Phi 335 Exam 2: Kant & Epictetus

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1.What is the key distinction in Epictetus’s ethics with which he begins his Handbook?

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What we can and cannot control. We can control our judgments.

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2.What does Epictetus mean by the idea that virtue is “living in agreement with nature”?

Back 2

Virtue is knowing what you can and cannot control and living in that knowledge.

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3.Did Epictetus reject happiness as the goal of human life?

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No: since he says that virtue is the only thing needed for happiness, since happiness is something that should benefit us, and virtue is the only thing that benefits us.

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4. What is the relation between virtue and happiness for Epictetus?

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He said virtue is sufficient for happiness since happiness must benefit us and only virtue is truly beneficial to us.

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5. What is the nature of human beings that the Stoics held was the key to virtue?

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Rational nature was the key to virtue.

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6.How does Epictetus link emotions and desires to judgment?

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Emotions and desires reflect judgment, i.e. we desire things we think we’ll enjoy because we judge them, assign value to them, and test our judgments.

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7.What does Epictetus think is the correct attitude to friends and loved ones?

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Fulfill your duties to loved ones, but remember that they are out of our realm of control.

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8. Explain two specific strategies Epictetus suggests in order to manage our desires and emotions?

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Don’t place arbitrary value on people, when you kiss your wife, it is as if you were kissing a just another human being.

Treat your situations like they were someone’s else’s, distancing you from the situation. Like when a loved one dies.

Approaching a situation in a different way. Again, stepping back and reproaching with a different state of mind. Like the 2 handles example.

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9.What does Epictetus mean by “being a philosopher”?

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A philosopher is one who understands, possesses, and uses reason.

Being humble, doesn’t complain, and is not affected by what other’s think.

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1.What does it mean to say Kant’s ethics is a deontological theory of morality?

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Kant’s ethics are act-centered and deal with what one ought or ought not do regarless of consequence.

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2.What are the two conditions of moral worth/goodness in an action?

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An act is morally good if and only if: the act is right (is what the moral law requires) and the act is done because it is right

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3.What is a good will, for Kant? What would a holy will be?

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the good will: our willing to do what is right because it is right, independent of inclinations and consequences.


a holy will: The will of a purely rational being who can only act on it’s rational nature

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4.What does it mean to say that the good will is the only unconditioned good? What are Kant’s examples of conditioned goods?

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• The good will is the only thing good in and of itself, doesn’t depend on other things, literally there are no conditions needed to consider it good, etc.

Examples:
•Courage
•Talents
•Self control
•Everyone of these can be used as bad
oA thief or assassin can poses courage but would still be bad.

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5.What is the difference for Kant between a right action and a morally good action?

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A right action can be done for many reasons, but a morally good action is done strictly because it is right.

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6. Why does Kant reject the view that morality is a matter of aiming at the best consequences?

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We are not in full control of the consequences of our actions and the may not lead where we’d like them to if we’re not clever or lucky. Consequences are elusive and subject to luck.

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7. Why does Kant reject the view that happiness is what we should aim at in morality?

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Since it is instinct which guides us towards happiness, and rationality is what guides us to morality. Instinct and rationality are not the same thing, therefore happiness is not what we should aim at.

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8. How does Kant understand the idea of happiness?

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Happiness is a vague idea of the sum total of our wants and desires are fulfilled.. But this is too indeterminate an idea to guide any particular actions, especially since we cannot predict exact consequences. So, pursuing happiness is an indeterminate, uncontrollable, and uncertain goal for rational beings.

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9. Why does Kant think that morality is a law?

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Morality involves universal and necessary truths, universal and necessary truths involve (true, a priori) laws, thus morality is a law.

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10.What is a hypothetical imperative? What are the two kinds of hypothetical imperatives?

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Hypothetical imperatives: express the necessity of doing A as a means to an actual or possible end or goal. “If you want to reach E, do A.”

There are 2 kinds of hypothetical imperatives:

a) imperatives of skill (technical, problematic): express the necessity of choosing the means that will lead to an end you do or might want.
b) imperatives/counsels of prudence (assertoric, pragmatic): express the necessity of choosing what will satisfy our desires and bring us happiness, which we all want.

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11.What is a categorical imperative?

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Categorical imperative: expresses the necessity to A in and of itself, with no other purpose possible or necessary. (“Do/do not do A.”)

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12.Why must the “moral law” be a categorical imperative?

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It must be a categorical imperative because it represents the necessity of rational beings acting on truly objective, unconditional and universally valid principles.

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13. State 3 versions of the categorical imperative: universal law version; persons-as-ends version; and the autonomy/kingdom of ends version.

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The Universal Law Version: Act always so that you could will your maxim as a universal law of nature.

The Persons as Ends Version: Act always so as to treat humanity in your own person and any other always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means.

The Autonomy/Kingdom of Ends Version: Act always so that your maxims are consistent with your will as a free will legislating for itself (as well as others) a universal law; that is, act so that you regard yourself as a law-making member, both sovereign and subject, of a kingdom of ends.

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14.What is a perfect duty for Kant? What is an imperfect duty for Kant?

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perfect duties: ones which it is always necessary to perform, without discretion or exception.

imperfect duties: one which it is necessary to perform, but not on every possible occasion; allows discretion.

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15.What is a relative end in Kant’s terminology, and what kind of value or worth does it have?

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A relative end is something that is valued because people happen to want or need it; it can be replaced by something of equivalent, thus a relative end has relative worth which kant calls price.

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16. What is an end in itself in Kant’s terminology, and what kind value or worth does it have?

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An end in itself is a thing whose existence has a worth unconditional on anyone’s desires on any occasion. Such a thing has value beyond price and cannot be exchanged for anything, it has absolute worth which Kant calls dignity.

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17.What makes a person an end in itself?

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The fact that he or she has a rational will which is the source of all relative value.

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18.What does respect mean, and why do persons alone deserve it?

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Respect is an attitude that is appropriate toward something with absolute value. It acknowledges free beings as what they are: beings with the capacity to think and choose and be responsible for their actions. People deserve it because they have a rational will.

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19.What does Kant mean by autonomy of the will? What is heteronomy of the will?

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Autonomy: rational beings give law of morality to yourself (Doing what is right because it is right)

Heteronomy: rational beings follow motives that are not the moral motive

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20.What is a kingdom of ends? How does the kingdom of ends express the autonomy of the human will?

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Kingdom of ends = the ideal of a systematic union of different rational beings under a single law where all abstract away from individual differences and each treats itself and others as ends in themselves.

It expresses the autonomy of the human will because in a kingdom of ends, all beings would be autonomous since they give the law of morality to themselves.