Kantian Moral Theory Kant s Philosophy - 1328 Words

Kantian Moral Theory In general, society considers lying to be negative and therefore one should not lie. Telling the truth is the morally right thing to do, and we should always be honest. Telling lies can leave us very stressed out and cause us to be deceitful towards others. We end up distorting ones views and perhaps even our own when we tell a lie that can lead to a snowball effect. Immanuel Kant has some of the strictest views on lying, and some philosophers claim there is something erroneous in his theory. He maintains that telling a lie is a violation of one’s duty to be truthful to everyone and shows a lack of respect. Even though Kant never gives a direct statement about what is a lie, he presents us with the ethics behind the his moral theory. Kant proposes an argument that it still debated about to this day. He claims if a murderer shows up at your door looking for a person that you know the whereabouts of, it is your moral obligation is to tell the murderer where the person is. Although this argument can be argued to be morally correct, one could simply not tell the truth to the murderer, due to human nature. Kant presents us with a strong argument about lying. The problem with Kant’s argument is that he says it is wrong to tell a lie and one should never resort to it. It is one’s duty to always be truthful. Kant says that if one is to tell a lie, then they are violating the duty to themselves. There are two formulas when interpreting Kant s ethics. The firstShow MoreRelatedKantian Ethics And The Categorical Imperative Essay1581 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Kantian Ethics and critiques In Elements of Pure Practical Reason Book, I, Immanuel Kant, a prominent late Enlightenment Era German philosopher discusses his most famous ethical theory, the â€Å"Categorical Imperative.† The â€Å"Categorical Imperative† is a proposed universal law in stating all humans are forbidden from certain actions regardless of consequences. Although this is the general definition of this ethical theory, the Categorical Imperative† exists in two above formulations, A strictRead MoreThe Between Utilitarianism And Deontology1345 Words   |  6 Pageswhat is morally just? Immanuel Kant, the founder of Deontology, along with Jeremy Bentham and James Mills, the founders of Utilitarianism, all attempted to answer this question. Bentham and Mills’ Utilitarianism stresses maximizing pleasure and happiness in the world over pain and unhappiness. 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Per Kantian ethics, itRead MoreThe Metaphysic Of Morals By Immanuel Kant1199 Words   |  5 PagesGroundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant: A Reflection and Analysis Author name Name of institutionâ€Æ' In man’s attempt to figure out what is right or wrong, they have developed a number of systems that purportedly deal with such matters. Immanuel Kant expanded on his moral philosophy in his work, Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals. This paper will be a reflection upon Kantian ethical principles presented therein and their relation to what is generally called morality. PeopleRead MoreWhat Has Posterity Ever Done For Me By Robert Heilbroner1626 Words   |  7 PagesNatasha Jayez Philosophy 20 6/26/17 Moral Responsibility to Posterity An increasing number of people believe that we have responsibilities towards future generations in regards to preserving the planet. In this paper, I will present Heilbroner s arguments for posterity, in relation to how we treat our environment. In addition, I will compare two ethical theories, Kant s Categorical Imperative to Mill s theory of Utilitarianism