David Hume And Immanuel Kant - 964 Words

David Hume and Immanuel Kant argue about the origin of something nearly everyone agrees on, our actions are a result of reason. Hume holds the idea that actions, when cut down to their core, are a result of the universal feelings that a species shares. Kant’s counterargument is that actions, when not done as a means to an end or faculty of desire, are done from duty and only such have true moral worth. He goes on to define good will with and without limitations, and separates the duties towards oneself and to others. Both arguments seem to be a bit incomplete to me, though I believe Hume to be more on the right track. David Hume does a better job arguing for the source of actions of moral worth than Kant because of his simpler approach and more easily applicable standard. The problem with Kant’s argument is that he tries to put too many layers onto it. He introduces the idea between â€Å"good with limitations† and â€Å"good without limitations.† It seems quite the stretch for an action to be good without limitation while not good because of its effect. When trying to define good will as the only thing good in and beyond the world, I feel as though Kant is approaching true moral worth as something done for universal utility. Physics taught us that actions always have reactions, so it’s difficult to find situations in which humans do something purely out of duty or volition. In his example of a philanthropist, he gives the impression that if the man felt good for donating even inShow MoreRelatedIs David Hume Or Immanuel Kant?1428 Words   |  6 PagesWas David Hume or Immanuel Kant more virtuous in their ethical philosophy? First we must understand what these ethical writings were for each modern philosopher. 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She stresses that that a personRead MoreComparing David Hume and Immanuel Kant Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesComparing David Hume and Immanuel Kant David Hume and Immanuel Kant each made a significant break from other theorists in putting forward a morality that doesn’t require a higher being or god, for a man to recognize his moral duty. Although Hume and Kant shared some basic principals they differed on their view of morality. In comparing the different views on human will and the maxims established to determine moral worth by David Hume and Immanuel Kant, I find their theories on morality have someRead MoreKant And David Hume Views On The Matter1457 Words   |  6 Pageschoices that lead to an individual to both reason and feel some sort of emotion. Objectively speaking, there is a no fine line between reasoning and how one feels, however there seems to be a distinct difference between the philosophers Immanuel Kant and David Hume views on the matter. 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Who and what influenced him II. Jean Jacques Rousseau A. What he believed in B. Who influenced him III. Claude Adrien Helvetius A. Influences B. Reasons for contribution IV. Immanuel Kant A. How he made a difference B. Why he made a difference C. What caused him to make a difference V. Johann Fichte A. Influences Read MoreKant And Hume On Morality Essay1952 Words   |  8 Pagesrelationship between Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) and David Hume (1711-1776) is a source of wide spread fascination’ (Standard Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Kant and Hume on Morality). Purpose of this essay is to provide Immanuel Kant’s claims on sympathy and David Hume’s assessment on it, backed up by their reasoning’s. By doing so, strong argument will separately be provided from both sides and the task then is to present my personal opinion on whose argument seems more compelling. David Hume’s assessmentRead MoreEssay On the Obligation to Keep One’s Promises1395 Words   |  6 Pagesmammoth rather successfully are Immanuel Kant and David Hume. The backbone of Kant’s moral philosophy is what he calls the â€Å"categorical imperative.† In the Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant uses the preface and the first section to introduce and develop the idea, and then in the second section finally states it for the first time: â€Å"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.† (Kant, Grounding for the MetaphysicsRead MorePersonal Identity : David Hume1133 Words   |  5 Pageshead. David Hume dedicated a portion of his philosophy in the attempts to finally put what he saw as a fallacious claim concerning the soul to rest. In the skeptical wake of Hume, German idealist, beginning with Immanuel Kant, were left with a variety of epistemic and metaphysical problems, the least of which was personal identity. David Hume was a Scottish empiricist who became renowned as a philosopher for his metaphysical skepticism and his account of the mind. Born in the 18th century, Hume followsRead MoreInto The Woods By Stephen Sondheim Essay1612 Words   |  7 Pagesthroughout the play, decisions that play a very important role throughout the play and the field of ethics. In fact, philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and David Hume– philosophers that extensibly contributed with ethical views regarding respect and dignity– may agree or disagree with the ethical decisions taken by the characters on specific instances. In fact, Kant and Hume have developed a set of views that determine what is right and wrong; very useful to decide whether or not the Baker’s decisions are