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| It doesn't matter what your bad desires are- if you act on them, you are a bad person. Function of will obeying moral law |
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| Desire to maximize one's long-term being |
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| Gut reaction in reaction to your emotions-desires- there is only one motive that makes actions morally good- duty |
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| Comes from the feelings, emotions, matter of doing your duty- cannot be commanded |
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| Matter of the will, ability to treat others in accordance with the moral law |
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| Whenever we act intentionally, we are acting on some principle of whenever we act intentionally |
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| Act only on those maxims which you can consistently will as universal laws |
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| Conditional- obligation is based on satisfying a desire- "If you want A, you should do B" |
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| One you cannot give up- "Since you want A, you should do B" |
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| Unconditional- "You aught to do B. Do B!" |
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| What happens to those who steal and enjoy doing it? |
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| Moral obligations don't exist to contribute to the satisfaction for human desires- independent foundations- they are still breaking the moral law |
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| Problematic Imperative Argument |
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Definition
1. If the Supreme Principle of Morality were a problematic imperative, then it would not be binding on all possible rational beings
2. But, the SPM is binding on all possible rational beings
3. SPM is not a problematic imperative |
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Term
| Assertonic Imperative argument |
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Definition
1. If the SPM were an assertonic imperative, then it would not be binding on all possible rational beings
2. But, the SPM is binding on all possible rational beings
3. SPM is not an assertonic imperative
(Some rational beings may have no desires)
1. If the SPM then it would not be a strict rule but only a counsel of prudence (usually true)
2. But the SPM is a strict rule, and not a mere "counsel of prudence"
3. SPM is not an assertonic imperative |
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Term
| Why should we follow the moral law? |
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Definition
| NOT to lead to happiness because it is good in its own sake (Aristotle) but it is not because of desires that we are bound to moral law- but it is because we are free and it is in our nature. |
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| If we are free beings, if we have free will, then we have to be bound by some law- a law that abstracts itself from the desires of particular beings is the moral law |
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| Unfree country- law imposed by some other country |
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1. Willing something that is impossible (willing P and not P)
2. Having two acts of will |
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| Personal maxim versus general maxim |
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Definition
| Whenever I need money, I will borrow some versus Whenever anyone needs money, he will borrow some |
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| Perfect duty versus imperfect duty |
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| Must be performed each and every time a performance presents itself versus choice is left up to the individual person |
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Personal: When continuing to live will bring more pain than pleasure, I will kill myself from self-love.
General: Whenever continuing to live will bring anyone more pain than pleasure, he will commit suicide out of self-love.
1. General cannot be a law of nature
2. If (1), then the agent can't will it to be a law of nature.
3. General is right if the agent of it can consistently will that it be a law of nature
4. Therefore, A is not right |
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| Making people promises you cannot keep would nullify all promises- no one would accept them- it cannot be a law of nature |
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| People may not want to develop their talents out of laziness and idleness |
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You aught always to act so as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or that of another, always as an end and never merely as a means.
It is morally right for S to do act A if and only if in performing A, S treats no human being as a mere means. |
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| Person is either harmed or not compensated, or is treated in a way that they do not want |
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Definition
1. Every event has a cause.
2. All causes are events.
3. Every event is causally necessitated by prior events and conditions. If an event E happens, then given prior events and conditions, E HAD to happen |
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Term
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Definition
1. Some events are uncaused.
2. All causes are events.
3. If an event has a cause, then it is causally necessitated by prior events and conditions |
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Definition
1. Either determinism or indeterminism is true.
2. If D is true, then we are not morally responsible for our actions (they are predetermined)
3. If I is true, then we are not morally responsible for our actions (they are just random)
4. We are not morally responsible for our actions. |
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Term
| Aristotle's Theory of agent causation |
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Definition
1. Every event has a cause (there are no random events)
2. Some causes are not events- they are agents
3. When an action is caused by an agent, the agent has the power to cause or to not cause that action. |
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| Kant's Argument of freedom |
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Definition
1. We have moral obligations (duties) if and only if we are free- ought implies can and cannot.
2. If we are free, then we have duties, we are bound by the moral law
3. We have moral obligations if and only if we are free. |
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| Certain truths we know to be true. Why? |
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Definition
| Because time and space and causation are the way the human mind organizes experience. |
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| Causes things-in-themselves, transcends human experiences- the world is not simply a world of appearances- there must be something underlying |
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| Cause and effect- rational world, world of appearances |
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