Chapter 6 Questions
Question 1
Kant’s theory is regarded as an example of deontological ethical theories. That is one of the reasons why various researchers may conclude that the Kantian model is a superior foundation for morality. According to the deontological approaches, an action is deemed right or wrong when it fulfills the intended duty, not by its consequences.
Question 2
Deontological ethical perspectives argue whether an action is right or wrong based on a set of rules that characterize it. The perspectives differ from the other ethical theories in that their moral arguments are based on the nature of actions rather than their impacts. The most famous deontological approach is the categorical imperative by Immanuel Kant.
Question 3
A Kantian view a good action as having been done for the sake of duty. The duty referred to in the approach is the need for human beings to do what is right according to the values that they hold. In the process, they hope to minimize the damage to other people. Lying to protect other people and hiding truth to reduce harm to our beloved ones are not a consideration for being sources of good actions.
Question 4
The moral law is defined as a system that guides the behavior of human beings. It is universal and applies to all people, regardless of class, race, age, gender, and other aspects. A particular moral law points out the ethical principles that relate to a specific element of people’s lives and interactions. An example is the categorical imperative by Kant, which applies to all people and is not directed by the end motive.
Question 5
Personal rules point to the directives to apply various moral obligations that originate from the individual decisions. Hypothetical imperatives advise human beings on the steps that they need to take to achieve some particular goal. A difference between the categorical and hypothetical imperatives is that the former tells people what to do regardless of whether they reach the end goal or not. In contrast, the latter tells people what to do with a specific targeted outcome in mind.
Question 8
Morally significant actions are those that conform to moral evaluation and teachings. Morally significant beings are defined as people whose actions can be ethically evaluated. The fact of being human beings makes all people morally equal.
Strengths and Weaknesses of The Kantian Ethical Theory
One of the strengths of the Kantian moral perspective is its universality, which points out to its application to all people despite their culture or status. Kant’s theory is also rational. The main downside of the Kantian ethical perspective is its inflexible approach in breaking a rule that is not worth being followed. Also, the theory presents conflicting duties between two essential activities.
Summary of Pages
Individuals are urged to act on different maxims as if their will would turn them into universal laws. In the case of a person wanting to take his life due to despair, their duty to themselves may place them in a dilemma where they may regard the principle of self-love as a universal regulation of nature (Bennett 24). The world would be a perfect place if all people were to practice sympathy and benevolence.
Further, human beings should treat humanity in a way that appears as an end rather than a means. That will motivate people to perform acts of kindness while focusing on themselves or people on the receiving end (Bennett 29). A closer perspective of the duty to others reveals that humankind may also survive when nobody works towards the happiness of the others, and no one takes away the happiness of others.
Brick of Enlightenment
One of the privacy issues in “Brick of Enlightenment” is the WhatsApp metadata logging. That is meant to collect data from worldwide users of the social media app. The second privacy issue is the seeking of encryption backdoors by governments. The administrative bodies do so in an attempt to learn about the potential security threats of its people. The last privacy issue is the Snowden breach. The breach gave the public a sneak peek at nondisclosure documents possessed by the US federal government.
Privacy International
Privacy International is a body that advocates for the protection of data belonging to the civilians against the unpermitted access by the various governments across the globe.
Influence of Kant’s Life on his Philosophy
Kant grew up in a modest and pious household. As a result, Kant went through many prayer and introspective classes, which did not precisely interest him. Kant reacted by focusing on the Latin classics through which he was able to emphasize reason and autonomy as opposed to emotion and dependence. That was the basis of Kant’s philosophy. Through it, he discouraged people from depending on grace and authority.