THE CENTRALITY OF MOTIVATION AND THE FUNCTION OF REASON IN KANT'S ETHICS

p {margin: 0; padding: 0;} .ft00{font-size:21px;font-family:NimbusSansBold;color:#000000;} .ft01{font-size:18px;font-family:NimbusSansBold;color:#000000;} .ft02{font-size:15px;font-family:OpenSymbol;color:#000000;} .ft03{font-size:18px;font-family:NimbusSans;color:#000000;} .ft04{font-size:18px;line-height:23px;font-family:NimbusSans;color:#000000;} THE CENTRALITY OF MOTIVATION AND THE FUNCTION OF REASON IN KANT'S ETHICS Good Will and Moral Motivation  Kant believed only good will (moral motivation) is intrinsically good  Moral value of actions based on intentions, not consequences  Resonates with common notions of morality as good intentions  Kant called these intentions 'maxims' Autonomy and Reason  Assumes we are autonomous beings who can freely choose right/wrong  Reason guides the operation of free will  Each person prescribes moral laws for themselves through reason Duty  Kant put notion of duty at core of ethical theory  Influenced by Protestant ethic valuing fulfilling duties  Contrasted duties with desires, temptations, preferences  Moral acts motivated by duty, not inclination  Moral worth in overcoming inclination to do one's duty Universal Law and the Categorical Imperative  Duty = obeying moral law  Moral law defined by its universal nature  Moral principles take form of categorical imperatives  Universalizability is hallmark of morality  Categorical imperative: Act only on maxims that can be universal laws In summary, Kant placed good will, moral motivation, and duty at the center of hisethical theory. He believed reason allows us to identify universal moral laws, whichtake the form of categorical imperatives we have a duty to follow. Intentions andovercoming inclination in order to fulfill duties are central to morality.