Analysis Of Deontological Moral Theory: Immanuel Kant

Thomas Sikkema
Professor John Schneider
Ethics 102
25 February 2015
Deontological Moral Theory: Immanuel Kant
Deontological moral theory is defined as the morally right thing to do is to do whatever is your duty. A scenario in which this theory could be used is the following: a close friend of yours dies. He has set aside $10 million to give to his favorite sports team, the New York Yankees. You promised him that you would give the money to the team because that was your friend’s last wish. Generous, but as you are walking to Yankee Stadium to give the money to George Steinbrenner (the owner) you see a sign that says, “World Food Program: need $10 million to save numerous villages in Africa”. You think about giving the money to the organization
Kant’s view on ethics was: it’s absolute, the duties or imperatives are not hypothetical, but categorical (Pojman and Vaughn, 239). This means that our moral duties need to be made on reasoning, not feelings. Humans fall victim to incorporating their feelings into ethical, moral duties quite often, Kant’s theory displaces this and informs us that our duties need to be executed in a reasoned manner instead. Kant composed The Good Will as well as the three propositions of morality. These reinforce his theory of Categorical Imperative. This theory, later described, reinforces that moral duties be reasoned and separated from
What this proposition means is, to be morally responsible and worthy of something, the action must be done in a way that the person believes it is their duty. An example of this is someone who is having thoughts of suicide not committing suicide because the reason that this heinous act is “selfish”. The second proposition is: an action done form duty derives its moral worth, not form the purpose which is to be attained by it, but from the maxim (Pojman and Vaughn, 245). What this proposition means is the action itself doesn’t have moral significance but the moral worth is found in the maxim (rule) itself. The third proposition is: duty is the necessity of acting from respect for the law (Pojman and Vaughn, 246). What this means is following maxims is needed in performing rational duties. If these duties are not carried out following the law, they are considered not pure. A scenario representing the third proposition would be not cheating on a midterm. It is your duty as a student to take the midterm and to not cheat. The cheating would be considered not abiding by the maxims enforced by