Kant's ethics of duty

Kant's ethics of duty holds that only a rational being could have a moral duty because only a rational being could envision something beyond what he wants in the moment to satisfy himself or to do harm to others. Only a rational being could conceive of an ethical duty to act according to the consideration that all other human beings would act in the same way. No animal or irrational human being could conceive of such a concept, such a duty, such a way of life. The rationality required for moral duty leads the individual to recognize that "the moral worth of an action does not lie in the effect expected from it, nor in any principle of action which requires to borrow its motive from this expected effect" (Timmons 156). Only reason will act according to the worth of an action in and of itself, without consideration for the gain or loss of any effect.

The categorical imperative holds that "I am never to act otherwise than so that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law" (Timmons 156). Kant allows no exceptions to this imperative. He apparently believes that once one brick is taken out of the wall--say, a justifiable lie or false promise is told because of the gains won or losses avoided--then the whole wall is in danger of immediately collapsing. This makes the moral duty "imperative" for him. It is not a matter of what is "prudent," for example, in the case of telling a lie to bring a positive result or avoid a negative result. It is only a matter of wha

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s) over his belief in the freedom of the individual from undue social restrictions. The foes of Mill's argument would hold further that euthanasia, in both its active and passive forms, is dangerous because it will inevitably lead to expansion of those grounds to cases which are not justified medically or morally--the slippery slope argument. In addition, the measurement of what constitutes "prejudicial to the interests of others" with respect to euthanasia is too difficult to determine. What is a loved one will be made insane by the death? How would one weigh the suffering of the loved one against the peace of the dead one? My own view is simple: active voluntary euthanasia should be available to any person who wants it, unless they are reacting to temporary pain which can be alleviated. By "feminism," Ruth Sidel means in part developing inner attitudes which are loving, giving, and caring, in both women and men. To that extent, her feminism is humanism, in effect. But she clearly places the emphasis on the need to lift the restrictions society places on girls and women, if feminism is to truly achieve its goals related to social and economic justice for women. It is fine for there to be polite, non-sexist exchanges between

Category: Philosophy - K