Kant: Fairness and Justice

Come join us to discuss another topic in ethical philosophy. No book or previous experience is required.

The hosts will use a presentation to lead the discussion, in order to provide information and to elicit participation.

But we proceed as if we were in a conversation. Yet the focus is always on the topic at hand, say, Kantian ethical theory. We try to master the topic at hand under the motto, "wash, rinse and repeat."

We refer often to a well written book titled "The Fundamentals of Ethics" by Russ Shafer-Landau. (A pdf of the text is here.)

Chapter 11 of The Fundamentals of Ethics, titled "The Kantian Perspective: Fairness and Justice," introduces Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy, focusing on the role of fairness, justice, and respect for persons.

Key points of the chapter include:

• The Principle of Universalizability: An action is morally right if its guiding maxim can be willed as a universal law without contradiction. This emphasizes consistency and fairness in moral reasoning.
• Respect for Persons: Kant’s second formulation of the categorical imperative insists that we treat humanity—whether in ourselves or others—as an end in itself, never merely as a means. This underlines the inherent dignity and moral worth of all rational beings.
• Moral Duties and Autonomy: Kant believed that moral duties are derived from reason, not consequences or emotions. Respecting others means recognizing their autonomy and capacity to make rational choices.
• Criticisms and Challenges: The chapter also discusses criticisms of Kantian ethics, such as difficulties in applying the principle of universalizability and potential conflicts between duties.

Overall, the chapter emphasizes that morality, from a Kantian perspective, is about acting from duty, guided by principles of fairness, justice, and respect for all individuals.
See you this Tuesday!