De Anza College Concept of Categorical Imperative Questions.
Question Description
- According to many people, it is at least occasionally permissible to lie. Kant seems to
deny this, advancing the view that all lies are impermissible. Explain in detail Kant’s
argument for this claim. Be sure to discuss how his view on lying is supposed to be
derived from the concept of the categorical imperative. What is your assessment of
Kant’s position on lying? -
In the third section of the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant makes a set of
interesting arguments about the nature of freedom. Explain in detail how Kant conceives
of the relationship between morality and freedom, as well as his reasons for holding that
we can intelligently think of ourselves as free. Do you think that Kant’s account of
freedom, and its relationship to morality, is convincing? -
Immanuel Kant claims that his moral theory is the first to ground morality in the concept
of autonomy. All other forms of moral theory have been, according to Kant,
heteronomous. Explain in detail what Kant means when he claims that autonomy is the
supreme principle of morality. Select one thinker we have read in our course, and
explain why Kant would regard their theory of morality as heteronomous. Do you think
that Kant’s account of autonomy is compelling? Is Kant’s moral theory more persuasive
than the other theory you discuss?
