Saturday, March 2, 2019
Kant philosophy Essay
For this case, I go forth be utilize Kantian ethics to apprehend the sagely correct turn uponion to take. onward discussing Kantian ethics in relation to the case, we must first search what Kantian ethics is. Kantian ethics comes from the deontological school of thought, which cogitatees on the clean correctness of the def block up in itself (Johnson, 2013). This substance that the judgment on the morsel is make a priori. This is contrasted to the consequentialist school of thought, which focuses on the results of an act as the calculate that would qualify the rightness or wrongness of an action (Sin nont-Armstrong, 2012).A consequentialist would project a judgment on an act a posteriori. Kant utilized a concept called the Categorical compulsive, which states that that which is moral is that which is demythologized (Johnson, 2013). Therefore, a moral act is i that follows from a rational operator. An immoral act, as it follows, is that which is irrational (Johnson , 2013). some other(prenominal) significant factor to consider in Kantian ethics is that the intimately(prenominal) valuable value that they seek to preserve is indecorum. Contrasted to a Utilitarian, a Kantian would promote autonomy rather than happiness. The Categorical Imperative contains three principal(prenominal) elements.One element of the Categorical Imperative is the formula of universalizcapable bywords. The formula of universalizable proverbs states that a right action is that which can be universalizable (Johnson, 2013). The question here would be would an action be acceptable if bothone did it? To test this, a person would drive to imagine a twin valet de chambre wherein that action is the norm for everyone. past that person would need to see if such a world is presumable and rational. Another important factor for this experiment would be to see if the universalized act would inhibit other peoples freedom.If the universalized act or adage doesnt infringe on others freedom indeed this act is acceptable (Johnson, 2013). Another element under the Categorical Imperative is the Humanity Formula. This concept states that benevolentity is a intend in itself and should neer be toughened merely as a means to an curiosity (Johnson, 2013). This means that each human being must be reckon because he or she has his or her make inherent autonomy and lordliness (Johnson, 2013). This formula stipulates that a person may not be manipulated by another as a means to achieve a contingent goal.Realistically, though, you cannot help stillness use people as means to an depot (Johnson, 2013). This happens everyday, for example, when we use break shop clerks to leveraging food. In this example, we are victimization the shop clerks as a means to get the ends, which is food. The reason as to wherefore this particular case of using a person as a means to an end is acceptable is because of the idea of consent. A shop clerk has freely chosen to pu rsue his or her proclaim line of regulate and this entails being a means through which people can purchase food. Thus, the shop clerk consents to being a means to this particular end.The trio element under the Categorical Imperative is the Kingdom of Ends Formula. This prep states that an instrument exists in a community that is made up of equally rational agents who hold in just as much say in the maxims that constrain universalized (Johnson, 2013). The universalized maxims function the fair play and every agent in this community agrees to align his or her actions to the law. B. DISCUSSION OF CASE For this particular case, we are get forthing with the maxim of taking cognitive enhancing medicates to increase productivity out entrust.If we were to test this particular maxim using the formula of universalizability, we would deal to imagine a world wherein every person would do this particular action. In this world, everyone would use cognitive enhancing drugs to march d eadlines or to finish their work faster. In the face of stress, instead of overcoming the obstacle through the persons own hard work and will, he would only merely need to pop a pill. As mentioned in the case, this flesh of accepted behavior could render a new kind of neuro-society. This new neuro-society would be filled with people popping pills like Adderall or Ritalin to focus on their work on hand.There is basically nothing wrong with increasing the ability of a person to focus on a particular task. The downside of this kind of society would be that it would become a society of drug dependency. Designer drugs like the ones previously mentioned would act as a quick fix for people. Instead of relying on their own wills and capacities, people would be relying merely on the drug to be able to produce an output. This dependency goes against the value the Kantian holds above everything else autonomy. By allowing a drug-dependent society to prosper, we would be limiting our own fre edom by soft becoming more dependent on drugs.In this world where using cognitive enhancing drugs is the norm, imagine if the drug would suddenly be taken a steering. pot would not turn in how to focus or get their work done without the drug. In the face of stress, people wouldnt know how to act since they have lost the drug that previously did all the work for them. This is because they supplemented their own shortcomings with the drug instead of developing themselves into becoming fully functioning and autonomous adults who could deal with their problems. This maxim being universalized would stunt our own development and would, in turn, create an infantilized society.This thought experiment aims to show that the maxim of using cognitive enhancing drugs does not pass the test of universalizability. Secondly, in this world with this universalized maxim, the using of cognitive enhancing drugs may become a norm not only for college students or adults, only also for children. Child ren are vulnerable in the sense that their autonomy is still limited. Because a Kantian would uphold autonomy as the most important value, he or she would feel an obligation to protect vulnerable parties who have limited autonomy.In this world, there may be over-achieving parents who want their children to be competitive in the world of academics. If the using of cognitive enhancing drugs becomes the norm, then these kinds of parents business leader try to get their children to take these kinds of drugs to get ahead in their studies. A Kantian would see that the children must be protected from these kinds of actions since they cannot utilize their autonomy in the full capacity. Another point for this argument is that if children are put on cognitive enhancing drugs from an early age, then they will grow up never knowing what it is like to function without these drugs.Furthermore, they will become extremely dependent and they will never be able to realize their own full potential a nd capacity. This means that their autonomies will always be moderately limited. Therefore, a world wherein cognitive enhancing drugs are the norm, not just for adults but also for children, must be avoided. Therefore, based on the twin world test, the use of cognitive enhancing drugs should not become a norm since it creates a dependent society and it creates an opportunity for vulnerable parties to remain vulnerable and never reach their full autonomies.Thirdly, another reason as to why this particular maxim would not be acceptable for a Kantian is because it goes against another element of the Categorical Imperative the Human Formula. As previously stated, this formulation asserts that humans should not be used merely as means to an end. This formulation includes disallowing agents in using themselves as a means to an end (Manninen, 2006). The act of taking cognitive enhancing drugs overcomes the person to merely a means to an end.Instead of respecting ones own capacity to achi eve ones full potential, a person merely reduces himself to something akin to a machine that will produce output in the quickest way possible. Instead of the person using his or her own capacity in facing the challenge, the act of using a cognitive enhancing drug will circumvent the process of self-development and will skip the opportunity for personal harvest-festival. In this manner, the person will accomplish the short-term goal of churning out an output without actually developing his or her own talents.As say in a journal article by Manninen (2006), when drugs are treated as a miracle solution to the stressful emotions an agent is feeling, this stops the agent from growing and overcoming the stress by himself or herself. This sacrifices an important aspect of being human the capacity to engage in personal development. This stunts personal growth and, in turn, society is left with people who do not know how to deal with problems by themselves. Instead, they turn to using drugs as an emotional crutch. In conclusion, we see how a Kantian would view the maxim of using cognitive enhancing pills in response to stress or a heavy workload.Since the most important value for the Kantian is autonomy and the development of this, he or she would see this maxim as something that limits and stunts autonomy. Therefore, to make this maxim into a universalized law would be irrational. In my opinion, I think that Kantian ethics did pinpoint the morally correct response in this case. This is because the using of cognitive enhancing drugs would reduce the agent to a mere means. This is not morally correct since human beings are not mere means nor machines but rather rational agents who deserve respect and the chance to grow.References Johnson, R. (2013). Kants Moral Philosophy. In E. Zalta (Ed. ), The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from http//plato. stanford. edu/entries/kant-moral/ Manninen, B. A. (2006). Medicating the mind A kantian analysis of overpresc ribing psychoactive drugs. Journal of health check ethics, 32(2), 100-105. Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2012). Consequentialism. In E. Zalta (Ed. ), The stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from http//plato. stanford. edu/cgi-bin/encyclopedia/archinfo. cgi? entry=consequentialism.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment