Kantian Ethics

Kantian ethics is a deontological ethical theory first proposed by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant based on the idea of moral duty. It asserts that a good will is the only intrinsically good thing and that an action is only good if performed out of duty, rather than out of practical need or desire. This was based on Kant's emphasis on reason for developing moral laws and his belief in the need to be able to universalise moral decisions, which led to the principle of the categorical imperative. Kant proposed five formulations of his ethical theory: The Categorical Imperative, from which all other formulations were derived, states that moral actions must be performed out of duty to the moral law. The Formula of Universal Law asserts that the principles behind an action must be universifiable. The Formula of Humanity as an End in Itself ensures that the motivation behind every action must be the good of humanity; this was the basis he gave to the categorical imperative. The Formula of Autonomy expresses the idea that a rational agent is bound to the categorical imperative by their will, rather than any outside influence. The Kingdom of Ends suggests that moral agents should act as if their maxims will set the laws in a 'Kingdom of Ends'.

It has been suggested that Kant's influences included his parents' Pietism, his teacher Martin Knutzen, the political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the contemporary debate between rationalism and empiricism, and the influence of natural law in ethical theory. Kantian ethics has influenced other scholars, including Jürgen Habermas's theory of discourse ethics, John Rawls's political theory, and Jacques Lacan's contribution to psychoanalysis. Kant's ethics has been criticised by philosophers for failing to provide specific enough ethics to affect decision-making and for dealing on with abstract ideas, rather than practical situations. The stress of duty over desire has been criticised for possibly denying human nature, as well as for leading to immoral acts if moral good is done out of duty, rather than a desire to do good.