I have just begun to learn Kant, an 18th century philosopher.
Kant emphasized reason and freedom.
What is freedom?
If I suddenly have an urge to drink soda and have before me Sprite and Pepsi, and I chose Pepsi, did I exercise freedom? I chose Pepsi on my own accord. But, what drove me to look for soda in the first place?
Freedom is not acting in a free manner to chose the means to achieve a given end. Freedom is in choosing the end itself.
Oftentimes we are instruments rather than authors of the purposes we pursue.
This freedom to choose the end itself is what gives us dignity.
Kant's conception of morality:
What makes an action worthy? What makes an action worthy is not the end result but the motive behind the action, the quality of the will that led to the action (doing the right thing for the right reason).
Kant says "a good will shines like a jewel even if fails to accomplishes nothing."
Motive confers moral worth of an action.
Kant gives an example. If a shopkeeper gets an inexperienced customer and shopkeeper could shortchange the customer and the customer wouldn't know. If the shopkeeper thinks, well if I shortchange him, word may get out and I may lose my reputation, and therefore decides to give the correct change. The shopkeeper's action has no moral worth because the shopkeeper only did the right thing for the wrong reason out of self-interest.
The motive that matters is doing the right thing for the sake of duty.
The policy of Better Business Bureau took out a full page ad in NY times "Honesty is best policy, because it is good for business." There is no moral worth in this policy, doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
Companies think Diversity in its workforce is good for the business again has no moral worth in their policy.
When I act out of duty and when I resist inclinations, self-interest, even sympathy and altruism as motives to my action only then my action is not determined by external consideration and I can say I am acting truly freely.
This is the Kant's idea of link between freedom and morality.
Kant emphasized reason and freedom.
What is freedom?
If I suddenly have an urge to drink soda and have before me Sprite and Pepsi, and I chose Pepsi, did I exercise freedom? I chose Pepsi on my own accord. But, what drove me to look for soda in the first place?
Freedom is not acting in a free manner to chose the means to achieve a given end. Freedom is in choosing the end itself.
Oftentimes we are instruments rather than authors of the purposes we pursue.
This freedom to choose the end itself is what gives us dignity.
Kant's conception of morality:
What makes an action worthy? What makes an action worthy is not the end result but the motive behind the action, the quality of the will that led to the action (doing the right thing for the right reason).
Kant says "a good will shines like a jewel even if fails to accomplishes nothing."
Motive confers moral worth of an action.
Kant gives an example. If a shopkeeper gets an inexperienced customer and shopkeeper could shortchange the customer and the customer wouldn't know. If the shopkeeper thinks, well if I shortchange him, word may get out and I may lose my reputation, and therefore decides to give the correct change. The shopkeeper's action has no moral worth because the shopkeeper only did the right thing for the wrong reason out of self-interest.
The motive that matters is doing the right thing for the sake of duty.
The policy of Better Business Bureau took out a full page ad in NY times "Honesty is best policy, because it is good for business." There is no moral worth in this policy, doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
Companies think Diversity in its workforce is good for the business again has no moral worth in their policy.
When I act out of duty and when I resist inclinations, self-interest, even sympathy and altruism as motives to my action only then my action is not determined by external consideration and I can say I am acting truly freely.
This is the Kant's idea of link between freedom and morality.
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