Deck 12: The Categorical Imperative Immanuel Kant

Question 1

Which of the following does Kant consider unconditionally good?

A) Happiness
B) A good will
C) Knowledge
D) All of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Kant claims that an action is morally good only if

A) it conforms to the moral law.
B) it is done for the sake of the moral law.
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Answer 2

C

Question 3

To do one's duty, Kant argues, is to act

A) in accordance with one's inclination.
B) to achieve a good end.
C) to benefit others.
D) out of respect for the moral law.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

For Kant, having a will means

A) having the capacity to act in accordance with principles.
B) having a desire strong enough to act on.
C) being able to act out of self-interest.
D) None of the above

Question 5

What kind of imperative commands an action to be done as a means to some other end?

A) Hypothetical
B) Categorical
C) Analytic
D) Synthetic

Question 6

The imperative of morality is

A) hypothetical.
B) categorical.
C) analytic.
D) prudential.

Question 7

According to Kant, for an action to be moral, the principle motivating it must be

A) altruistic.
B) prudential.
C) universalizable.
D) scientific.

Question 8

Kant claims respect is

A) a feeling.
B) a desire.
C) an inclination.
D) All of the above

Question 9

According to Kant, making a deceitful promise is

A) permissible in an emergency.
B) wrong but excusable in an emergency.
C) morally correct when we put the interests of others before our own.
D) wrong because this uses another person simply as a tool for one's own purposes.

Question 10

According to the Kantian theory, the supreme moral principle requires that one treat humanity, in oneself or others, always as a(n)

A) being created by God.
B) end, never merely as a means.
C) self-interested, competitive being like oneself.
D) being whose suffering must be minimized.

Question 11

According to Kant, the only thing that can be called good without qualification is an excellent quality of temperament.

Question 12

We always do our duty when we maximally promote the well-being of others.

Question 13

Only a rational being can have a will.

Question 14

Kant thinks that all rational beings necessarily desire happiness.

Question 15

A morally valid principle is one that can serve as a universal law, applicable to all at any time or in any place.

Question 16

Kant believes that suicide is morally justifiable in certain circumstances.

Question 17

Kant thinks we have a moral duty to cultivate our natural talents.

Question 18

According to Kant, the moral worth of an action consists both in its consequences and in the principle that motivates it.

Question 19

Kant defends the right to lie when human life is at stake.

Question 20

Kant believes that we have a duty to assist others in need.

Question 21

What is a "maxim" for Kant? What role do maxims play in Kant's ethics? Provide an example of a maxim and explain how it would figure in the moral assessment of an action in Kant's view.

Question 22

Explain what Kant means when he says that the human being is an "end in itself." What does this imply about how human beings are to be treated?

Question 23

Is it ever morally acceptable to lie? What does Kant say? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

Question 24

Under what conditions does an act have moral worth, according to Kant? Give an example to illustrate this idea. Do you find Kant's position plausible? What do you think is the strongest objection to it?