This study source was downloaded by 100000820816648 from CourseHero com on 03 24 2022 15 12 54 GMT 05 00 https www coursehero com file 9078277 Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems pg 138 Onora O Neill A simplified account of Kant s Ethics oKant supposedly hard to understand with demanding requirementsoGoals reduce difficulties show implications of a Kantian moral theory for action toward those who do might suffer famine compare Kantian and utilitarian approaches and assess strengths and weaknesses oOnly going to explain 1 part of the theoryoHe gives many versions of Supreme Principe of Morality that don t look like each other or like Utilitarian s Greatest Happiness PrincipleoKant s Supreme Principle the Categorical Imperative focusing on the Formula of the End in Itself The Formula of the End in Itself o Act in such a way that you always treat humanity whether in your own person or in the person of any other never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end oEach of our acts expresses one or more maxims the principle on which one sees onself as acting oTaking the terms maxim and intention as equivalentoWhenever we act intentionally we should be able to state our maxims oAccording to Kant when determining if an act is right or wrong we should look at our maxims and not the likely result Check that act we have in mind does not use anyone as a mere means treats them as ends in themselves Using Persons as Mere MeansoUse someone as mere means involve them in scheme of action to which they couldn t really consentoNot wrong to use someone as a means as long as they are consenting using teller to get money but they are using you to earn their living oUsing them as a MERE means is wrongoFalse promising treating the acceptor of the promise as a mere means thus it is wrongoStandard way of treating people as mere means deceiving them coercing them Treating Persons as Ends in ThemselvesoKant duties of justice are the most important of our dutiesoIf we fail in these duties we have used others as mere meansoEven if we don t use them as mere means we may be failing to use them as ends in themselves completelyoMust not treat people as mere means must respect them as a rational person with own maxims One should also seek to foster others plans and maxims by sharing some of their endsoTo act beneficently to seek others happiness intend to achieve some things that others aim at oBeneficence must be selective oSharp distinction between requirements of justice and of beneficence in Kantian ethics This study source was downloaded by 100000820816648 from CourseHero com on 03 24 2022 15 12 54 GMT 05 00 https www coursehero com file 9078277 Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems oJustice must act on no maxims that use others as mere meansoBeneficence must act on some maxims that foster others ends matter of judgment for which onesoKantians consider only the proposals for action that occur to them check that these use no other as mere meansoKant s theory less scope than utilitarianismoOne can usually tell whether one s act uses others as mere means even if impact on human happiness is unknown Kantian Deliberations on Famine ProblemsoKantian theory does not require us to turn our attention first to those who suffer most could deal with those closer to home Not obliged to help the starving oContrast between theory that makes massive but indeterminate demands and a theory that makes fewer but less unambiguous demands and leaves other questions like allocation of beneficence unresolvedoKantian ethics silent on moral status of unintentional action Kantian Duties of Justice in Times of FamineoRequires that we do no injusticeoThis can be difficult in situations where it is easier and seems more necessary oOne should not cheat seek more than one s fareoShould not take advantage of others desperation to divert goods into black market and get moneyoTransactions that look like sales can be coercive if one party is desperateoAll forms of corruption that deceive or put pressure on others are wrongoKant justice requires that in famine situations must still fulfill duties to help othersoIf unfulfillable wont judge wrong person who did their bestoWhen no means to fulfill particular obligations Kantian principles may require generation of sacrifice Won t require to seek to maximize happiness of later generations only to establish security and posterity needed for present obligationsoCould one avoid deception and coercion by simply doing nothing about famine situation oCommon in writings in ethics social policy to distinguish between one s personal responsibilities and one s role responsibilities As an individual I sympathize but in my official capacity I can do nothing oKantians would play down this distinctionoWhen we take on positions we add to our responsibilities those that the job requires and do not lose any personal responsibilitiesoIt is hard to identify coercion and deception in complicated institutional settings Kantian Duties of Beneficence in Times of FamineoMany opportunities for beneficenceoArea where primary task is to develop others capacity to pursue own ends extreme poverty cannot pursue any of their ends this is more important than sharing ends with people who can pursue their own The Limits of Kantian Ethics Intentions and ResultsoKantian ethics can only assess intentional acts This study source was downloaded by 100000820816648 from CourseHero com on 03 24 2022 15 12 54 GMT 05 00 https www coursehero com file 9078277 Kantian Approaches to Some Famine Problems Powered by TCPDF www tcpdf org oUsually used on individuals but can be used on anything with a decision making procedure corporation oMight seem great limitation that it cannot examine results oGood intentions might lead to bad results or bad intentions might produce no resultsoHowever we cant just claim our intentions they reflect what we expect the immediate results of our actions to beoWhere people s voiced opinions ignore normal predictable results of what they intend to do we assume these were not their real intentionsoIf the real intention uses no other as mere means he she does nothing unjustoIf some of his her intentions foster others ends they re sometimes beneficentoCan use Kantian arguments to decide whether an action is wrong even though don t have full scope of results They will not cause harms that they can foresee without being reflected in their intentions