As Level: Rs Immanuel Kant

Front 1

Immanuel Kant's Theory is Deontological; what does this mean?

Back 1

Deontological means that the right or wrongness of the action is in the action itself, not the consequences.

Front 2

Immanuel Kant is a Rationalist; what does this mean?

Back 2

A Rationalist is someone that believes that REASON is the the means by which we can analyse the world.

Front 3

Where was Immanuel Kant born and brought up?

Back 3

He was born and brought up in Konigsburg in Prussia which is now known as Poland.

Front 4

What is the only thing that Kant says is good in and out of itself? Develop this further.

Back 4

Good Will, which means that it is a sense of duty we all have to do the right thing. He believed that all rational beings have the duty to behave morally.

Front 5

What is Categorical Imperative?

Back 5

A command to perform actions that are absolute moral obligations without reference to other ends.

Front 6

What is Kant's overall view on Categorical Imperative?

Back 6

He says that a Categorical Imperative is something that I must always obey (absolute rules) (I must not tell lies).

Front 7

What is Hypothetical Imperative?

Back 7

An action that achieves some goal or end.

Front 8

What is Kant's overall view on Hypothetical Imperative?

Back 8

He says that a Hypothetical Imperative is something that someone must do if I want a certain thing to happen (exercise to lose weight).

Front 9

What are the three ways that Kant formulates the Categorial Imperative?

Back 9

1. One should act in a way that one could will it that one's action should become a Universal Law.

2. One should always act in such a way as to treat fellow beings as an end in themselves and not a means to achieving an end.

3. One should act as though you were a legislator in the 'kingdom of ends'.

Front 10

What are Kant's ideas on knowledge?

Back 10

Kant believes that knowledge is either 'a priori' (known without experience) or 'a posteriori' (based on experience).

Front 11

What does Kant describe a person as if they are doing their duty?

Back 11

He believes that if a person is doing their duty, they are a person of Good Will.

Front 12

What does Kant say about Reason?

Back 12

Kant says that Humans use their reason in order to find out what their duty is and what the right way to behave is. He also says that humans use their reason to understand what Kant terms as the Universal Moral Law.

Front 13

What does Kant say about Self Interest?

Back 13

Kant says that if we do things out of Self Interest, we are not doing our Duty. This is because we are only thinking of ourselves and only focus on the outcome, when we should focus on the action itself.

Front 14

What is a Maxim?

Back 14

A general rule in accordance with which we intend to act.

Front 15

What are the three Maxims that make up Categorical Imperative?

Back 15

1. Universalisability

2. Treat people as ends not means

2. Act as if you live in a Kingdom of ends

Front 16

What is the principle of Universalisability?

Back 16

Universalisability are rules that can be followed but are applicable to ALL PEOPLE.

Front 17

What did Kant mean by 'treat people as ends not means?'

Back 17

In other words, it means that people shouldn't be used, but they should all be treated with respect and dignity.

Front 18

What did Kant mean by 'Act as if you live in a kingdom of ends?

Back 18

This statement is a mixture of the Principle of Universalisability and Treat people as ends not means. Overall, we should act as if we are part of a world in which all people are treated as ends.

Front 19

What is Summum Bonum and what did Kant think about it?

Back 19

This means Supreme Good. Kant rejected happiness as a primary goal because he believed that sometimes humans do not achieve happiness in their life, and that perhaps Supreme Good would be achieved after life instead. Kant believed that instead, Good Will is the most important for people to focus on.

Front 20

What did Kant say about the existence of God?

Back 20

Kant believed that God must exist if he is to provide Summum Bonum and for us to achieve it in our afterlife.

Front 21

Kant believed that all Humans are Autonomous; what does this mean? Expand.

Back 21

Autonomous means that an Individual can decide their own moral laws to use knowledge before experience. This would then lead us with the ability to reason, which ultimately then leads to our Categorical Imperative.

Front 22

Is Moral knowledge A Priori or A posteriori? Why?

Back 22

Kant believed that Moral knowledge is A posteriori. This means that Kant thought that humans already had knowledge of what is their duty without experience. From this, we should be able to reason and figure out what is our duty in a situation.