Kant Good Will Morally praiseworthy actions

Kant • Good Will – Morally praiseworthy actions are done from a sense of duty. • Our duty is to follow the right moral rules.

Imperatives • Moral rules contrast with the rules of prudence. – You ought to keep your promises. – If you want a safe car, buy a Volvo. • Moral rules are categorical imperatives. – They are not dependent on any particular desire. • Prudential rules are hypothetical imperatives. – They are binding only on those with the appropriate desire.

Two Versions of the Categorical Imperative • Follow moral rules that are universalizable. – This means you should only accept a moral rule that a rational person would accept as binding for all persons. • Always treat persons as ends and never merely as means. – This means that we should recognize that each person has the same basic moral worth as we do.

Universalizability and Respect for Persons • Moral principles are universalizable. • The only condition under which this can be true is if something is intrinsically valuable and hence an end we all share. • The only thing which is intrinsically good is humanity either in myself or in others. • So the end of morality is to respect humanity in myself and other persons.

Decision procedure – Describe morally relevant features of case. – Look for principles. – Evaluate principles by using one or both versions of the categorical imperative. – Apply principle. – Describe actions which conform to principle. – Assign praise or blame by looking at intentions.

Alternative Decision Procedure • Apply the second version directly. – Ask what action would be consistent with treating persons as morally valuable and not as mere means to achieve some particular goal.

Moral Rights • differ from legal rights • are claims that society should enforce • imply duties • cannot be waived • cannot be overridden • apply universally

Moral Rights and Legal Rights • We have legal rights solely on the basis of what is granted by our legal/political institutions. • We have moral rights in virtue of characteristics we share as humans.

Moral rights and enforcement • If someone has a moral right, then the rest of us are obligated to enforce that right.

Moral Rights and Duties • Negative Rights View – If P has a right to X, then everyone else is required to refrain from interfering with P’s having X. • Positive Rights View – If P has a right to X, then everyone else is required to refrain from interfering AND should cooperate, when necessary, in P’s having or doing X.

Moral Rights cannot be waived • If someone has a right to something, they can not give up this right.

Moral rights cannot be overridden • If someone has a right to something, the right claim is the most important consideration.

Moral rights are universal • If someone has a moral right, then everyone else has the same right.

Who has rights? • All humans • All rational creatures • All creatures who possess the relevant properties. • Some properties which have been suggested: – rationality – moral agency – moral emotion – human biology

Decision Procedure • What possible rights are involved? • Are these really rights? – Should society enforce this claim for everyone? – Do we have duties with respect to X? – Can P give up the claim to X? – Would it be OK to ignore X if it conflicted with some other consideration?

Decision Procedure • Are the rights being violated? • What would respecting these rights require? • If rights are coming into conflict, how can we balance them?