Immanuel Kant

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Immanuel Kant Deontology

• The Ethics of Duty

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I. Background Info.

• A. Aristotle to Kant
• 1. Many ethical thinkers
• Stoics, Augustine, Aquinas, David Hume
• 2. Kant emerges as most influential ethical
  thinker since birth of Christ

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B. Biographical Info.

• 1. Konigsberg, Germany, 1724-1804
• 2. Parents were Pietists in the Lutheran Church
• gt emphasis on feeling more than doctrine

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C. The Enlightenment

• 17th 18th century intellectual movement
• Emphasized science reason
• Reason could be applied to the search for
  morality
• Reaction against external autocratic
  authorities

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D. Immanuel Kant

• Absolutist
• Rationalist
• Deontologist

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II. Three Major Influences

• 1) Pietism belief that inner goodness is most
  important to God, not correct beliefs or doctrine
• Our motivations matter
• Was a believer in God but doesnt root his
  philosophy in this belief

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• 2) Jean-Jacques Rousseau (political thinker)
  freedom and dignity of the human person
• Respect for all human persons

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• 3) Debate between Rationalism Empiricism
• Kant takes side of Rationalists
• Emotions/experiences do not determine morality