KANTIANISM

• What makes a right act right?• -it is certain features in the act itself or the rule of which the act

is a token or example that determine the rightness or wrongness of an act

• -the end never justifies the means

2 kinds of deontological theoriesi) act deontological systemii) rule deontological system

ACT DEONTOLOGICAL SYSTEM

• -right and wrong based on conscience or our intuitions or a choice apart from any rules

• -conscience-to discover the morally right or wrong to do• -or nothing is right or wrong until we choose for ourselves what is

right or wrong

Its disadvantages• -it is hard to see how any argument could take place with an

intuitionist• -the act of abortion• 2-it seems that rules are necessary to all reasoning, including moral

reasoning• 3-different situations seem to share common features, so it would be

inconsistent for us to prescribe different moral actions

RULE DEONTOLOGICAL SYSTEM• -it accepts the principle of universality as well as the notion that,

in making moral judgments, we appealing to principles or rules• It comprises of 2 types :

-rule intuitionism & rationalism or objectivism & absolitism

KANT’S RULE DEONTOLOGICAL SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION • -1724-1804• -was an absolutist as well as rationalist• -reason can be use to work out a consistent, non overridable

sets of moral principles

• -the parents were Pietists in the Lutheran church• --who emphasized sincerity, deep feeling, & moral life rather

than theological doctrine • --it is the religion of the heart, not the head• --Kant emphasized the head as much as the heart

3 FACTORS INFLUENCES1- Pietism

2- the work of Rousseau (1712-1778) on human freedom• --the importance of man’s dignity• --the intrinsic value of man apart from any function they might

perform• --it is not correct belief/ result that really matter but inner

goodness• --the idea is that God judges us not on how successful we are in

accomplishing our tasks but how earnestly we have lived according to our principle

• --the good will as the sole intrinsic good in life

3- the debate bet. Rationalism & empiricism• -rationalist claimed that pure reason could tell us how the world is,

independent of experience• -empiricist denied that man has any innate ideas and argued that all

k/ledge comes from experience

• -with regard to moral k/ledge,• -the rationalist-man’s k/ledge of moral principles is a type of metaphysical

k/ledge, implanted in us by God, and discoverable by reason as it deduces general principles about human nature

• -the empiricist-morality is founded entirely on the contingencies of human nature and based on desire

• -as for Kant, it is not desire that ground morality but our rational will• -the removal of moral truth from contingencies & empirical observation to

the necessary, absolute, universal truth

Kant’s CI3 formulations of CI

1) THE PRINCIPLE OF MAXIM AND UNIVERSAL LAW • -act only according to that maxim (general rule that one intends to act) by

which u can at the same time will that it would become a universal law (an objective principle)

• --if u could consistently will that e/one would act on given maxim-that shows moral responsibility of action

• -if not then the type of action is morally wrong

• -for Kant, • --what make a person morally good is to have a good will.• --what kind of intention makes a person morally good is the notion of duty• --what does it mean for a person to act “from duty” is to resolve to do

whatever the moral law obligates one to do, out of respect for the law

2) THE PRINCIPLE OF END• -act as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that

of any other, in every case as an end & never as a means• --man as a rational being is having value which entails that he

never be exploited

3) THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTONOMY• -every rational being is able to regard oneself as a maker of

universal law; that is, we do not need an external authority-be it God, the state, the culture, an individual- to determine the nature of the moral law

• In other words, someone who is ideally rational will legislate exactly the same universal moral principle

ISLAMIC CRITICISM

1) Man as an independence source of moral values• -human rationality is central to the whole idea of morality • -though he is not the only rational, others are not human

2) Its moral principles/ maxims is subjective• -any type of action in any type of circumstances for a reason( be acted on

by all rational being in similar circumstances) doesn’t reflect the universality

3) Good will as the universal of lawgiver• -to act morally is to freely choose n make the moral decision• -without look to society, gov, religious• leader, God for our moral decision, desire, preference for these will end

up to self love

INTENTION – ISLAMIC VIEW

a) It include of 3 elements :i) to u/stand of what one is doing(knowledge)ii) to want to do it(will)iii) to want it precisely bcoz it is comanded

b) Intention as a condition of validity• (x knowledge) X (x will) = x responsibility • unconscious X involuntary act= x qualified for good or bad• conscious X involuntary act=x qualified for good or bad

c) Intention and nature of moral action• good/bad intention rely on its agreement /disagreement

with the law • -it disregard the absolute good without restriction (to

justify error as virtue)good intention X bad action= ?• Bad intention X good action= ?

d) Its prevalence (commonness) over the action• -Intention = 2maintain purity of the heart• -Act =2 develop the wellbeing of the fellow man• ---decision making faculty + power of execution

CONCLUSION

• Does it enough by itself????????• Action X (intention-x)=?• Action X (intention-flawed)=?• Bad action X (intention-good)=?• Action X (