There is an old saying that it is better to be lucky than good. This may be true if a person is always lucky, but luck sometimes has a tendency to run out. Making decisions that affect other people’s lives based on luck can be sometimes dangerous, and usually ethically questionable. Leaders who routinely depend on luck for success may find themselves relying on other questionable actions, such as lying, cheating, or stealing, to ensure luck stays on their side. Additionally, this type of behavior may force subordinates to make ethically questionable decisions when luck begins to run out.…
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher from the 18th century who is well known as an essential person in philosophy today. He has made the argument that there are a set of essential ideas that structure human experience and is the source of morality. His thought continues to have a major influence in contemporary thought, especially the fields of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics. Kant’s theory on morality as often been criticized on being too…
The foundation of the metaphysics of morals is a critical examination of a pure practical reason.…
Immanuel Kant is recognized as the greatest philosopher since Plato and Aristotle (Wolff). He is most widely known for his work in the fields of metaphysics and epistemology (McCormick). Kant published many works regarding his epistemological views, but his most famous work is The Critique of Pure Reason (McCormick). He noted that Descartes had “simply accepted consciousness as an…inexplicable fact” (Wolff). Kant utilized this observation to refute Descartes’ famous quote, “I think, therefore I am,” with a slightly revised premise— “I am conscious” (Wolff).…
Emmanuel Kant (hereinafter “Kant”) believes that Ethics is categorical and states that our moral duties are not dependent on feelings but on reason. He further states that our moral duties are unconditional, universally valid, and necessary, regardless of the possible consequences or opposition to our inclinations (Pojman and Vaughn 239).…
In Kant’s book, The Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, he believes that the “good will” is only good in itself and that reason is what produces the “goodness” of the “good will.” According to Kant, to act out of a “good will” means to act out of “duty,” or doing something because you find it necessary to do. Also, “good will” is will that is in accordance with reason. He believes everyone has a moral obligation or duty to do actions and he backs his theory up by discussing his idea of the “moral law.”…
Fraud is generally defined as an omission of a material fact or a misrepresentation of the truth, intended for personal gain or to cause loss to another party. The act of fraud is most commonly committed in order to deprive another of money, property, or a legal right. Fraud is considered criminal activity, and anyone who is affected by a fraudulent act has the ability to file a lawsuit to collect damages. J.C. Penny was accused of marking up the prices on their products and then discounting them to the original price in order to trick customers into thinking they were receiving heavy discounts and better deals. J.C. Penny committed this act for their own personal gain, and in doing so, they deprived their customers of money that they would…
Immanuel Kant states that the only thing in this world that is “good without qualification” is the good will. He states the attributes of character such as intelligence, wit, and judgment are considered good but can be used for the wrong reasons. Kant also states that the attributes of good fortune such as health, power, riches, honor, that provide one happiness can also be used in the wrong way (7). In order to understand Kant’s view of moral rightness, one must understand that only a good will is unambiguously good without qualification, it is “good in itself”. To clarify, Kant states that “a good will is good not because of what it effects or accomplishes, nor because of its fitness to attain some proposed end; it is good only through its willing, i.e. it is good in itself” (7). To Kant, a good will is the only thing that gives action moral worth. Human beings were granted with reason not only to attain self-preservation and a state of happiness, but “its true function must be to produce a will which is not merely good as a mean to some further end, but it good in itself” (9). Human beings are called to exercise reason through duty to bring a universal good to all. This duty, living according to our highest reason, must be exercised through action that is beneficial and non-contradictory to all. Duty has three major qualifications for Kant. One must recognize that duty is good in itself when an action is performed out of the need of the completion of the duty itself, such as one who abstains from supporting a large restaurant corporation that inhumanely raise cattle or poultry, because he or she recognizes that it is a duty to not perpetuate unethical practice. Or one who carefully recycles their waste not because of the pleasure of being an enlightened “green” individual, but because of the recognition that it is “good in itself” to reuse products. The second…
Jimmy Chung 500 415 174 PHL 710 Philosophy and Film Second Film Analysis David Ciavatta April 17, 2015 In Immanuel Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant establishes what it means to be moral. Kant in his paper explains the requirements for something to be moral in the following propositions: But now in order to develop the concept of a good will, to be esteemed in itself and without any further aim, just as it dwells already in the naturally healthy understanding, which does not need to be taught but rather only to be enlightened, this concept always standing over the estimation of the entire worth of our actions and constituting the condition for everything else: we will put before ourselves the concept of…
Born Immanuel Kant in what is now known, as Kalingrad Russia in 1724, Kant became one of the greatest philosophers since the Greeks. Kant stayed in his hometown for most of his life and became famous for his brilliant mind and thoughts of his own ethical theory. Kant’s ethical theory is an analysis of the bases of the concepts of moral code and moral obligation. His theory goes into breaking down and giving guidelines to those rational beings who wish to live or seek to live a purely good life. They would live this good life through moral and ethical duty, and the good will according to Kant’s categorical imperative.…
In Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, he sets forth to explain the relationship between actions and their moral worth. In this paper, I will begin by explaining what determines the moral worth of actions based on the three types of motivations, distinguishing particularly between actions from duty versus in accordance with duty. Then, I will explain the seeming contradiction set forth in Kant’s examples of actions from duty. Finally, I will describe how Kant believes that most actions stem from a place of self-interest rather than duty, and argue that his distaste for this “self-love” is highly hypocritical.…
Universal Health Care is defined as the belief that all citizens should have access to affordable, high-quality medical care (Anderson, 2013). Currently there are 46 million that do not have health coverage in the United states and this would drastically increase to 72 million if a health reform was not passed (The Economic Case for Health Care Reform, 2012)Why the United States is the last to adopt this government mandated insurance coverage, is possibly one of the most widely asked question around the nation. This, however; is all in the process of changing and will be completed by 2014 with the passing and implantation of Obama-care. There are three systems or levels of coverage under Universal Health Care; Single Payer, Two-Tier, and Insurance Mandate. Could one of these be beneficial to the United States and what is in store for the United States as we moved toward the change?…
Kant, I. (1997). Lectures on ethics (P. Heat, Trans.). P. Heath and J. B. Schneewind (eds.), Cambridge:…
Ever experience a terrible sickness or disease that requires the assistance of a nurse or doctor? The world is vast with the varieties of diseases and people who seek treatment and medicine. Health physicians, such as doctors and nurses, train every day to help continue helping those who are unable to help themselves. The duties of a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) are limitless almost to the point of being capable of completing any line of work in the medical field.…
Bullies are not born, circumstances make bullies. Therefore why can bullies not be helped to make them better adults and have a brighter future? Everyone needs to understand the causes of bullying and try to help prevent it from the underlying cause. By punishing a bully, does that end the problem of bullying or result in more hatred and aggressiveness on part of the bully? “Since bullies are made, not born, rehabilitation is an attainable and preferable alternative to resorting to harsh reprimands or turning a blind eye” (Hanson).…