MeganHaliRay PHIL1000018 MoralPhilosophyoftheUniversalist AlexanderIzrailevsky

http://meganhseportfolio.weebly.com/

ImmanuelKantwasaGermanphilosopherduringtheEnlightenmenteraofthelate 18thcentury.HewasbornonApril22,1724,inKonigsberginwhatwasthenknownas EastPrussia,whichisnowKaliningradintheformerSovietUnion.Hewasborntoparents thatwerenotwealthybutweredevoutmembersofafundamentalistProtestantsectknown asPietism.Pietistsrejectedtheideaofimposingachurchandpriestsbetweenthe individualandGod.TheypreferredtorelyonimmediatepersonalappealtoGod.This religionputanemphasizedonfaithandrepentance. ImmanuelKantwaswelleducatedfirst,attheageof8ataschoolthatwasfounded byalocalpreacherthatwasincrediblestrict.ItwasaPietismschoolwithastrongreligious influenceintheeducation.ImmanuelKantlaterinlife,admittinghisresentmentforthe schoolsheavyemphasisonatheologyofterrorandpietyfearofhellandtremblingbefore avisionofawrathfulGod.Evenafterthishemaintainedarespectforhisparentsreligion. Attheageof16,ImmanuelKantstartedstudyingattheUniversityofKonigsberg.He studiedatthisUniversityfor6years,afterwhichhereceivedanofferajobtobeaLutheran minister,whichheturneddowntocontinuehisstudies.Hesupportedhimselfforthenext nineyearsbytutoring.In1755,ImmanuelKantreceivedwhatwouldnowbeadoctoral degree.Thisallowedhistoearntheprivilegeoflecturingattheuniversityasa Privatdozent,whichisaprivateteacherwhosesalaryispaidbythestudents.Hebecamea verypopularlecturerandin1770theuniversityhiredhimasaprofessoroflogicand metaphysics.Thiswasanimprovementinhisstatus,whichpleasedhimeventhoughthe salarywassmall.

ImmanuelKantdidnottravelveryfarfromhisbirthplaceduringhisentirelife,nordid heevermarry.Helivedaveryscheduledlife.Hewasaveryprolificwriter.Hisrevolutionary worksincludedCritiqueofPureReason(1781andasecondeditionin1787), ProlegomenatoAnyFutureReason(1783),FoundationsoftheMetaphysicsofMorals (1785),CritiqueofPracticalReason(1788),CritiqueofJudgment(1790),andReligion WithintheLimitsofReasonAlone(1793).TheCritiqueofPureReasonisoneofthe mostdifficultreadseverwritten.Intheconclusiontohissecondcritique,theCritiqueof PracticeReasonof1788,ImmanuelKantfamouslywrote,Twothingsfillthemindwith evernewandincreasingadmirationandawethemoreofferandmoreenduringlyreflection isoccupiedwiththem:thestarryheavensabovemeandthemorallawwithinme.This mottocouldjusthavejustaswellservedforvirtuallyallofImmanuelKantsphilosophical works. ImmanuelKantisknownastheUniversalist.HelivedinthesametimeasDavid Hume,theScottishSkeptic,andJohnStewartMills,theUtilitarian.Inagehewasin betweenthetwobuthisphilosophywasrevolutionaryandfitsbetterafterboththatofDavid HumeandJohnStewartMills.Inhisepistemologyhestatesthatbothofthephilosophiesof HumeandMillsweretooextreme.Hisepistemologywasabridgeofthetwophilosophies. Thetrueheartofhisphilosophyliesinhismoralphilosophy. Wedonotneedscienceandphilosophytoknowwhatweshoulddotobe honestandgood,yea,evenwiseandvirtuous.ImmanuelKant

 Sosharplyandclearlymarkedaretheboundariesofmoralityand selflovethateventhecommonesteyecannotfailtodistinguishwhether athingbelongstooneortheother.ImmanuelKant ThemoralphilosophyofImmanuelKantputspracticalreasonoverthatoftheoretical reason,thisinvolvesthefactthatitisnotenoughinlifetojustbebooksmart,youmustalso havelifeexperience,goodtaste,andanintellectualintuition.Theoreticalreason,which includesscientificreasoning,isconfinedtotheempirical,phenomenalworld.Our interactionswiththeworldofexperiencesproducelawsofhumanbehaviorsthatforce reasontovieweverythingmechanically.Thismeansthattheoreticalreasonofhumans,like allphenomena,aregovernedbycauseandeffectintheformofinescapablelawsofnature. Therearenofreedomswhenitcomestotheoreticalreasonorlaws.Practicalreasonis usedtomovebeyondthephenomenalworldtothemoralworld.Practicalreasonbegins withourknowledgeaboutmoralconductandproducesreligiousfeelingsandintuitions.It helpsustodealwithmoralfreedomsthatarepartofourfreewill.InhisCritiqueofPractical Reason,ImmanuelKantsaysthatnomatterhowmanynaturalcausesandsensations mightdriveaperson,theycannotproduceastateofbeingunderobligations,theycannot accountformoralduty.Thefeelingofmoraldutycomesfromwithinitcomefrombeing rational. Hisideasofthestructureofthethinginvolvestwosections.Thephenomena,which isthestructureofthethingthatwecanknow,andthenoumena,whichisthestructureofthe

thingswecannotknow.Thisisastructurethatplacesthingsintothetwodifferent categoriesofwhatwecanandcannotknow,althoughwewillnevertobeabletoknow anythingtothefullestbecausetherewillalwaysbeanunknow.Therearethreeideasthat aretranscendentalwhichareGod,theUniverse,andtheSelf.Theseareideasthatdonot giveusknowledgeofthethingsbutonlygiveusaguess,orahopeoftheknowledge.In contrasttoDavidHumesphilosophybecausehefoundtheseideastobemeaningless, whereImmanuelKantsishopeful.Hisphilosophyisthatweareslavesphenomenallyand freenoumenally,noumenallyisourfreewill. Ourmoralityisbasedonreason,notonouremotionsaccordingtoImmanuelKant, becauseourreasonismoreinvolvedwhereouremotionsarealwaysbasedonthe situationandcircumstance.SimilartoReneDescartes,ImmanuelKantfollowwithhis beliefinapriori,whichisthatwearebornwithlogicimprintbutthenaddsagiftthatwe receivefromtheGod,whichisbothalogicalstructureandamoralstructure.Whenitcome toourmorality,ImmanuelKantsaysthatyoumustjudgeorbejudgebasedonyour intentionsnotupontheresultsofouractions.Thisistosaythatifyouhavepositivemoral intentions,oranyintentionsiftheresultendsupbeingoppositeornotquiteasyouplanned youstillneedtobejudgeuponthemoralityofyourintentions. Whenwearefacedwithamoralissueorquestion,ImmanuelKantseethree choicesthatwecanmakeMoral,Immoral,andAmoral(nonmoral).TofurtherexplainthisI willuseareallifeexampletoputmoreofaconcreteimageinplace.Thisexamplecomes fromalecturefromProfessorAlexanderIzrailevsky,thenrightafterthelecturethisscenario happenedtome.AfterclassIwasapproachedbyaclassmatewhohadmissedthelast

twolectures.Theexamplewereceivedinclasswasaboutreceivingarequestfroma fellowstudenttocopynotesandwhatImmanuelKantsmoraloptionswouldbe.Ihadthe threepreviouslymentionedmoraloptionsforherrequest. Theimmoralanswerwouldbetotellherno,withorwithoutgivingherareason.Ihad thenotesanditwouldnottakemuchtimetoallowhertotakeafewpicturesofmynotesso tellinghernowouldbeimmoraltonothelpheroutwiththissmallfavor.Theamoral (nonmoral)responsewouldbeformetosayyes,youcantakepicturesofmynotesbutit isgoingtobeadollarapage.Amoralisatransactionalorbusinesslikeresponsewhere yesyouarehelpingwhichismoralbutyouareexpectingordemandingreimbursementfor yourservice.Helpinginanamoralwayisaneutrallymoralopinionbecauseyouare assistingbutitisalsooktoaskforsomethinginreturn.Themoralanswertothequestion, whichistheoptionIchoseinthissituation,istohelpout.Iallowedhertotakeseveraland asmanypicturesasshewantedofmynotesfromthelectureswithnoobligationsofany sort. Avital,andthepartofImmanuelKant'smoralphilosophythatcaughtmyattention andmademewhattofurtherstudyintoitisthecategoricalandpracticalimperatives.The categoricalimperativeistoActasifthemaximofyouractionweretobecomeaUniversal Law.ThisidearemindsmeofthegoldenrulethatIwastaughtasachild,Dountoothers asyouwouldhavethemdountoyou,whichisactinglikeyouwantotherstoact.The categoricalimperativeisacommandthatisuniversallybindingonallrationalcreatures.It alonecanguidethegoodwill.Ourmoraldutymustbeuniversally,notconditionallybinding.

ThepracticalimperativeistoActinsuchawaythatyoualwaystreathumanity whetherinyourownpersonorinthepersonofanother,neversimplyasameansbut alwaysatthesametimeasanend.AlsowordedasActasiftheotherpersonwerenot onlyameans,butagoalofyouractionaswell,thismeansthatyoushouldnottryto manipulateotherforyourselforyourpersonalgainbecausetheyarenottoolsforyour happiness,butinsteadyoushouldthinkoftheirhappinessandgoals.Youneedtohelp othersnotjustyourself,andmakesureyouarenotusingthemforselfishpurposes. AnotherimperativethatIfoundduringmyresearchisthehypotheticalimperative thatiswhattellsuswhattodounderspecific,variableconditions.Thisisaifthishappens, thenIdothisimperative.Therearemanydifferenttypesofhypotheticalimperatives.There aretechnical,social,legal,andsoon.Technicalhypotheticalimperativesarethosethat applytochemistorsurgeons.Socialonesarethoseweusetofurtheroursocialstandingin someway.Legalwouldapplytoinstanceswherewearemakingdecisionsthatarelaws,to follow,bend,orbreak. WhenitcomestothemoralphilosophyofImmanuelKantIcanseewhereandhow hecametoconclusions.Whatmademedecidetodofurtherresearchintothetopicwas hiscategoricalimperativeandpracticalimperative.Ifeltthatthesewereverytrueand continuetobetrue.Theimportanceoftreatingandactingthewayyouwantpeopletotreat youandactisavaluablelesson,thataspreviouslymentioned,Irememberveryvividly learningasachild.Youcanseeinsomehumaninteractionthattherearepeoplewhohave differingopinionwhenitcometothis.Theydonotunderstandthelogicalreasonofwhythis makessenseormaybetheywerenevertaughtthis.Toaddsomeofmyownphilosophical

viewsIwillexpandthisatinybittoincludethefactthatweshouldnotexpectsomething fromsomeonethatwewouldnotbewillingtodoforthemorevensomeoneelse.Theidea thatsomepeoplefeelliketheyareowedsomethingthattheyhavenotearnedhasalways confusedme. Tobemoralisalwaysaverydifferentsetofrules.Therearereligionsthattellyou whatyourmoralsshouldbeandhowtobehave.TherearesocialinfluencesandIbelieve therearemoralswearebornwith.Thisisourgutfeelingaboutwhetherornotsomethingis rightorwrong,goodorbad.Therearebasicmoralsthatseemtolastthetestoftime,for example,donotkill.Althoughwedohavemilitarythataretrainedandinstructedtodojust thatanditmoral.Ifindsmoralstobeverysituational. ImmanuelKantsmoralphilosophyisinspirationaltome.Icontinuetobeamazedby allthephilosopherthatlivedsolongago,buttheirphilosophyseemstimeless.Although therearemanydifferentopinionsandmanyfollowdifferentphilosophiesandphilosophers, IseemyownpersonalmoralphilosophytofitverycomfortablywiththatofImmanuelKants. WorkCited
"ImmanuelKant."2014.TheBiography.comwebsite.Apr192014 http://www.biography.com/people/immanuelkant9360144. Johnson,Robert."Kant'sMoralPhilosophy."StanfordUniversity.StanfordUniversity,23Feb. 2004.Web.9Apr.2014.<http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kantmoral/>.

 Kant,Immanuel,andPaulGuyer.Critiqueofpurereason.Cambridge:CambridgeUniversity Press,1998.Print. LecturenotesofMeganRaytakenduringProfessorAlexanderIzrailevskylectures.Spring Semester2014.PHIL1000018.4114&4/3/14lectures. McCormick,Matt."InternetEncyclopediaofPhilosophy."Kant,Immanuel:Metaphysics[]. N.p.,n.d.Web..<http://www.iep.utm.edu/kantmeta/>. Soccio,DouglasJ.."TheUniversalist:ImmanuelKant."Archetypesofwisdom:an introductiontophilosophy.7thed.Australia:Wadsworth/CengageLearning,2010.. Print.