Philosophy 2700F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Consequentialism, Categorical Imperative, Universal Law
17 May 2018
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Week 8: March 6th, Tuesday
If, otast, disappoitets ad hopeless ise hae etiel take aa soeoes taste fo
life; if the wretched person, strong in soul and more angered at fate than faint-hearted or cast down,
longs for death and still preserves life without loving it – not from inclination or fear but out of duty –
the ideed that pesos ai has a oal oth :
*I pointed this out before; glad Kant also took this scenario into consideration.
“uppose, the that the id of a humanitarian was overclouded by sorrows of his own, which
extinguished all compassion for the fate of others, but that he still had the power to assist others in
distress; suppose though that their adversity no longer stirred him, because he is preoccupied with
his own; and now imagine that, though no longer moved by inclination, he nevertheless tears himself
out of this deadly apathy and does the action without any inclination, solely out of duty. Then for the
first time his action has genuine moral worth :
- Basically, someone who no longer has the inclination to help others because of some downfall in
their own lives, but they still continue to perform these duties out of a sense of moral duty, then this
humanitarian work is worthy of esteem
- Someone who no longer wants to live, but continues to do so for the sake of someone else, or out of
duty (religious duty), also deserves esteem
- Here we see the good will – these actions have moral worth, because they are done from duty
What about happiness?
- Happiness: the sum of the satisfaction of all our inclinations
- We have an indirect duty to promote our own happiness
o Indirect because it is a means to ensure we are fulfilling our duties
- Fo uhapp people ae oe likel to tasgess thei duties
*So if these people pursue their own happiness, does that mean that their actions to reach this point
deserves no esteem (because they are fulfilling their inclinations, and not doing anything out of duty)? It
sounds a bit contradictory. Because people who are trying to be happy, are in some aspect, currently
unhappy. But he says unhappy people transgress their duties because they may go against moral duties
to remedy their unhappiness – but if this is to reach happiness, it is supposed to be good.
Example: We smoke o a ell defied pleasue ee though e ko i the futue this ill
ause ha flutuatig idea eause e thik it ight ot ause ha. But i this ase, thee is a
la to poote oes o happiess – when we act on it against inclination and because it is our
duty, our action possesses moral worth
*But this pesos happiess aises fo sokig. “o if happiess is the euieet, the he should
e alloed to do hat he ats. The la statig that he is poote his o happiess, is essentially
gouded o the idea that this a should pesee his life. But hat if that doest ake hi
happy? Then by stopping his smoking habits, he will be promoting unhappiness
Our duties (according to Kant):
1.
2.
3.
1. One ought to make oneself perfect (one ought to ipoe oes udestadig ad to set
oes eds ith the liits of oalit
2.
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Document Summary
Then for the first time his action has genuine moral worth(cid:863) (cid:894)(cid:1008):(cid:1007)(cid:1013)(cid:1012)(cid:895) Someone who no longer wants to live, but continues to do so for the sake of someone else, or out of duty (religious duty), also deserves esteem. Here we see the good will these actions have moral worth, because they are done from duty. Happiness: the sum of the satisfaction of all our inclinations. We have an indirect duty to promote our own happiness. Indirect because it is a means to ensure we are fulfilling our duties. Fo(cid:396) u(cid:374)happ(cid:455) people a(cid:396)e (cid:373)o(cid:396)e likel(cid:455) to (cid:862)t(cid:396)a(cid:374)sg(cid:396)ess(cid:863) thei(cid:396) duties. Because people who are trying to be happy, are in some aspect, currently unhappy. But he says unhappy people transgress their duties because they may go against moral duties to remedy their unhappiness but if this is to reach happiness, it is supposed to be good.
