Immanuel Kant And Duty Essay

Superior Essays
How is it that people are to follow through with something without considering the consequences? Immanuel Kant argues that we as people should not act for reasons because if we do, we will be self-contradicting ourselves. He believes that we are being morally irrelevant if we base are wrong doings or right doings with consequences before we choose to do the action. He believes we should be willing to accomplish our duties and tasks without worrying about the aftermath of an action. Kant believes it should be a requirement for us to obey the moral law because it is a noble thing to do. Kant does not believe in lying or doing evil, but he does believe in good will. Even if lying will help save a person’s life, Kant still insists that you should not lie because he believes that both a good lie and a bad lie should be prohibited. Kant deals with deontological ethics which is based on ethics out of a sense of duty or obligation. When it comes to good will we are to recognize what our duty is in life, we are to complete that duty, and we must be willing to do what is right no matter the situation.
“The source of this upgrading process is the human
…show more content…
Kant requests for people to pursue their duty because it is their duty. “Act of that maxim which can at the same time have for its object itself as a universal law of nature” (Perry 533). Kant is stating that if you are the only person that can complete the task or duty then you should not do it. He does not want us doing things like committing suicide because that is not consider a good duty and he does not want people doing things that cannot be consist of as a universal duty. Kant wants us to realize that we should only complete a task or duty if we approve that other people can do it as well. Kant is hinting to us that we are not the only individuals in this world so we should think and act more universally than

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    Immanuel Kant On Duty

    • 1621 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Philosophy is a discipline that studies how one ought to live, as well as study reality, nature, existence, etc. However, there are a number of philosophers who propose differing sets of morals and have different ideas of living life to its fullest (Singer v. Mill). Kant proposes that moral actions are defined by the motivation of an action, and later on explains that moral actions are duties through reason, rather than inclination. This essay will explain the validity of Kant’s argument by first explaining Kant’s view on duty, then analyse his view of duty as an object of good will, which pertains to motivations without the slightest selfishness, then argue for moral duties motivated by duty instead of inclination based on reason. It is difficult…

    • 1621 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    An Exploration of Othello: Delving into the Mind Frame of Desdemona and Iago Immanuel Kant’s view on ethics and morality is that in order to determine if we are acting in a fashion that can be deemed moral, we have not only a duty to ourselves but others. It is duty that determines our actions. Kant establishes certain limitations and restrictions upon the notion of duty, narrowing down a definition which would allow us to therefore be able to readily distinguish “whether the action which agrees with duty is done from duty, or from a selfish view” (Kant 2). In order to figure out whether our actions correspond to this concept of duty, Kant has established what is known as the categorical imperative which states that you should reflect upon your actions and be comfortable with them becoming a universal law. Insofar as duty is concerned, if we follow this principle it allows for a broader understanding of what is meant by moral and ethical behaviour.…

    • 2091 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    What is it that makes a good deed inherently good? Some may say that the goodness of an action is characterized solely by ones motivation to do good, while other’s believe that the end result is all that matters. As human beings we are free to choose our path in life, as well as our beliefs and our actions. This allows us to decide whether we want to act in a way that will cause harm or good. Since we have the free will to decide our course of action to get the results we want, it also comes with the responsibility to choose whether we wish to act ethically.…

    • 1510 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Immanuel Kant’s Moral Theory is widely studied in philosophy and the field of ethics. In his theory, Kant expresses the ways to determine the morality of an action: examining the intentions behind the action in question is most important instead of merely considering the consequences. Moral actions, he explains, must have the intention of being consistent with duty for the sake of duty and doing the right thing; they cannot be motivated by any inclinations. Actions inconsistent with duty would be, for example, lying, cheating, stealing, or breaking a promise. These actions could never be moral in any case since they defy the honesty of duty.…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Immanuel Kant Duty

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Immanuel Kant’s Classic Work Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals “outlines a rationalist ethical system centered in the notion of the categorical imperative as the fundamental principle of action” (Pojman and Tramel 218). The excerpt we read The Foundation of Ethics focuses on what gives an action moral worth, Kant argues that only if we act out of a sense of duty do we find a true sense of moral worth. I find this claim to be a very interesting one because I have never thought about how duty not in the sense that everyone thinks of duty but in the way that Kant defines it, gives us our sense of moral worth or moral credit for an action that is performed. I always look at it as we preformed based on the values that were instilled on us…

    • 1048 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Partner one, Brian Burkhalter. discussed how his least like moral theory was the Kantian Moral Theory due to its practical flaws. His whole argument was on a basis that we have to have consequences for the people to be morally good. I disagree. I think the standard for humans is just very low. The duty of humanity now is based on consequences like jail, contracts, or the enforcement of taxes which does not comply with Kant’s theory.…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Immanuel Kant an 18th century German philosopher considered rather notable for his work in ethical philosophy. Kant was responsible for the book Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morality and his work remains relevant today as a crucial ‘part of Western Moral Philosophy’. Kant argues that reason is what predisposes what is right. Kant believed that religion should not be taken into consideration when determining what is morally right. Kant’s reasoning of this is explained that if one only gaged what is right based on religion this would not result in a ‘supreme principle of morality’ for all people.…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Concept of Duty In his work, Foundations of Metaphysics Morals, Kant explains the concept of duty. Human beings feel obliged to do certain social activities such as a parent taking a child to school. Failure to do the social activities is considered unethical. In most countries failure to perform these moral activities is illegal.…

    • 2048 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    For centuries, philosophers have applied sets of normative principles in effort to distinguish if an action is morally right or wrong. The purpose of normative ethics is to help guide society on how humans ought to act. These theories provide justifiable and reliable outcomes to determine if an action is moral or immoral. Two principles that play a significant role in normative ethics are consequentialism and Kantianism. When faced with a moral dilemma, these theories may agree or conflict with one another.…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kant’s Groundworks of the Metaphysics of Morals, and Mill’s Utilitarianism, each offer different arguments about what is morality. They both give us fundamental and universal theories about morality. Before we compare the two, let’s first start with a summary of the main arguments of each philosopher. Mill begins chapter one by setting the stage for what he is going to discuss. Philosophers have discussed the foundation of morality for more than two thousand years.…

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In this paper about ethical theories and cases I chose to discuss the positions of John Mill and Immanuel Kant, due to their dissimilar views on morality and ethical theories. From the four cases, I chose to apply the two philosopher’s theories to case number two. This case states the dilemma “My full-time (but not live-in) babysitter hinted that she would like to use my address to enroll her daughter in my excellent local public elementary school; her neighborhood school is awful. The alternative is for her to send her daughter to private school, a financial burden but not an impossibility. Should I offer my address?”…

    • 1295 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Gone Baby Gone” “Gone Baby Gone” is a mystery film masterfully directed by Ben Affleck, an actor and a screenwriter. The kidnapping story set in the criminal districts of Boston depicts the characters and their neighborhoods as backward and appalling. At the very beginning of the film, we find out that Amanda McCready, a little girl, has gone. Thus, her aunt and uncle decide to involve two private detectives, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, into the police investigation of the girl missing. Meanwhile, Amanda’s drug-addicted mother does not skip any episode of Jerry Springer Show, even though her child has disappeared.…

    • 698 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kant’s Categorical Imperative Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher remembered for his influence on ethics. Ethics is the philosophical study of moral actions. There are two particular ways of thinking regarding ethics: consequentialism and deontology. Consequentialism divides right and wrong entirely based on the consequences of an action - the end justifies the means. Deontology is the position arguing that consequences do not matter because moral judgement is based on the act alone, not the consequences.…

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kant's Moral Theory Essay

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Kant’s moral theory is based on the fact that one’s action should be governed by a maxim that follows the purity of the will; the idea that one’s actions should be based on a will that aligns with duty and not on the consequences of one’s actions. In the contrary, rule utilitarianism is based on the consequences of one’s actions and how it impacts the overall happiness of the individuals involved. The following paper focuses on the ideas of duty ethics and utilitarian ethics; and how these ideas can be implemented in the case of James Liang. Kant believes that an act is morally acceptable when such an act perfectly aligns with one’s duty. Furthermore, he believed that all rational beings are obligated by the demands of duty.…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the case of morals, philosophers are usually separated into one of two categories, those who consider actions ethical or not ethical based on their motives, and those who consider an action ethical or not ethical based on the consequences of these actions. Immanuel Kant is a deontologist as opposed to consequentialists, making him an advocate for the former category. Kant is of the opinion that we are held responsible for our actions because we possess the ability to consider and explain the things we do, so any moral judgment should be based on our reasons for doing things. We should of course always contemplate the consequences of our actions, but they are not entirely at the mercy of our reason. Reason is only accountable for the…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays