Morality And Kant

7 Pages 1807 Words

Morality According to Kant
“All rational knowledge is either material, and concerns some object, or formal, and is occupied only with the form of understanding and reason itself and with the universal rules of thinking, without regard to distinctions among objects”(page 3). Kant uses these thoughts throughout all of his writings; all of his comments, thoughts, and views relate back to this principle. Kant expresses his views on morality, duty, good will, and moral duty through out the “Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals.” I agree with many of Kant’s views of these principles, but at the same time disagree with the extremes he takes in trying to persuade the reader.
The first “proposition of morality” is that you have to have done something to achieve moral worth. On page 14, Kant says that action done out of “vanity or selfishness” is not true moral worth. Kant uses the example of a sorrowful man. Although this man is sorrowful, he still helped others around him. While helping others, he could not accept sympathy from them because he was so preoccupied with his own sorrows. He doesn’t receive anything in return for his help; now, since he is not receiving anything for his help, he has done this act with “genuine moral worth.” He is helping others without even being aware of the effect he is having on them. On page 16 it states, “An action done from duty does not have its moral worth in the purpose which is to be achieved through it but in the maxim whereby it is determined.” This quote is Kant’s second proposition of morality. Kant’s second proposition is a lot like the first. I think what Kant is trying to say that when someone does something, not to benefit him or herself, it is done for “duty.” When I read this I thought of politicians. When a politician is campaigning he promises “lower taxes” and “better health benefits.” Although he may actually try to achieve these ...