Standard FormStandard Form►1. State your position1. State your position►2. 12. 1stst Premise (Fact 1: State fact and source) Premise (Fact 1: State fact and source)►3. 23. 2ndnd Premise (Fact 2: State fact and source) Premise (Fact 2: State fact and source)►4. 34. 3rdrd Premise (Fact 3: State fact and source) Premise (Fact 3: State fact and source)►5. 45. 4thth Premise (Fact 4: State fact and source) Premise (Fact 4: State fact and source)►6. Counter Argument6. Counter Argument►7. Response to Counter Argument7. Response to Counter Argument►8. Conclusion8. Conclusion

Evaluating Moral Evaluating Moral ArgumentsArguments

Structure of a Moral Argument Structure of a Moral Argument about Actionsabout Actions

(1) Action A has feature F.(1) Action A has feature F.(2) It is morally good/bad to do (2) It is morally good/bad to do

actions that have feature F.actions that have feature F.Therefore,Therefore,(3) You should/should not do A.(3) You should/should not do A.

Consequentialist Moral Consequentialist Moral Argument FormArgument Form

(1) Some action causes a particular (1) Some action causes a particular effect effect

(a consequence)(a consequence)

(2) Causing this particular effect is right (2) Causing this particular effect is right or wrongor wrong

ThereforeTherefore(3) People should / should not do the (3) People should / should not do the action in questionaction in question

Deontological Moral Deontological Moral ArgumentsArguments

(1) Action A has intrinsic feature F.(1) Action A has intrinsic feature F.

(2) It is morally good/bad to do actions (2) It is morally good/bad to do actions with intrinsic feature F.with intrinsic feature F.

Therefore,Therefore,(3) H should/should not do A.(3) H should/should not do A.

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Kant’s Moral Kant’s Moral TheoryTheory

6

Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant1724-18041724-1804

GermanGerman

Wrote on many subjectsWrote on many subjects

Critique of Pure ReasonCritique of Pure Reason

7

Requirements for MoralityRequirements for MoralityFree WillFree Will

RationalityRationality

Moral Autonomy Moral Autonomy

8

Happiness?Happiness?We are not here to be HappyWe are not here to be Happy

ButBut

To be Worthy of HappinessTo be Worthy of Happiness

9

If happiness were the goal of If happiness were the goal of human lifehuman life

Then we would be controlled by Then we would be controlled by our instincts not reasonour instincts not reason

The more you know the more pain The more you know the more pain and suffering you experienceand suffering you experience

10

Good WillGood WillOnly thing in the world that cannot Only thing in the world that cannot

be pervertedbe perverted

Although we might not always be Although we might not always be able to do the right thingable to do the right thing

We must always We must always wantwant to do the to do the right thingright thing

11

Categorical ImperativeCategorical ImperativeAbsolute CommandAbsolute Command

of of Moral reasonMoral reason

12

Deontological EthicsDeontological EthicsMorality based upon dutyMorality based upon duty

It is our duty to follow the It is our duty to follow the Categorical ImperativeCategorical Imperative

13

Hypothetical ImperativeHypothetical Imperative►Possible CommandPossible Command

14

Moral Worth of an ActionMoral Worth of an ActionBased Upon OurBased Upon Our

IntentionsIntentions

Not Not The ConsequencesThe Consequences

of the Actionof the Action

15

Why?Why?1. Because doing what is right has 1. Because doing what is right has

intrinsic valueintrinsic value

2. Since we are not God, we cannot 2. Since we are not God, we cannot guarantee that what we intent to guarantee that what we intent to

happen will actually happenhappen will actually happen

16

ThereforeThereforeWe are only responsible for what We are only responsible for what

we have complete control overwe have complete control over

OUR INTENTIONSOUR INTENTIONS

17

Wallet ExampleWallet Example

18

11stst Formulation FormulationAct only on the maxim that you Act only on the maxim that you could will to be a universal law of could will to be a universal law of

nature without contradictionnature without contradiction

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What is a Maxim?What is a Maxim?An IntentionAn Intention

OrOrReasonReason

for doing somethingfor doing something

20

What is a Universal Law of What is a Universal Law of Nature?Nature?

Something that must happen Something that must happen whether or not we want it towhether or not we want it to

Example:Example:GravityGravity

21

Without Contradiction?Without Contradiction?Every time we are going to actEvery time we are going to act

We are to think about why we want We are to think about why we want to take that actionto take that action

Then imagine how we might write Then imagine how we might write out a statement expressing our out a statement expressing our

reasons for actionreasons for action

22

If the action we are thinking about If the action we are thinking about taking is taking is morally wrongmorally wrong

Then we will see a Then we will see a contradictioncontradiction in in the sentence stating our the sentence stating our

intentionsintentions

23

ExampleExampleWe want to borrow money from a We want to borrow money from a

bankbank

But we have no intention of paying But we have no intention of paying the money back to the bankthe money back to the bank

What would a statement look like What would a statement look like expressing this intention?expressing this intention?

24

It is morally acceptable It is morally acceptable to sign ato sign a

promissory notepromissory note to pay back the moneyto pay back the money

when I havewhen I haveno intention of keeping my no intention of keeping my

promisepromise to pay the money backto pay the money back

25

Contradiction?Contradiction?I make a promiseI make a promisewith no intentionwith no intention

of keeping the promiseof keeping the promise

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22ndnd Formulation FormulationAlways treat people asAlways treat people as

ends in themselvesends in themselvesnever as means to an endnever as means to an end

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Don’t use peopleDon’t use people

Why?Why?

Because human beings have Because human beings have intrinsic valueintrinsic value

RationalityRationalityFree WillFree Will

Moral AutonomyMoral Autonomy

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We use objectsWe use objectsnot peoplenot people

Pornography?Pornography?

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Conscience?Conscience? ►We might think of the Categorical We might think of the Categorical

Imperative as our conscienceImperative as our conscience

►The sense of what is right or The sense of what is right or wrong in our behavior and wrong in our behavior and

motivesmotives

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Copernican RevolutionCopernican Revolution

Synthetic A Priori KnowledgeSynthetic A Priori Knowledge

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““Although all knowledge begins Although all knowledge begins with experience, it by no means with experience, it by no means follows that all knowledge arises follows that all knowledge arises

out of experience”out of experience”

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Transcendental Structure Transcendental Structure of Mindof Mind

Our minds have a structure that we Our minds have a structure that we impose upon all the information impose upon all the information

we receive thru experiencewe receive thru experience

33

SpaceSpace

TimeTime

CausalityCausality

Moral LawMoral Law

34

Synthetic A Priori Synthetic A Priori KnowledgeKnowledge

We know a priori that all our We know a priori that all our experiences will include experiences will include

SpaceSpaceTimeTime

CausalityCausalityMoral LawMoral Law

35

Conscience?Conscience? ►We might think of the Categorical We might think of the Categorical

Imperative as our conscienceImperative as our conscience

►The sense of what is right or The sense of what is right or wrong in our behavior and wrong in our behavior and

motivesmotives