Sexual desire
Moral evaluations of sexual activity are determined by judgments on the nature of the sexual impulse. In this light, philosophies fall into two camps:[1]
A negative understanding of sexuality, such as from Immanuel Kant, believes that sexuality undermines values, and challenges our moral treatment of other persons. Sex, says Kant, "makes of the loved person an Object of appetite"[2] In this understanding, sex is often advised only for the purpose of procreation. Sometimes Sexual celibacy is considered to lead to the best, or most moral life.[3]
A positive understanding of sexuality, (such as from Russell Vannoy, Irving Singer) understand sexual activity as pleasing the self and the other at the same time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantian_ethics#Sexual_ethics
Kantian ethics
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Kantian ethics refers to a deontological ethical theory ascribed to the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. The theory, developed as a result of Enlightenment rationalism, is based on the view that the only intrinsically good thing is a good will; an action can only be good, therefore, if its maxim – the principle behind it – is duty to the moral law. Central to Kant's construction of the moral law is the categorical imperative, which acts on all people, regardless of their interests or desires. Kant formulated the categorical imperative in various ways. His principle of universalisability requires that, for an action to be permissible, it must be possible to apply it to all people without a contradiction occurring. His formulation of humanity as an ends in itself requires that humans are never treated merely as a means to an end, but always also as ends in themselves. The formulation of autonomy concludes that rational agents are bound to the moral law by their own will, while Kant's concept of the Kingdom of Ends requires that people act as if the principles of their actions establish a law for a hypothetical kingdom. Kant also distinguished between perfect and imperfect duties. A perfect duty, such as the duty not to lie, always holds true; an imperfect duty, such as the duty to give to charity, can be made flexible and applied in particular time and place.
American philosopher Louis Pojman has cited Pietism, political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the contemporary debate between rationalism and empiricism, and the influence of natural law as influences on the development of Kant's ethics. Other philosophers have argued that Kant's parents and his teacher, Martin Knutzen, influenced his ethics. Those influenced by Kantian ethics include philosopher Jürgen Habermas, political philosopher John Rawls, and psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. German philosopher G. W. F. Hegel criticised Kant for not providing specific enough detail in his moral theory to affect decision-making and for denying human nature. German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer argued that ethics should attempt to describe how people behave and criticised Kant for being prescriptive. Michael Stocker has argued that acting out of duty can diminish other moral motivations such as friendship, while Marcia Baron has defended the theory by arguing that duty does not diminish other motivations. The Catholic Church has criticised Kant's ethics as contradictory and regards Christian ethics as more compatible with virtue ethics.
The claim that all humans are due dignity and respect as autonomous agents means that medical professionals should be happy for their treatments to be performed upon anyone, and that patients must never be treated merely as useful for society. Kant's approach to sexual ethics emerged from his view that humans should never be used merely as a means to an end, leading him to regard sexual activity as degrading and to condemn certain specific sexual practices. Feminist philosophers have used Kantian ethics to condemn practices such as prostitution
Philosophy 2200C March 23, 2013 Essay #1: Kant Kant begins his study of the moral ideal by proclaiming that the moral ideal is to be “pure”. The idea of this “pureness” is explained in the very first sentence of Kant’s Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals: “Nothing in the world-indeed nothing even beyond the world-can possibly e conceived which could be called good without qualification except a GOOD WILL.” [Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, pg. 9] He later explains…
Practical Questions now at Marked By Teachers. Kant Categorical Imperative Free Essays 1 - 20 - StudyMode.com www.studymode.com/subjects/kant-categorical-imperative-page1.html Free Essays on Kant Categorical Imperative for students. ... What Is the Categorical Imperative, and How Valuable a Tool in Thinking Ethically Is It? What is the ... Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative - Shandon L. Guthrie sguthrie.net/kant.htm IMMANUEL KANT AND THE CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE ... In this essay…
spaced response. Your paper must include a discussion of the following: 1.5-3 pages: 1. Explain briefly how Kant argues against the view that the moral worth of an action is tied to consequences. Express as clearly as you can the premises he uses to draw his conclusion. Make the logic of his reasoning as clear as you can, clearly identifying premises and conclusions. 2. Discuss briefly what Kant means by “acting out of duty.” Be sure to discuss exactly how the character of moral obligation leads to…
normative ethical theory that was first proposed German philosopher Immanuel Kant in the late 1700’s that is based on the idea of moral duty. In Kant’s theory the view that consequences determine the morality of an action is rejected because it is possible to do something that may be considered to be morally wrong by some, but it has the possibility of helping society. This theory is considered to be deontological because Kant states that actions are morally right in virtue of their motives. Throughout…
toward the "greatest happiness for the greatest number". However, in promoting this idea they also necessarily promoted the broader doctrine of consequentialism. Adopting a position opposed to consequentialism, Immanuel Kant argued that moral principles were simply products of reason. Kant believed that the incorporation of consequences into moral deliberation was a deep mistake, since it denies the necessity of practical…
build their future. Moreover, the concept of “global sweatshops” needs to introduction, as it is most inhumane practice to exploit child labourers in pursuit of capitalization of wealth by leading garment, and clothing corporations. As stated in a research article, consumers want to know the toiling conditions in which products are being manufactured, and how much pain and suffering children have to endure for their survival. (Canadian Labour Congress, 2012). Also, Canadian labour congress is working…
In completing these assignments (the original assignments and written assignments), remember that your answer needs to be a carefully reasoned and logically presented argument that comes to a definite conclusion applying an objective standard (one of the theories) to support your position. When I use the phrase objective standard I am referring to something that is quantifiable or can be used by others to judge whether your position is more than just a personal opinion. That is where the ethical…
several different theories associated with the ethical treatment of animals. The discussion will focus on the treatment of animals as it relates to hunting and trapping animals, eating animals, using animals for research, and the manner in which domestic and wild animals are treated. The research will summarize and critique four theories including anthropocentrism, Animal Liberation, Strong Animal Rights Theory, and Weaker animal rights theory. II. Anthropocentrism A. Definition 1. The belief that human…
Philosophy 6: Ethical Issues in Business Midterm Essay Chase Novak Dr. Parker Need or Greed? New Protocol: How Drug’s Rebirth as Treatment for Cancer Fueled Price Rises Immanuel Kant-Kantian Deontology John Locke- The Justification of Private Property Adam Smith-Benefits of the Profit Motive Milton Friedman- The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits Thesis: An examination of the case study New Protocol: How Drug’s Rebirth as Treatment for Cancer Fueled Price Rises…
Immanuel Kant in 1775. Kant, who was one of the first scientists to debate and proposed in 1775 how the origin of our solar system’s planetary, was a common sequence of stars formation. During 1900s was when scientist begun to accept the theory of a recent planetary systems. Kant proposed that a nebula, which is created from hydrogen gas and dust clouds that was pulled together by gravity so that it can collapsed into a flat rotating disk. The disk eventually collapse into the sun and planets. Kant also…