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W.D Ross
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Seven Prima Facie (at first sight) duties
- Fidelity
- Reparation for harm done
- Gratitude
- Justice
- Beneficence
- Self-improvement
- Not being Evil
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THEY STRESS THE CHARACTER of DUTY.
- Must be considered in any moral situation
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Contradictions in the Will
- universalise an act , does not contradict itself but results in an undesirable world to live in
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Hypothetical Imperatives
- NOT moral commands
- Give instructions on how to achieve something else
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Categorical Imperatives
- Absolute command that must always be followed
- Absolute moral obligations
- Every person is equally bound to follow the dictates of the Categorical Imperative
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There are three things a Imperative must be
- Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time that will should become a universal law
- Act as if you are making rules for everyone
- You can never use people (even yourself) in anyway that removes human dignity in order to reach your desired end result
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Contradictions in the law of Nature
- Universalising an act that would become contradictory to its self
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Duty
- Good Wills only motive is Duty
- Some thing only contains good will if it is done out of your DUTY
- Its only motive is awareness that the act is right in itself
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Freedom
- For Kant, it is vital that we recognise that we do have true freedom or autonomy of the will. with this freedom comes the responsibility to make a decision which is not swayed by desires or emotions
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God
- Inherent justice in the world that ultimately virtuous or good behaviour would be rewarded (Summum Bonum ('highest good'))
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Immorality
- Not all good acts are rewarded in this life
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Reason
- Objective view of the good based on reason
- Moved away from Religion and Superstition , used Reason alone
- Pure and Practical reason could lead us to ethical decisions which are Universally Binding and NOT influenced by Fads or Fancies.
- Exists more or less in everyone
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Good Will
- If Moral law is to be Binding it must contain something which is good in itself, with out reference to anything else
- The only thing Intrinsically good (Good in itself) is Good Will
- The intention not the results of the act makes Good Will
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Maxims
- A maxim is a groundrule or subjective principle of action. In that sense a maxim is a thought that can motivate individuals.