provides to illustrate this point is domesticated animals. As an allusion to the role of government on its citizens, he explains that the animal's guardian domesticates it, and then warns it of the dangers of straying from his or her guidance. However, as Kant explains further: "this danger is not really so very great... [but] an example of this kind intimidates and frightens people out of all further attempts." (146) Much like the guardian in Kant's domesticated animal example, governments sometimes facilitate an individual's immaturity by providing the individual with a ready-made set of beliefs to which he or she can cling. (148) Kant identifies a clear distinction between the individual's pursuit of enlightenment as opposed to that of the public: "It is difficult for the isolated individual to work himself out of the immaturity which...

Words: 1107 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Democratic Peace Theory

...firstly originated by Immanuel Kant back in 18th century, is a theory in political science that prevents armed conflict among democracies. The Democratic Peace indicates that democratic states will not get into war with each other; they have a separate peace On the other hand, it is possible for these democratic states to go to war with authoritarian regimes or stateless people. Scholars and academicians believe that democracies find an alternative way to get into a war such as compromises and arbitrations. It has been examined that democratic states have not engaged in a war with one another. Inherently, the number of democratic states expected to rise in the upcoming years of 18th century. As there are more democratic states, as there will be less armed conflicts among each other, which is going to lead the world to a better international system. It has been observed that democracies do get into armed conflict however not with one another; they usually get into war with non-democratic states. It is a significant observation. Democratic Peace Theory is consisted from Immanuel Kant’s “Perpetual Peace”. Immanuel Kant claims that peace is a reasonable outcome of the interaction of states with a republican form of government. The main idea behind Immanuel Kant’s “Perpetual Peace” is that ‘Democracy’ must be spread and made a universal system, in order to create peace amongst the states. This idea of Democratic Peace was discovered over 200 years by Immanuel Kant; however it only entered...

Words: 741 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

What Is the Right Thing to Do?

...1. Explain, as clearly and completely as possible, Kant’s answer to “What is the right thing to do?” Are there any problems with this answer? According to Immanuel Kant, doing right and moral things are the right thing to do, which means we have the choices to choose what to do or what to respect the moral law which is expressing our goals. Also, we have to do something for the cause of the principle by doing the right things. By doing the right things and following the moral principle is what Kent called good will. Although one cannot achieve what he or she wants, he or she is still doing the right thing because he or she is intended of doing the right things. As you can see, doing something morally good, notwithstanding of its results are the right thing to do because it is his or her jobs. However, doing right and moral things may cause the problem of inclination. It is because people might think doing the good will is our jobs, we must do it. They will never think that they are more proposed to do the good-will because it rewards that it has involved in the thing. If it is like this, it cannot account for the good-will because there are not many people think that they must do it because it is their job instead of thinking how much intention that they want to do for goodwill. Thus, the problem may result of inclination....

Words: 253 - Pages: 2