Immanuel Kant is famous for believing that morality is grounded in rationality, rather than personal desires. He also gives us a theory of inviolable moral imperatives: rules you must follow, no matter what, to do what is right. Most importantly, Kant holds that we have an unconditional duty to respect the freedom and dignity of rational beings. Today we will discuss whether we have inviolable moral duties and the importance of freedom and rational choice in living the good life.
Read This:
Interactive Essay: Act from Duty (Kant)
Key Concepts:
- Good will
- Duty vs. inclination
- Categorical imperative
Watch This:
Pre-Class Questions
- In your own words, describe one significant difference between utilitarianism and Immanuel Kant’s moral theory.
- Describe a scenario (real or imagined) where this difference would lead to different moral judgments or decisions, and explain why.
- What questions do you have about today’s reading? What would you like to discuss more in class? Submit questions and discussion topics on PollEverywhere, and/or upvote any classmates’ responses that you’d also like to cover in class. The most upvoted questions will be answered during the Q&A portion of class.
Content Reflection
Make a list of three rules that express a respect for human rationality and autonomy (your own and other people’s), and try to follow these rules strictly for three days. Aim for rules that will challenge you to meet a higher moral standard than usual. (For example, “never murder” is a rule that expresses respect for others, but hopefully would not be challenging for any of us to follow!) At the end of each day, reflect on your actions and decisions, noting any instances where you broke any of your rules, as well as any instances where you overcame a temptation to do so. At the end of the three days, write a 2-3 paragraph reflection on your experience that addresses the following questions:
- How easy did you find it to follow your three rules? What was the greatest difficulty you encountered?
- What did you find most surprising, striking, or memorable in this activity?
- Based on your experience, what conclusions can you draw about Kantian ethics? For example, what do you see as the main pros and cons of striving to live by a Kantian moral code?
