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Immanuel Kant Vs Aristotle

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As I was rummaging through the list of philosophers, Googling back and forth between each name, I decided that I resonated the most with Immanuel Kant’s ideas of ethics. One thought that I liked that Kant had was that he believes that one should make decisions or do something based on whether or not they think it is the right thing to do and if they believe it is in fact their “duty” to do so. This idea makes him a Deontologist. I decided to focus on this particular thought because it contrasts with Aristotle’s ideas, as Aristotle is a philosopher that we have studied. Along with this, I do agree with Kant’s idea that a person should do something such as tell the truth or aid someone in need if it is the right thing to do. Kant’s idea differs from Aristotle’s theory in a couple of ways. For starters, Kant believes that one should make decisions or do something based on whether or not they think it is the right thing to …show more content…

A person chooses to do something according to the “maxim,” or principle, and is only motivated by these principles, while with Aristotle’s theory, the idea of happiness is what motivates the person to carry out their actions. Aristotelianism focuses on what the best person to be is, while Deontology focuses on what the best thing to do is. I believe that people should not be virtuous or doing the right thing if it will make their image or who they are look better. I believe that if one honestly thinks that an action is the right thing to do, then they should carry out that action. For example, if I were in a situation in which I know a friend of mine witnessed a crime happen, I would tell her to do what she thinks is morally right, whether it was to ignore the situation

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Deontological ethics is normative ethics theory which judges an action based on the rules rather than consequence of actions. The chief good of duty-based ethics as per Kant’s duty ethics is good will, which is most important factor that should be aimed to achieve or to do something that’s morally right. The decision-making factors in Kant’s deontology which determine if an action is morally right or wrong is having a good will, and doing duty for its own sake rather than for a benefit that results from the action. One of the ways decision-making factors can guide to determine morality of an action is to first, determine if motive of action was good or bad since good will is chief good in Kant’s duty ethics, and then determine if action was driven by self-interest or for the sake of duty because another factor requires in Kant’s duty ethics that duty to be done sake of or out respect for the moral law. First, quotes from Kant’s Grounding the Metaphysics of the Morals which supports Kant’s theory is “A good will is not good because of what it effects or accomplishes, nor because of its fitness to attain some proposed end; it is good through willing its willing, i.e. it is good in itself.”

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Kantians believe that the rightness or wrongness of an action does not depend on the consequences, but on whether they fulfill a duty. They must act in a way that will produce the greatest overall amount of good in the world. In this view there is no obligation to give money to a homeless person, but it is the right thing to do. Kant’s supreme moral principle is the categorical imperative. The categorical imperative is a moral law that is unconditional for all agents because of intrinsic value.

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507 Words | 3 Pages

Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative and John Stuart Mill’s view of utilitarianism are two very different approaches to ethics and morals. In fact, they are the opposite of one another. Kant’s view of ethics is an ethics of pure reason- a deontological theory of ethics. He stresses that feelings and emotions should have no part in ethics because they are unreliable, changeable, and uncertain. He states that ethical principles must be universal and that ethics are distinctively human.

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345 Words | 2 Pages

In The Birth of Tragedy, Friedrich Nietzsche’s descriptions of the Apollonian and Dionysian align with the writings of Immanuel Kant and Karl Marx, respectively. In Kant’s writing, he argues that man can eventually progress towards a utopian state from man’s reason. However, Kant’s picture of human nature is one of a lawful progression towards the utopian state. When outlining the characteristics of the Apollonian state, Nietzsche explains that there is a “delicate line, which the dream-picture must not overstep…that measured limitation, that freedom from the wilder emotions, that philosophical calmness of the sculptor-god” (Nietzsche, 2).

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To begin with, this theory relies on moral absolutes which can be defined as actions that are entirely right or entirely wrong. Deontologists cannot consider the consequences of their actions, even if the consequences of a particular action bring about more harm than the act itself. Deontology theory says that certain types of actions are either absolutely right or wrong, but provides no way in which to distinguish which action may be right or wrong and thus duties and principles can conflict (Preston, 2007). For instance,

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154 Words | 1 Pages

The final ethical theory is Kant’s deontology. Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who admire the stoics for their dedication to performing their duties and playing their part. He based his theory on duties, obligations, and rights. Its main focus is that everyone has an inherited right. It highlights the importance of respecting a person autonomy.

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. The Greeks developed systems that represented many new ideas in government and philosophy. What were these new ideas, and why did they emerge from Greece? How did the work of men such as Herodotus, Plato, and Aristotle represent the key ideas behind Greek civilization? the

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Thomas Aquinas, and Aristotle have somewhat analogous aspects on the concept of virtue, however, while one uses faith, the other uses reason to call for the need of temperance. According to Aquinas virtue is merely the good use of free will (655). This is a common view for those in the practice of Christianity, where many believe that God gives everyone free will and it is up to the individual to put it to good use. Nevertheless, in his work he explains that there are multiple factors that contribute to putting free will to actual good use, and the most prevalent is self-control. Self-control implies discipline, and discipline can ultimately become the deciding factor in the creation of a habit, specifically an operative habit; which Aquinas defines as human virtue (656).

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The last theory is Aristotle’s virtue ethics which states that we should move from the concern towards good action and to focus on the concern with good character. This paper argues that Aristotle’s virtue ethics is better than the other ethical theories. The divine command theory says that what is morally right and what is morally wrong is determined by God and God alone. People who follow the divine command theory believe that God is the creator of all things, therefore, he must also be the creator of morally right and wrong acts.

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However, even though these are two opposing philosophies, with very different ideas governing their conclusions, we should look to learn from both and apply the knowledge we identify with, thus creating our own philosophies. In this essay I wish to do exactly that; to compare and contrast these two ideologies in order to better understand them and help others do the same. First we must understand what is Deontology. The word deontology when broken down to its roots literally means, the study of the nature of duty and obligation.

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The Enlightenment was a time where people were beginning to find out that they could speak out against their oppressive leaders and bring to light many of the wrongdoings happening within the many institutions at the time. Two main philosophes who argued for the Enlightenment and its benefits to society in the 18th century were Immanuel Kant and Voltaire, also known as Francois Marie Arouet. These two prominent thinkers criticized the current social, political, and religious systems in place at the time. While both philosophers argue that the Enlightenment is essential to human growth, they both use different ideas and criticisms to prove their point. Both Kant and Voltaire argued that Enlightenment is important in mankind’s growth as a whole

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The distinction between right and wrong has been a matter of discussion for centuries, whether expressed through philosophical essays, social organisation or artistic creation. Deontological ethics is a philosophical theory which dissects acts into right and wrong on the basis of the adherence of an act to a specific rule. One of the many formulations of deontology is Kantianism, a view introduced by Immanuel Kant, which argues that the basis for morality are motives for one’s action rather than the consequences of it and searches a justification for one’s duty to behave in a certain manner. One of the critiques or counter positions of Kant’s ethics is Sartrean existentialism as it denies the possibility of an absolute moral system and focuses on the individual morality rather than social one and bases on one’s commitment to his chosen values. Yet drawing parallels between the two positions is far from impossible, despite Sartre’s strong opposition to Kantian moral theory.

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The theory of deontology states we are morally obligated to act in accordance with obvious set of principles and rules regardless of results. Deontological ethics focuses on duties, and rights. The term deontological was coined by the utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham, who described it as “knowledge of what is right or proper” Bentham thought that deontology points in the direction of principle of utility. But contemporary philosophers use the term deontological to indicate a contrast with the utilitarian focus on the consequences of action. Instead of focusing on consequences, deontological ethics focus on duties and obligation: things we ought to do regardless of the consequences.

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1228 Words | 5 Pages

Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are two of the most notable philosophers in normative ethics. This branch of ethics is based on moral standards that determine what is considered morally right and wrong. This paper will focus on Immanuel Kant’s theory of deontology and J.S. Mill’s theory of utilitarianism. While Mill takes a consequentialist approach, focused on the belief that actions are right if they are for the benefit of a majority, Kant is solely concerned with the nature of duty and obligation, regardless of the outcome. This paper will also reveal that Kantian ethics, in my opinion, is a better moral law to follow compared to the utilitarian position.

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1515 Words | 7 Pages

A limitation of Deontology stems from the fact that it is so strict on how one should or should not act, but yet humans need clearly defined laws to serve as guides. Although laws are not followed one hundred percent of the time, the mere fact that there are laws telling us what is right or wrong result in a higher success of people acting morally good because there is a strict guide of how to act and how not to act. Yet Deontology provides a strong ethical framework that enables moral agents to act in such a way that is towards good will and ethically correct

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