(1724-1804). Kant developed a highly influential moral theory according to which autonomy is a necessary property to be the kind of being whose interests are to count directly in the moral assessment of actions. According to Kant‚ morally permissible actions are those actions that could be willed by all rational individuals in the circumstances. The important part of his conception for the moral status of animals is his reliance on the notion of willing. While both animals and human
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Immanuel Kant and Aristotle agree that all rational beings desire happiness and that all rational beings at least should desire moral righteousness. However‚ their treatments of the relationship between the two are starkly opposed. While Aristotle argues that happiness and morality are nearly synonymous (in the respect that virtue necessarily leads to happiness)‚ Kant claims that not only does happiness have no place in the realm of morality‚ but that a moral action usually must contradict the actor’s
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Heidegger‚ Kant‚ and the Ontological Argument In the introduction to The Basic Problems of Phenomenology‚ Martin Heidegger explains that throughout the history of philosophy‚ there has been many discoveries of the “domains of being” viz.‚ “nature‚ space‚ and soul”.1 Yet‚ none of these discoveries could be understood in a way that explains “their specific being.”2 As an example‚ Heidegger interprets this problem as the reason Plato understood why the soul‚ along with its logos‚ was a different
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others rights are met. Furthermore‚ in historical context‚ the obligation to the state has been explained by many political philosophers such as‚ Jean Jacques Rousseau‚ Immanuel Kant‚ and David Hume. Rousseau believed in a social contract‚ while Hume had a more pragmatic approach focusing on the usefulness of the state‚ and Kant focused on an individuals moral obligation to the state. Rousseau‚ describes the relationship between the state and a person as contractual‚ thereby explaining the state as a
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in order to go to heaven. Through this belief‚ an individual may not be actually acting morally being that their desire to be good is motivated by the purpose of going to heaven. Without this motive‚ someone may not be inclined to act in such a way. Kant and Aristotle both cover this idea of purpose. Aristotle believes that people’s actions are governed through their desire to achieve happiness. According to Aristotle‚ the purpose of human life is by happiness through living your life entirely by
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philosopher Immanuel Kant introduced the the categorical imperative inferring that moral correctness constitutes universal law. For example‚ reason has it that lying is morally wrong. To make an exception for lying to a Nazi to protect a Jew from harm is unethical. In the exception‚ a new opposing absolute allowing everyone to lye is created. It is not possible to universalize lying. All people must follow the same rule. Not following the universal rule makes the action wrong. Kant states “Act in such
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Kant philosophy has contributed in development of "pure" moral philosophy‚ a "metaphysics of morals" that is based on the concepts of reason‚ not on empirical observations. According to his philosophy moral obligations are applicable to all human beings as it applies not only for particular person in particular situation‚ but also to all rational beings in all circumstances. The principle of humanity is not borrowed from experience as this is a universal principle and this applies to all rational
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with morals and politics. Human nature is the basic substance shared by human beings‚ and is thus important in making sense of society and all its complexities along with the individual man and his liberties. Two prominent philosophers‚ Rousseau and Kant‚ express conjectures on human nature in their essays. Rousseau focuses on man in the untainted state of nature. He believes that the lack of knowledge and morality in savage man is better than the evils resulting from social inequalities‚ insisting
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Antigone‚ like Kant‚ is governed by a philosophy of duty‚ but one that is very different from Kant’s. Antigone’s duty is to the gods. Unlike Kant who follows a sort of subjective moral law‚ Antigone’s moral law is far less arbitrary. She is obligated to uphold her family duties regardless of the circumstances. I believe this is what separates Antigone from both Mill and Kant‚ as well as Smith. Her actions are independent of circumstances. There
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References: Collins‚ J. (1967). The British Empiricists: St. Louis. The Bruce Publishing Company. Collins‚ J. (1967). The Continental Rationalists: St. Louis. The Bruce Publishing Company. Lamprecht‚ S. (1955). Our Philosophical Traditions: A Brief History of Philosophy in Western Civilization. New York. Appleton Century Crofts. Rogers‚ J. B. (1981). Introduction to Philosophy: A Case Study Approach. San Francisco‚ CA: Harper & Row. .
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