Kant s Theory Of Moral Knowledge - 1484 Words

Out of Control The phenomenon of morality has fascinated people for centuries. Since the development of this phenomenon, humans have longed to discover the good and bad in both their actions and themselves. Naturally, countless philosophers have struggled to answer this question of morality. Although none have successfully found a definite answer, they have exhausted an abundance of ways to attack the question. One philosopher, in particular, by the name of Immanuel Kant, attempted to determine the morality of actions by focusing on their nature. As Kant developed his theory, his approach toward proving moral knowledge soon became widely known as Kantian deontology. Kantian deontology is a form of duty-based ethics. This is in contrast to utilitarianism, which focuses on consequences (Kay 4). Kant rejected utilitarianism, because it focused on the results of the action rather than its nature. Since no one can know the result of an action with certainty, no one should be praised or bl amed for the result of that action, according to Kant (Kay 4). In other words, moral evaluation should occur in the willing rather than in the achieving. Kant wants to spread the notion that actions should be morally evaluated based on what humans can control (Kay 4). And Kant believes that what humans can control is their will. Many people agree with Kant that it is fair to judge others for only what they can control. However, Kant’s theory only works on paper––do we even have control overShow MoreRelated Ethical and Philosophical Questions about Value and Obligation977 Words   |  4 Pagesmetaethics and normative ethics. Normative ethics deals with substantial ethical issues, such as, What is intrinsically good? What are our moral obligations? Metaethics deals with philosophical issues about ethics: What is value or moral obligation? Are there ethical facts? What sort of objectivity is possible in ethics? How can we have ethical knowledge? Recall, also, the fundamental dilemma of metaethics. Either there are ethical facts or there aren?t. If they are, what sort of factsRead MoreEmmanuel Kant and Moral Theory1589 Words   |  6 Pagescontributions to moral theory is the concept of pure practical reason that, as an alternative to moral sense theory or teleological ethics, more positively views the capability of fallible individuals to act morally. Practical reason, the basis of Kantian metaphysics, was revolutionary because it challenged skepticism towards human moral capacities and insisted that the moral faculty is an implicit part of common human reason. Practical reason is an instrumental theory in Kants Metaphysics of Morals and greatlyRead MoreKant s Theory Of Moral Theory1466 Words   |  6 Pagessince Kant s publication of his renowned ethical treatises, deontologists and utilitarians alike have argued over which moral theory is most coherent. Yet, in Mill s critique of Kant, Mill sidesteps this issue, not by directly critiquing Kant s moral theory, but rather by asserting that Kant s moral theory is actually just a form of utilitarianism. Essentially, Kant s universal law test is nothing more than a veiled appeal to consequences, as Mill correctly claims in his critique of Kant. AfterRead MoreKant And John Stuart Mill s Utility Based, Utilitarian Moral Theory1551 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the most intriguing aspects of moral theory is not merely analyzing disagreements between renowned, intellectual giants, but examining the ways in which near polar ideologies can arise to similar conclusions based on vastly different rationales. Immanuel Kant s duty-based, deontological moral theory and John Stuart Mill s utility-based, utilitarian moral theory are prime examples of antithetical viewpoints that share similar outlooks to ethical subjects such as lying and helping those inRead MoreImmanuel Kant s Philosophy And Philosophy1389 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Paper- Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant was a famous philosopher whose philosophical influences impacted almost every new philosophical idea, theory, concept etc. In a sense, he was considered the central face of contemporary philosophy. Kant spent his whole life in Russia. Starting out as a tutor, to then a professor, he lectured about everything; from geography to obviously philosophy. In his early life, he was raised to emphasize faith and religious feelings over reason and theological principlesRead MoreKant s Philosophy Of Philosophy1220 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom the philosophical teachings of David Hume, when Immanuel Kant—Father of Western philosophy—entered the picture. Kant’s â€Å"central question was whether metaphysics—as the science of being itself—objects as they exist fundamentally and independently of our perceptions and interpretations, is possible† (Richards 1). It is said that Kant was sent to rescue philosophy from the hands of Hume. After consult ing Hume’s works, however, Kant came to the â€Å"conclusion that metaphysics was not possible, butRead MoreKant And David Hume Views On The Matter1457 Words   |  6 Pagesin choices that lead to an individual to both reason and feel some sort of emotion. Objectively speaking, there is a no fine line between reasoning and how one feels, however there seems to be a distinct difference between the philosophers Immanuel Kant and David Hume views on the matter. Both are life changing philosophers with very opposing views. One sees the feelings in human nature while the other seems to see nothing but rationality. One can argue both are used but according to these two thereRead MoreShould We Be A Good Grade?1612 Words   |  7 Pagessomeone in the end? Most of time these questions are answered based on beliefs: morals. Should I cheat on this test in order to get a good grade? What if I didn’t have the opportunity to study because you have to work every night in order to pay bills and if you don’t get a good grade then you lose your scholarship; is it right then? The answer is neither right nor wrong. The answer, is your answer; it is based off of your morals, your ethics. Scientologist, Raymond Baumhart, asked the question, â€Å"What doesRead MoreKant And Kant s Theory1368 Words   |  6 Pages Chapter 11: Question 8 What can be known According to Kant? Immanuel Kant (1731) was commonly known as the opponent of the utilitarianism. Kant believed that there are certain actions such as the murder, theft and lying that were prohibited regardless of the associated happiness that the action would bring. According to Kantian, there exist two questions, which human beings need to ask themselves before acting. One needs to rationalize, if everyone can act as he/ she proposes to act. If any caseRead MoreDeontological and Teleological Ethical Theory1660 Words   |  7 PagesTeleological Ethics 1. Utilitarianism – Utilitarian moral theory is classical utilitarianism, 2. Varieties of ancient Greek virtue ethics – Aristotle Ethics is an Example a. The goal of ethics is to explain how one achieves the good life for human beings. There are only two basic kinds of prescriptive moral theories: teleological theories, deontological theories TELEOLOGICAL ETHICAL THEORIES Teleological moral theories locate moral goodness in the consequences of our behavior and not the