Kant's Deontological Ethics

[bobsavegan]

Can anyone on this forum explain to me Kant's Deontological Ethics?

While in college years ago I took a course titled "Ethical Theories? They taught three theories, Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, John Stuart Mill's Utilitarian Ethics. And Kant's Deontological Ethics. Virtue Ethics fits into my Philosophy of Life as the ethics of the Self and its mind. Utilitarian Ethics fits nicely as the ethics of the Person and its understanding.

I've been searching for an ethics for the Individual and its intellect. I remembered Kant and I think his ethics would fit in with the Individual but I've never quite understood it. I remember that it had to do with act, will, and duty.

Can anyone help?

[GdB]

Why not start in Wikipedia?

• Deontological ethics: Kant
• Immanuel Kant: Moral philosophy
• Kantian ethics
• Critique of Practical Reason

In that order.

If you have questions let me know. I am not a Kant-specialist, but I think I have some understanding about his ideas and methods.

[bobsavegan]

Remember I'm bobsavegan. Please do not provide me links. If you understand it yourself then you would be able to explain it in your own words.

[GdB]

Originally Posted by bobsavegan

Remember I'm bobsavegan.

I am new here, so why should I remember you?

Originally Posted by bobsavegan

Please do not provide me links. If you understand it yourself then you would be able to explain it in your own words.

If you do not understand the articles I linked, then you will not understand my words either.

[bobsavegan]

I'm not looking for argument. If you reply to my threads in the future then please discuss the topic using your own words.

[GdB]

Originally Posted by bobsavegan

I'm not looking for argument. If you reply to my threads in the future then please discuss the topic using your own words.

Imagine I am the author of the Wikipedia articles. That should help.

If you do not understand some parts I wrote there, then your welcome to ask, so I know what part you do not understand.

Remember, I am GdB: I do not like to write long essays, when it turns out that 90% is for nothing.

[GdB]

Interesting... I found huge citations of you in other posts from Wikipedia.

Last try, if you are really interested in understanding Kant's ethics:

Immanuel Kant and The Categorical Imperative for Dummies

[GdB]

Originally Posted by GdB

Interesting... I found huge citations of you in other posts from Wikipedia.

Last try, if you are really interested in understanding Kant's ethics:

Immanuel Kant and The Categorical Imperative for Dummies

And? Any questions? No? Then it was al clear, I assume.

[bobsavegan]

It is not good to assume anything. I do not read links. If you want to read it then you can interpret what you read and put it in your own words. Or you can copy and paste the relevant section and post it here and I will read it.

[bobsavegan]

From Wikipedia...

Kantian ethics refers to a deontological ethical theory ascribed to the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. The theory, developed as a result of Enlightenment rationalism, is based on the view that the only intrinsically good thing is a good will; an action can only be good if its maxim – the principle behind it – is duty to the moral law. Central to Kant's construction of the moral law is the categorical imperative, which acts on all people, regardless of their interests or desires. Kant formulated the categorical imperative in various ways. His principle of universalisability requires that, for an action to be permissible, it must be possible to apply it to all people without a contradiction occurring. His formulation of humanity as an end in itself requires that humans are never treated merely as a means to an end, but always also as ends in themselves. The formulation of autonomy concludes that rational agents are bound to the moral law by their own will, while Kant's concept of the Kingdom of Ends requires that people act as if the principles of their actions establish a law for a hypothetical kingdom. Kant also distinguished between perfect and imperfect duties. A perfect duty, such as the duty not to lie, always holds true; an imperfect duty, such as the duty to give to charity, can be made flexible and applied in particular time and place.


Thanks to GDB, after reading the article I feel I have a better understanding of Kant's Ethics.

I would question his reliance on "the moral law" as the basis for his will, action, and duty. I believe that "the moral law" varies with different societies and religions so that his idea of a perfect duty becomes one of personal interpretation and isn't universal as he claims for the Kingdom of Ends.