CAS PH 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Hypothetical Imperative, Categorical Imperative

• School: Boston University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: CAS PH 150
• Professor: Suzanne Sreedhar

Document Summary

The only thing that has value in itself is a good will. Kant argues this point by showing that other things we believe are good have qualifications. Ex: intelligence, courage, power, riches, and self-control ( moderation ) are can all be evil if they are combined with malicious intentions. Ex: a smart serial killer is very dangerous. Acting from duty: doing something because it is the right thing to do (a good will does this) Acting in accordance with duty: doing something that is technically the right thing, but you are doing it because you have other motives. For kant, actions are all about the intentions, not the affects (results) If you try your best to save the drowning child but fail, you still did the morally good thing. Hypothetical imperative: if you want x, do y. Ex: if you want a good grade, you ought to study. However, if x is gone, doing y isn"t necessary anymore.