Ethics Kantian Ethics - 2099 Words

Ethics essay – Kantian ethics a.) Explain Kant’s concept of duty Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who was concerned with producing an ethical theory that was logical and absolute, and did not change depending on the situation, countering the views of John Locke and other empiricists of the time. His ethics are based on duty, rather than looking at the end product of an action. He thought that his theory was so important that it could be rivalled with the Copernican revolution, in that it would utterly change everyone’s concept of morality in the same profound manner. There are two main dictionary definitions of duty, obeying a superior, and obeying the moral law in doing the right thing, and Kant was concerned with the latter. In†¦show more content†¦He himself uses the example of a good shopkeeper, in which a small child gives a shopkeeper a large amount of money for a cheap product, unaware of its value. Firstly, the shopkeeper could give the child the wrong amount of money, which would of course be immoral, or they could give the correct amount of change, but with the intention of improving their reputation, and business with it. They should give the correct change, with only the good will in mind, not with the intention of good business. It is the shopkeeper’s duty to act with integrity, as to not treat people as means to ends, and it is our duty as well. Kant believed that there must be some reason, some reward for our doing good actions. This he described as the `summum bonum`, or the greatest good. We are not able to gain the summum bonum in this life – as Kant observed people who were not living morally, but living happily, and vice versa – so we must be able to get there in the afterlife. He postulated the existence of heaven because of this, and it’s in heaven that we achieve this in the afterlife. Finally, the three postulates of reason are three things that are needed for this theory to work. These include freedom, immortality, and the existence of God. He realised that we must be able to make our own decisions freely, that we have the ability to make wrong decisions as well the correct ones. There must an afterlife for us to able to reach the summumShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics Of Kantian Ethics3078 Words   |  13 PagesThe impact of Kantian ethics has been truly extensive in the philosophical community for centuries now. Numerous philosophers have accepted, disputed and further developed the Kantian style of ethics in the modern era. German philosopher Immanuel Kant has established a theory based on a simple few concepts. Some of the key features of this theory are intrinsic goodness, moral worth and a few others that I will establish further later in the essay. In this thesis I will be highlighting if consequencesRead MoreEthics Vs. 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Virtue ethics seems more realistic than utilitarianism and Kantian ethicsRead MoreEdward Snowden Kantian Ethics1885 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Edward Snowden, Kantian Ethics Edward Snowden the Ethical Issue In early 2013 a man by the name of Edward Joseph Snowden began leaking classified National Security Agency (NSA) documents to media outlets, which in turn ended up in public ears. These documents, mainly involving intelligence Snowden acquired while working as an NSA contractor, are mostly related to global surveillance programs run by the NSA. This has raised multiple ethical issues ranging from national security, information privacyRead MoreThe Ethical Concepts Of Kantian Ethics Essay1043 Words   |  5 Pagesstudies belongs to the analysis of ethics, morality and law as the main regulators of the human behavior in the society Kant is known as the founder of the deontological ethics (Kantianism), which presents a rational alternative to the utilitarian ethics and ideas. 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