Kantian Ethical Theory
What is the Purpose of Morality?
Assessing Ethical Theories
Act Utilitarianism
Rule Utilitarianism
Watch:
For an introduction to the key tenets of Kantian ethical theory, watch the two videos below.
Beginner’s Guide to Kant’s Moral Philosophy (Links to an external site.) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ2fvTvtzBM)(8 min. 19 sec.)
The following video by Professor Chris Suprenant introduces you to some more of the key ideas of Kantian moral theory. Take notes and think about how Kant’s views compare to those of Mill & Utilitarianism.
The Good Life: Kant (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=F6UQLiHB0k0) (Links to an external site.)(5 min. 53 sec.)
Optional Reading:
Kant’s Ethics Excerpts (pdf)
Download Kant’s Ethics Excerpts (pdf)Kant’s Ethics Excerpts (docx)
by Immanuel Kant
Read
1. Kantian Deontology
2. Read through the Choices Test (https://www.ethicsops.com/choices-test).
3.Review the “Less Sugar” case study. You’ve seen this case before. (https://www.ethicsops.com/less-sugar-case)
4. Read the application of the Choices Test to the case. You have not read this before. Just scroll down the page until you see the heading, ‘The Choices Test’.
5. Review the “Phantom Expenses” case study. You’ve seen this case before. (https://www.ethicsops.com/phantom-expenses-case)
6. Read the application of the Choices Test to the case. You have not read this before. Just scroll down the page until you see the heading, ‘The Choices Test.
Read:
The Case
A social worker in a middle school received a referral from the vice principal. The 12-year-old student, who had emigrated to the United States three years earlier from the Dominican Republic, had missed an unusually large number of school days and was struggling academically in several subjects. Two of the student’s teachers reported that she seems remote and disengaged when she is in class. One teacher commented that the student seems to be depressed.
The social worker contacted the student’s parents, whose primary language is Spanish. During this first meeting with the parents, the social worker sensed that the parents have difficulty communicating in English. The social worker did his best to explain the school staffers’ concerns about their daughter and the social worker’s plan to meet with her regularly to explore the issues in her life and help her get back on track. The social worker asked the parents for their permission to meet with their daughter and provide counseling; although the parents nodded their head “yes” when the social worker asked them for permission to meet with their daughter; the social worker was not convinced that the parents fully understood the points he made, the school’s concerns, and the social worker’s plans.
Source:
Reamer, Frederic G.. 2009. The Social Work Ethics Casebook: Cases and Commentary. Baltimore, MD: NASW Press.
Submit:
1. Go back to your submission for EA2: Female Circumcision. Respond to the comment(s) I made on your submission–one sentence is sufficient (you can write more, if you wish). There is a text box below my comment that says, ‘Add a Comment’–just type in your sentence(s) there. I’m not looking for anything special here, just an indication that you read the feedback. So, what you say should be responsive to the content of what I wrote.
2. Apply the The Choices Test (Links to an external site.) to the case above. Break up your analysis into paragraphs. Each paragraph should begin with the heading of the step you are applying, e.g. Step 1 (That’s it! Don’t type out the whole descriiption of the step. Instead, just type Step 1 and apply the step to the case. Do the same for the rest of the steps.)
Word range: 250 – 350 words
