Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading content…
Loading…
Transcript

Ethical Views of Morality (Kant and Mill)

By: Mallory Sivard

Nwankwo Chukwuebuka Justin

Sahar Sadruddin

What is Morality ?

  • Morality is a discipline that is concerned with what is right and wrong

  • Other definition: Morals are set of rules that we ought to obey. It set the principles on what is right or wrong

Who tells us what is right or wrong?:

  • Culture
  • Religion
  • Parents etc

But under what principles of morality do these people base their ideas on

  • Many Philosophers have brought up various ideas on how the principles of morality can be justified.

  • The ethical views on morality of two of these Philosophers (Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill) will be analyzed

Positives of Kant's Views on Morality

Limitations of Mill's Ethical views on Morality

People have virtue as human beings

Not using people as an ends to a means

Ex: The Tuskegee Syphilis

Experiments

Introduce Kant and Mill

Mill's view on morality

Not deceiving others

  • The ends don't always justify the means. Imagine killing a healthy person and giving his organs to five people. The balance of happiness over harm supports this but we all know this is wrong.

  • Also, people cannot be trusted. If people are given absolute freedom to choose when to act in order to attain greater good, they will be selfish and try to justify their actions that they were for the greater good

Kant's ethical View on morality

Maxims: Generalized rule of a motive; How likely to be a universal law

Immanuel Kant: (1724–1804) German Philosopher, Deontologists, autonomous will

Freedom of Choice

  • He supported the value of utilitarianism as a moral theory

  • Mill defines utilitarianism as a theory based on the principle that "actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness
  • Kant believes that Morality is based off of Duty (Deontology)

  • Duty is an obligation that we freely impose onto ourselves

  • Morality is equal to rationality, and moral actions can be considered through the rationality of the motive. For morality to be valid, it must apply to all rational beings

Happiness is difficult to measure.

John Stuart Mill: (1806-1873) British philosopher, economist, moral and political theorist, Consequentialist,

heteronomous will

Mills View Continued

Qualities of Pleasure

Limitations of Kant's Ethical views on Morality

1. Higher Order - (Scientific knowledge, Artistic Creativity, Philosophy)

Positives of Utilitarianism

2. Lower Order - (Sensual Activities- eating, drinking, sex)

Mill ranks higher order enjoyments higher than lower order. Best human life comes from higher order, empirical evidence to support this

Kant's View Continued

Morality is for the greatest good of the greatest

number.

  • Is the goodwill always good without qualification? Can't one with goodwill who always try to do his duty create misery instead?

  • For example, imagine a student running around campus taking cigarettes from other students mouth. This student is only trying to help but still, he or she might end up getting arrested or beaten up

Happiness of all concerned - Universal

  • It is a system that tends to create a happier life for an individual

  • Utilitarianism is secular -it doesn't rely on specific beliefs. In today's multicultural society, with a range of religious beliefs and growing number of atheists, a secular theory like this is most useful

  • Feelings don't count as motivation, as they're unreliable

  • This does not mean that helping people is only good if you hate it. The point is that you would help even if you didn't like it, because it's your duty

An acts value depends on the outcome not the intent or motive.

Terms to Define

Conclusion

Two Types of Moral Theory

Consequentialist: Locates morality in the consequences

Deontologists: Morality is located in the duties and rights

Types of Wills

Autonomous: Morality with respect to humans having free will

Heteronomous: Morality with respect to others, obedience to rules already set in place

  • Society is more apt to follow Mill's view of morality. For example, we tend to help our family, friends rather than strangers.

  • Also, society does not like to be told what to do

Citations

  • Johnson, Robert. "Kant's Moral Philosophy." Stanford University. Stanford University, 23 Feb. 2004. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/>.
  • "Kant v. Mill: Pros and Cons." Kant v. Mill: Pros and Cons. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
  • Wilson, Fred. "John Stuart Mill." Stanford University. Stanford University, 03 Jan. 2002. Web. 27 Apr. 2015
Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi