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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

“Our greatest glory is not in

never falling, but in getting up every time we

do.”Confucius

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

Our Learning…• Recap Learning• Learn about Kant’s

equations – two formulations of the Categorical Imperative.

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

Recap Learning

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

FOR KANT…• We have freedom – therefore we

need to be moral.• Morality can’t be subjective• Reason (intellect) is the ultimate

judge / authority.• Goodwill is the only intrinsically

good thing.• Duty is King for Kant.

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

Kant says that every time we come up against a moral dilemma, we should shorten that moral dilemma to produce a MAXIM – which is a proposed rule of action we can deduce from the dilemma….

E.G. A nasty big bully has just punched me on the nose. I want to punch him back, so I will.

MAXIM – Use force on someone if they have used force on you… or …. Revenge is ok.

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

An Imperative is a command.

A hypothetical imperative contains an ‘if’.

A moral imperative is a moral command which is conditional upon nothing else.

A categorical imperative is what Kant used to test maxims. If the maxim passes, it is our duty to act.

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

If you had studied economics, you will have learned that, when making anything, you have the following diagram….

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

Well – we kind of have to do the same kind of diagram to understand Kants Categorical Imperative…

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

MAXIM CATEGORICALIMPERATIVES

WHETHER KANTTHINKS WE MUSTACT OR NOT ACT

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

Pages 25 – 27 of the NotesPage 28 Exercise

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

FIRST FORMULATION“ Act only on the

maxim through which you can, at

the same time, will that it be a

universal law”

THE UNIVERSAL LAW

UNIVERSALISABILITY

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“ Act only on the maxim through which you can,

at the same time, will that it be a universal

law”

Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

TREAT PEOPLE AS YOUWOULD LIKE THEM TO

TREAT YOUTHE GOLDEN RULE

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

You need to learn these definitions off by heart…

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

KANT BACKGROUND & DEFINITIONS TEST ON MONDAY

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Moral PhilosophyImmanuel Kant

Our Learning…• Recap Learning• Learn about Kant’s

equations – two formulations of the Categorical Imperative.