June 2010 Question 3 - The Right to a Child
Explain how a follower of Kantian ethics might approach issues surrounding the right to a child. [25]
Kantian ethics are ethical principles set out by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), a German thinker from East Prussia, and arguably one of the most influential philosophers in Western philosophy. His ‘Categorical Imperative’ theory was devised from his desire to create a stand-alone ethical theory that would not rely on assumptions, hence he believed in an objective right or wrong based on reason as a pose to assumptions. According to Kant, morals are a Priori synthetic because they are absolute, existing in and of themselves, and do not need to be experienced for them to exist. However, upon testing, it is also obviously true that they are correct.
Of course, when approaching an issue such as the right to a child, followers of Kantian ethics will acknowledge that this is an incredibly controversial area, especially when considering the implications of this. For example, the right to a child for those who cannot naturally produce may incur or involve such procedures as IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) which remain controversial to many people still today.
When looking to Kant’s ethics, we can see two main strands derive from his studies, nameably the Categorical Imperative and the Hypothetical imperative. With regards the Hypothetical Imperative, this can be laid out as ‘doing A to get B’, and so is performing an action in order to gain something else as an end. This contrasts what Kant believes to be moral, the Categorical imperative, set out as ‘do A’, and therefore in principle would suggest that you should not seek reward from our actions but rather treat people as ends in themselves, as a pose to using them as means to an end. This is what Kant refers to as summun bonum, otherwise referred to as ‘goodwill’. According to him, someone of goodwill is not good because of what they achieve or accomplish, but rather because they act out of duty. This is outlined in Kant’s
Kantian ethics are ethical principles set out by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), a German thinker from East Prussia, and arguably one of the most influential philosophers in Western philosophy. His ‘Categorical Imperative’ theory was devised from his desire to create a stand-alone ethical theory that would not rely on assumptions, hence he believed in an objective right or wrong based on reason as a pose to assumptions. According to Kant, morals are a Priori synthetic because they are absolute, existing in and of themselves, and do not need to be experienced for them to exist. However, upon testing, it is also obviously true that they are correct.
Of course, when approaching an issue such as the right to a child, followers of Kantian ethics will acknowledge that this is an incredibly controversial area, especially when considering the implications of this. For example, the right to a child for those who cannot naturally produce may incur or involve such procedures as IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) which remain controversial to many people still today.
When looking to Kant’s ethics, we can see two main strands derive from his studies, nameably the Categorical Imperative and the Hypothetical imperative. With regards the Hypothetical Imperative, this can be laid out as ‘doing A to get B’, and so is performing an action in order to gain something else as an end. This contrasts what Kant believes to be moral, the Categorical imperative, set out as ‘do A’, and therefore in principle would suggest that you should not seek reward from our actions but rather treat people as ends in themselves, as a pose to using them as means to an end. This is what Kant refers to as summun bonum, otherwise referred to as ‘goodwill’. According to him, someone of goodwill is not good because of what they achieve or accomplish, but rather because they act out of duty. This is outlined in Kant’s