Quick Review Free Will brings about Practical Reason Practical reason must be appriori and synthetic One thing that is always good is Good Will Informal Guide to tell you that your actions are in Good Will Is this act done out of the sense of duty to the Good Will If yes you have passed the informal guide Deontology Duty Based Basis of one s morality is based on one s duty Example You have 5 and you really want a burrito sandwich etc A homeless mother and her child are walking down the street in your direction You make eye contact and she asks you if you have money to spare for her child s medicine 1 You do it because you like to do it While this is praise worthy it is not morally good 2 Liking is unintended at first you don t want to give her your 5 but afterwards you feel good about it this is morally good 3 You did not like doing it but you did it anyway Although you still don t feel good about it it was still morally good Formal Guide Must hold universal appeal that you can use to determine right and wrong appriori Must be practical synthetic Categorical Imperative necessary self imposed command For any act What would happen should this act become universal law Example helping an old lady across the street Morally Good 1 No Logical Contradiction 2 Logical Contradiction Example Lying What if lying became universal law Lying would then become impossible no lie would ever work and would be self contradictory which shows it is morally wrong Example Murder What if murder became universal law Everyone has to kill everyone Murder becomes impossible No Logical Contradiction but clearly violates the Do Good spirit of the good will Example Gifted individual could be an excellent brain surgeon and save many lives but instead squanders these abilities away elsewhere There will be someone that steps up to fill the place where he she should have been
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