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Lawrence M. Hinman, Ph.D.Director, The Values InstituteUniversity of San Diego

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Immanuel Kantand the Ethics of Duty

mailto:hinman@sandiego.edu?subject=PowerPoint%20Presentationmailto:hinman@sandiego.edu?subject=PowerPoint%20Presentation

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Overview:

The Ethics of Respect

One of Kants

most lasting

contributions tomoral philosophy

was his emphasis on

the notion of respect

(Achtung)

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Introduction

Respect has become a fundamental moral

concept in contemporary America

Rodney Dangerfield Dont dis me.

There are rituals of respect in almost all

cultures.

Two central questions: What is respect?

Who or what is the proper object of respect?

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Kant on Respect

Act in such a way thatyou always treathumanity, whether inyour own person or inthe person of any other,

never simply as ameans, but always atthe same time as anend.

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Kant on Respecting Persons

Kant brought the notion of respect

(Achtung) to the center of moralphilosophy for the first time.

To respect people is to treat them as endsin themselves. He sees people as

autonomous, i.e., as giving the moral law

to themselves.

The opposite of respecting people is

treating them as mere means to an end.

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Using People as Mere Means

The Tuskegee SyphilisExperiments More than four hundred

African American men

infected with syphiliswent untreated for fourdecades in a projectthe government calledthe Tuskegee Study ofUntreated Syphilis inthe Negro Male.

Continued until 1972

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Treating People as Ends in

Themselves

What are the characteristics of treating

people as ends in themselves?

Not denying them relevantinformation

Allowing them freedom of choice

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Additional Cases

Plant Closing

Firing Long-Time Employees

Medical Experimentation onPrisoners

Medical Donations by Prisoners

Medical Consent Forms

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What Is the Proper Object of

Respect?

For Kant, the proper object of respect is

the will. Hence, respecting a person

involves issues related to the will--knowledge and freedom.

Other possible objects of respect:

Feelings and emotions

The dead

Animals

The natural world

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Self-Respect

Is lack of proper self-respect a moralfailing?

The Deferential Wife See article by Tom Hill, Servility and

Self-Respect Servants

See movie of Kazuo Ishiguro's Remainsof the Day

Stevens the servant: "I don't believe aman can consider himself fully contentuntil he has done all he can to be of

service to his employer." Aristotle and Self-Love

What is the difference between self-respect and self-love? Clearly, there is atleast a difference in the affective element.

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Respect in the Classroom

What does it mean to respect students?

Are there any common classroom practices

that you see as disrespectful of students? What does it mean to respect teachers?

Are there any common school practices that

you find are disrespectful to teachers?

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Conclusion

Respect for other people (including

not using other people as a means)

remains a key concept incontemporary moral philosophy.