“Marlow and Three Moral Philosophers"

Purpose of the study

The main purpose of this study is to understand the moral theories of Kant and to compare it with the moral theories of Schopenhauer, Aristotle and Utilitarian.

Kant Moral Theory

Kant's Moral Philosophy is, as you would expect, difficult to understand. It has become popular in our times, mainly as a viable alternative to utilitarianism (Louis, 194). Since utilitarian theory downplays the moral significance of such important elements as respect, human dignity, individual rights, and minority protection, an alternative moral theory might b needed. [Utilitarianism, and consequential theories in general, do not accord an intrinsic and incommensurable value to any element - in other words, nothing - not even human dignity or even human life - is to be valued as morally good or morally valuable in itself and isolated from comparison, or weighing, against other goods. Kant's theory is on the other extreme of consequentialist theories (Louis, 196). Kant's moral theory does not look at all into consequences. There is considerable confusion about this, but clarity requires us to pay attention to this aspect of the theory: the theory does NOT take consequences to be morally significant. Then, what does this theory take as morally significant? The answer is this: Kant's theory is deontological - it looks only into what SHOULD be done regardless of the consequences.

Do the right thing even if this causes unhappiness - even if the heavens fall, to paraphrase a classical saying. This might not strike you as sensible: Why should we not care if our actions, to be morally appropriate, should have the right kinds of effects on other people? But, not be so fast. Many people who never read - or would like to read or would be able to understand - Kant, think of morality in the ...