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As you already know, Kant's ethical theory insists on the importance of universalization

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of your rules.

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Kant's Categorical Imperative invites you to create rules that can really be universalizable

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and that respect human dignity.

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Actually, both formulations of the Categorical Imperative are equivalent.

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Now, if you make rules that you can really want to be universalizable and that respect

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human dignity, you are using a procedural ethics, an ethics that insists on how you

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make the rules.

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This ethical theory is not consequentialist.

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This is extremely important.

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According to Kant, what is relevant in ethics is not the consequence of your action.

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What is relevant is the rule, the intention of your action.

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Then, there is a great contrast between Kant's theory and other theories such as, for example,

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Mill's Utilitarianism.

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As you will remember, Mill insisted on the consequences of your actions.

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He thought that what is correct is what has good consequences, making people happy.

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For Kant, this is not correct.

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The important thing in ethics, for Kant, is not the consequences of your actions.

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The important thing is to do your duty.

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That is why we say that Kant's theory is deontological.

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Deontology is a word that comes from Greek and refers to duties and obligations.

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Kant thought that ethics is about doing what is your duty.

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Often, when we have to decide what to do, there is a conflict between what we really

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want to do, what we would like to do, what we feel like doing, and our obligation.

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For example, I would like to watch TV, but I know I have the duty to study.

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There is a conflict between what I must do and what I want.

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Kant thought this is the key point of morality, this conflict between what your inclination

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asks you to do and what your duty tells you to do.

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The right thing for Kant is always to do your duty.

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So the important thing is not the consequence.

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The important thing is your obligation.

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Whenever you have this conflict, Kant says, do your duty.

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That is morally correct.

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And how do you know what is your duty?

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It's not that difficult.

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Your duty, Kant says, is to respect the categorical imperative, to follow norms that you can't

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want to be universalizable, to follow rules that respect human dignity.

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Imagine, then, that you have to take a difficult decision that has bad consequences but that

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corresponds to your duty.

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What would Kant recommend you to do?

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In this situation, Kant thought that you must always do your duty, regardless of the

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consequences of your actions.

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Why?

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Because Kant thought you are responsible of your decision, you are responsible of doing

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your duty or breaking it, but you are not responsible of the consequences of your action.

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The consequences of your action go beyond your own capacity of decision.

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What is correct is to do what is your duty, and the rest is not depending on you.