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¶ … human life be more valuable than another? William Godwin's thought experiment concerning Fenelon and his valet is intended to argue precisely this point. Godwin proposed a burning building with two people in it, Fenelon and his servant. Godwin argues "that life ought to be preferred which will be most conducive to the general good" and concludes that the moralist who would write the "immortal Telemachus" is therefore more valuable than the domestic servant. Even though students today are unlikely to have heard of Fenelon or share Godwin's high estimation of him, the thought experiment still stands. I propose, however, that applying the moral philosophy of Kant to Godwin's problem will demonstrate that Godwin's ethical sense here is no more infallible than his sense of Fenelon's literary immortality.
Kant's ethical theory is primarily concerned with the motivations for performing a moral action, not with the effects or consequences that the action has in the world or on other people. As a result Kantian moral principles are intended to rest on a kind of unimpeachable universalizing basis that Kant refers to as the "categorical imperative." The...
Kant's deontological ethics are intended to replace or oppose a notion of consequentialist ethics, which sees the moral behavior not in the motivation and in the act itself, but in the results of the action. Godwin's thought experiment is basically a textbook definition of consequentialist ethics. He even frames the experiment so that Fenelon is on the brink of writing his supposedly immortal book, and so the consequence of saving Fenelon is therefore better than saving the servant -- even if the servant is my father or brother. This last element highlights one particularly shoddy aspect of Godwin's reasoning. If we judge moral actions solely by their consequences, this gives us no criterion to judge between different types of actions. Godwin has laid down a supposedly logical basis for moral behavior, but then expects us to consider it self-evident that the life of Fenelon is more valuable than the life of the valet, although in the twenty-first…
Utilitarianism and Categorical Imperatives A Comparison of the Theories of Utilitarianism and Categorical Imperatives The principles of Utilitarianism and Categorical Imperatives contradict each other on many fronts. Both provide a rational for making moral decisions, both have benefits and flaws. A compelling argument can be made for each. From my perspective the principal's of Kant exemplify a more ethical way to conduct life. Utilitarianism Utilitarianism as a specific school of thought is generally credited
The concept of duty implies the need to overcome some obstacle in order to act, and it is foolish to speak of God as having to overcome any obstacles whatever. To explain further the notion of duty, Kant uses as an example a merchant who does not overcharge an inexperienced customer. This decision is completely in accord with duty. Assume, though that the merchant avoids overcharging so that he
However, although utilitarianism traditionally promotes the greatest good for the greatest number, in actuality, in his second chapter on Utilitarianism, Mill criticizes Kant's categorical imperative as the same as utilitarianism since it involves calculating the good or bad consequences of an action to determine the morality of that action. Mill argues that his task is to demonstrate this highest principle inductively. Instead, he argues that actions are right in proportion,
There is a need to clearly point out that the two elements are never synonymous. The process of perfecting our own natural state in the Kantian view implies that we are actually in the process of attempting to cultivate "the crude dispositions of [our] nature, by which the animal is first raised into the human being" (Kant 1996b).In order to achieve this, Kant suggests that one is required to effectively cultivate
solving throughout this term. Solve the dilemma using Kant's ethics (Categorical Imperative). Solve the dilemma using any other method we have discussed to date (with which you agree.) State which resolution (Kant's or the other one you chose) you prefer and why. Britain's lush canopy tree is in danger of extermination due to axe-happy people preoccupying themselves with chopping it down. Reason includes the facts that they cause shedding of fruit at unsuspecting
Ethical Philosophies Ethics Utilitarianism, Kant's categorical imperative, virtue ethics, and Confucianism One of the most intuitive ethical philosophies is that of utilitarianism, an ethical ideal that suggests that ethical decisions should be made based upon what decisions will achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. When we weigh decisions based upon their costs and benefits, we are taking a kind of utilitarian approach to decision-making (Ethics 5: Utilitarianism, 2008).