Analysis Of Immanuel Kant's View On Moral Law And Duty Ethics

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Immanuel Kant, Kantian deontology, is considered a fundamental figure of modern philosophy. Of his many principles, one of the most interesting by far is that of his take on moral law and duty ethics. It is Kant’s belief that an act of duty does not stem from personal ideals, but that it should come from respect for the moral law. There is no place for personal beliefs in these values. As will later be discussed in detail, Martin, Meaningful Work, disagrees with this opinion; Martin believes personal ideals and morals play a large role. This paper will explore not only both sides of this argument, but also exactly what an act of duty is, what would be required to make an act moral, how good will plays a part, and just how important autonomy is when the laws of morality are involved. As I stated above, Kant believes that to act from duty, one is required to perform out of respect for the moral law. But what exactly is the moral law? The moral law is, in the simplest terms, rational will that is guided by neutrality and universalized reason. To know exactly how the moral law applies to each situation, the categorical imperative is used. To put it simply, the categorical imperative is a law, or rule, for testing rules. It requires that before acting you think about the maxim, or …show more content…

However, Martin disagrees on Kant’s “pure respect for the moral law in acts of duty”. Martin’s belief is that it is essential to autonomy that emotions and personal ideals play a part in duty ethics. Martin thinks that it is too cold and clinical in a way that emotions have no part in Kant’s principles. Relating to Martin’s beliefs, Kantian ethics says that involving too many emotions blurs the lines of duty ethics and because of this paternalism and becoming too involved and too attached to a patient is a result. This is why there are rules to follow, because personal ideals get in the

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