Prof. Mark Tunick tunick@fau.edu

Kant Lecture

1. Kant's Life
2. Doctrine of transcendental idealism
3. Kant's moral philosophy
   • Kant's foundationalism
   • Ethics as non-empirical, rational, a priori
   • Nonconsequential (deontic)
   • The categorical imperative
   1. vs. hypothetical imperative
   2. connection with freedom: "To be independent of determination by causes in the sensible world...is to be free."
   3. Implication: intentions matter
   4. Two formulations of the Categorical Imperative (C.I.)
      1. FUL (formula of universal law): "I ought never to act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law."
         1. Bare conformity to universal law
         2. Examples: promising; deceit
         3. Problem with FUL?
            • emptiness (allows universal killing)?
            • Response: C.I. requires the possibility of universal agreement, therefore rules out universal killing
      2. FEI (formula of ends-in-themselves): "Act in such a way that you always treat humanity...never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end." The requirement of the possibility of universal agreement requires respecting people as ends-in-themselves
   5. Justification of C.I.
      1. freedom
      2. teleological argument
4. Kant's political philosophy
1. Kant's separation of law and morality
   • ethical laws (internal, duty for duty's sake)
   • juridical laws (external, coercive)
   • Implications of distinction
   1. one can be immoral (blameworthy) but not punishable
   2. one can be punished but not immoral
   3. Kant rejects c.
2. Kant's theory of punishment
3. Doctrine of right
   • Kant as natural law and natural rights theorist
   • What natural rights are there?
   1. innate right to freedom
   2. specific right to property
   3. why property?
   4. The source of rights and obligations
      • not utility
      • not consent (either explicit or implicit)
      • what of the general will?
      • The general will only confirms rights we already have provisionally
4. Kant's views on obligations and political identity
   • rights and obligations arise from the C.I.
   • We have an obligation to join a state
   • Obligations aren't to a specific people with whom we have special ties--Kant's cosmopolitanism
5. Criticisms