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The 3 formulations of the categorical imperative
Basics of kantian ethics
The 3 formulations of the categorical imperative
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Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy either because the baby is unwanted or the mother requires the abortion due to medical complications. With this issue the controversy lies in three moral groups of thought. First, the conservative view that believes that abortion defies moral law and/or should only be used to when medically necessary for the mother. The liberal view states that an abortion can be used regardless of the reason because the decision solely rests with the mother. Lastly, the moderate view believes that the act of aborting is justified to a wavering point. After review of the different positions on abortion and Kant’s ideals on morals, specifically categorical imperative, Kant’s view point on this controversial issue would be conservative or against abortion. In the second section of Kant’s writing, he begins discussing imperatives. Kant defines imperatives as “an ought and thereby indicate the relation of an objective law of reason to a will which in its subjective constitution is not necessarily determined by that law (a necessitation).” Kant deciphers imperatives into two categories: hypothetical and categorical. Hypothetical imperatives are actions or decisions made to achieve another purpose and based from emotion. Categorical imperatives are actions or decisions that are done necessarily based from reason. What category would Kant put abortion and childbirth into? The reason for pregnancy is to expand the human population and this action is necessary for our survival; this statement concludes that this action exists among categorical imperative. One reason for abortion fulfills an emotional need such as termination of an unwanted pregnancy. Abortion also supplies another purpose, to create anot... ... middle of paper ... ...nature, this suggests pregnancy is a practical and natural law. Abortion being the opposite would be a counter to practical and natural law. Kant drives the point of home by stating “Act only in accordance with that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law.” Since abortion will never become a universal law and pregnancy is the universal law for repopulation, pregnancy is the only acceptable choice. Bibliography Barry, Vincent, Olen, Jeffrey, & Van Camp, Julie C. Applying Ethics: A Text with Readings, Tenth Edition. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011. Kant, Immanuel, translated by Wood, Allen W. Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002. http://www.inp.uw.edu.pl/mdsie/Political_Thought/Kant%20-%20groundwork%20for%20the%20metaphysics%20of%20morals%20with%20essays.pdf
Kant, Immanuel, and Mary J. Gregor. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge UP, 1998. Print.
Imagine…the birth of a human being into the world. 9 months of endless anticipation leading to someone’s first chance at seeing the world for the first time. While some enjoy the result of a pregnancy, leading to a new human being entering life, some are not so fond, or just can’t be in such a situation. Abortion is the supposed “cure” to this problem and is, for the most part, done safely. However, one of the factors stopping someone from committing an abortion is the consideration of moral status on the child.
Johnson, R 2014, ‘Kant's Moral Philosophy,’ The Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (Spring Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), .
Kant, Immanuel. Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals. Trans. H. J. Paton. 1964. Reprint. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Thought, 2009. Print.
When it comes to abortion Kant’s position is better than Aristotle’s and should be used. Kant believed in Deontology; a duty theory. This theory stated that actions must be done because we know it is our duty. The duty would be to do the right thing even if it is contrary to our inclinations. Kant thought that more often than not our moral duty went against our personal desires because we are unable to separate emotion from reason. Abortion is a perfect example of this. Many abortions take place because the mothers feel as if having the child would ruin their lives. By doing this they are putting their morals aside to prevent an innocent child from what they think would be ruining their lives. Morality comes from doing your duty and
To analyze the question of "Is abortion moral? " one must not take different examples, but use a single example that includes most, if not all of the cases. The only exception, for the reasons I will state afterwards, is sexual harassment. This is the only extreme case that occurs in real life. To strengthen the argument I will try to look from a Kantian perspective. .
Abortion is an immoral act of killing and there are other much more logical moral ways to handle unwanted pregnancies. This paper full of information is to show the crewel harsh side of abortion so people can know that there is more to the act than the convenience makes it look like. The baby doesn’t just disappear, the baby dies. Please refer to this to inform others, many people have no idea and this paper will help them
In 1990, the number of abortions in the U.S increased in number to 1.55 million a year and remained at this level for about 10 years(NRLC 2). After all this time, it seems that mankind has finally started to realize the dignity of a human person. The Catholic Church teaches formal participation in the act of an abortion is a grave offense and that since the time of the First Century, the Church has declared righteous evil of every performed abortion(Catechism of the Catholic Church 548). The Catholic moral law of the church is that "You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. God, the Lord of Life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men mus...
Abortion is a voluminous topic today all around the world. Differing viewpoints on abortion are recognized in politics, religion, and throughout the general population. There is a small amount of people who are nonchalant on the subject. Women have abortions for many different reasons and according to certain groups these reasons are either justified or not. Everyone tends to have their own articulated opinion, and many vocalize tenaciously what they believe. Pro-life individuals along with religion are sanguine that abortion is ethically and morally erroneous. Whereas those who are pro-choice say that abortion is inconsequential and the mother’s choice is more important than the fetus. Reasons to not get an abortion include risks involved in receiving an abortion. In some cases death can occur. However, there are other alternatives to abortion. For example, raising the child and adoption.
There are many limitations valued when it comes to the right of abortion. The news media still outlines the pros and cons of anti-abortion rights in certain-states-to soon, the entire country. My perspectives on the issue of abortion have been entitled from it to never be banned among citizen’s rights. The reproduction of pregnancy has been emphasized heavily on a mother’s decision to abort their child, but the father of the child plays an active role since he considers to that particular title. Through this current issue, majority of the people against abortion do not seem to have an open mind to how much it primarily affects the decision of the mother amongst her own views of considering abortion.
To conclude, while Gensler does make a sound Kantian argument against the morality of abortion through his use of the logical consistency and universability test, he actually fails to prove that maxims regarding abortion cannot be universalized. As Feldman argues in her work, a rational agent can be both happy to be alive and also find the idea of his/her mother having a right to choose what happens to her body and hence acknowledging the possibility of his/her being aborted as a fetus to be acceptable. Thus, Gensler’s argument seems illogical with regard to Kantian ethics and what is more, he even fails to view the pregnant woman as an active moral agent and neglects her reasons for choosing the abortion. Further, through her discussion of
Abortion may appear ethical or unethical depending on various viewpoints and circumstances. The fetus is considered a person and bringing it to term may be unethical as the act is considered as murder. In some situations, the mother may require to terminate a pregnancy for her bodily autonomy (Johnston, 2003). In such positions, the resolution to terminate a pregnancy may be argued as the most ethical choice. The mother is also considered to having a reasonable level of ethical responsibility to the fetus, because she did not take enough precaution to ensure avoiding conception (Cline, 2014). The mother’s ethical responsibility to the fetus may not be enough to deprive her choice of abortion; it...
For example, a mother who opts to abort lives a life full of misery and guilt following her unethical action. The same issue is explored by Kant, where he argues that frequent abortions would make the human race extinct. Therefore, not irrational or good to the society. Lastly, they argue that abortion denies the fetus the right to life which is granted by the Human Rights Commission. Judith Thomson argument that a human embryo is a person indicates that he or she has the right to life, and no one has a right to terminate it (Baird & Stuart, 78). Therefore, abortion is unacceptable, irrational and immoral action to
Fred Feldman, 'Kant's Ethics Theory: Exposition and Critique' from H. J. Curzer, ed Ethical Theory and Moral Problems, Belmont, Ca: Wadsworth Publishing Co. 1999.
Abortion is an extremely controversial issue and one that is continually on the forefront of debates. Those who oppose the idea (Pro-lifers), thinks it is an act of woman playing “God” who live from who dies. Yet, whether an unborn baby constitutes a normal person is questionable; a pregnant woman, on the other hand, has the undeniable right to choose whether she wants to have a child or not. Therefore, the decision to have an abortion is the personal choice and responsibility of the woman, because prohibiting abortion impedes freedom of choice and endangers the physical and mental health of women.