Immanuel Kant s Metaphysics Of Morals - 897 Words

In Immanuel Kant’s Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals, Kant argues that one’s duty requires an individual to act against one’s inclinations, wants and desires, in order to achieve a higher moral worth. For Kant, the concept of duty is something that you ought to do despite not wanting to, assuming the duty is possible. A duty contains the concept of good will, or acting on one’s duty, against one’s inclinations, which is how moral worth is achieved. In order for an individual to achieve a higher moral worth, he must not act out of any inclination beyond his duty. Likewise, an individual should only act on a maxim that at the same time he wills to be universal law, common knowledge, as explained by the categorical imperative In our example, there are two shopkeepers, who are faced with a decision regarding how to give proper change to an unaware customer). The first shopkeeper gives his customers their correct change, which conforms to his duty. Whi le on the surface it might appear that the first shopkeeper is doing what his duty requires him, he is only doing so out of inclination and is acting out of self-interest, it is good for his business and reputation, not from moral obligation. So, for Kant, shopkeeper one does not achieve a higher moral worth from his actions. However, in this hypothetical, the second shopkeeper is inclined to shortchange his customers, but realizes that his duty prohibits him from acting on his inclination, so he does not shortchange hisShow MoreRelatedImmanuel Kant s Metaphysics Of Morals2091 Words   |  9 PagesImmanuel Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals The Greeks classified their philosophy into three fields, namely: †¢ Physics †¢ Ethics †¢ Logic All these three fields tend to interrelate in an attempt to describe nature and the life we live in. Physics is also known as the ‘doctrine of nature’ since it attempts to describe almost all the happenings of life (Wood W. Allen). Physics explains phenomenon such as why does the sun come out during the day, why do we see different colors and so on. It is an attempt toRead MoreThird Breaking Down His Most Important Philosophies1097 Words   |  5 PagesGroundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals 2. Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science 3. Critique of Practical Reason 4. Critique of the Power of Judgment 5. Critique of Pure Reason a. Knowledge b. Metaphysics Topic: Critique of Pure Reason In order to understand Kant’s position, we must first understand the philosophical environment that influenced his thinking. There are two major historical movements in the early modern period of philosophy that had a very large impact on Kant: Empiricism andRead MoreImmanuel Kant And The Ford Pinto Case991 Words   |  4 Pages Immanuel Kant and The Ford Pinto Case Immanuel Kant ¶s theory on morals states that  ³nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good, without qualification, except a good will. ´ 1 Kant points to other human qualities such as courage, intelligence, wit and others that are  ³undoubtedly good and desirable, ´ 2 however, can become bad if the will of the person using them is not good. Kant maintains that in order for an action to be considered moral, itRead MoreThe Metaphysic Of Morals By Immanuel Kant1199 Words   |  5 PagesGroundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant: A Reflection and Analysis Author name Name of institutionâ€Æ' In man’s attempt to figure out what is right or wrong, they have developed a number of systems that purportedly deal with such matters. Immanuel Kant expanded on his moral philosophy in his work, Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals. This paper will be a reflection upon Kantian ethical principles presented therein and their relation to what is generally called morality. PeopleRead MoreDeontology Is An Ethical Theory900 Words   |  4 Pagesa universal law. Immanuel Kant is a philosopher of ethics. According to an article titled Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals Immanuel Kant (2008) reads, an action that is done from duty doesn’t get its moral value from the purpose that’s to be achieved through it, but from the maxim that it involves, -giving the reason why the acts (p. 9).† Immanuel Kant s quote is about why reason is build from the an obligation or a duty to act. Deontology brings clarity to one s action in gender equalityRead More Truth and Goodness in Immanuel Kant and St. Thomas Aquinas Essays3146 Words   |  13 Pages Immanuel Kant and St. Thomas Aquinas account for the existence of truth in sharply contrasting ways. Kant locates all truth inside the mind, as a pure product of reason, operating by means of rational categories. Although Kant acknowledges that all knowledge originates in the intuition of th e senses, the intelligibility of sense experience he attributes to innate forms of apperception and to categories inherent to the mind. The innate categories shape the â€Å"phenomena† of sensible being, andRead More Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian Ethics Of Justice2753 Words   |  12 PagesImmanuel Kants The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. Immanuel Kant has presented one viewpoint in The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his ability to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another opinion as presented in the book, Utilitarianism thatRead MoreImmanuel Kant Paper1883 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿ Immanuel Kant HUM 400 12 Jun 2010 Kant s Good Will Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is one of the most influential philosophers in history of Western philosophy. A main representative of the Western-European classical philosophy, Immanuel Kant dealt with the best traditions of the German idealism. A human personality, according to Kant is the highest and absolute value. It is the personality, in Kant’s understanding, that towers the person over its own self and links the human beingRead MoreJohn Stuart Mill And Immanuel Kant1387 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophers. Two of these philosophers are John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant. Mill, in Utilitarianism defines happiness as pleasure without pain. He builds upon this idea of happiness when establishing his moral philosophy, stating that the action that would bring about the maximum amount of happiness is the most moral action. On the other hand, Kant establishes happiness as well-being and a satisfaction with one’s condition. Kant, however, argues that happiness is too fully ba sed upon one’s ownRead MoreImmanuel Kant And Kant On Morality1097 Words   |  5 Pagesthere are two which are usually compared to one another, Immanuel Kant and David Hume. Immanuel Kant had many theories throughout his philosophical time. Here are some of his ethical works, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785), the Critique of Practical Reason (1788), and the Metaphysics of Morals (1797), which contains both â€Å"the Doctrine of Right† and â€Å"the Doctrine of Virtue.† He also had some other works of importance to his moral philosophy including the Critique of the Power of Judgment