Condorcet, Rousseau, & Kant

Condorcet,Rousseau,

& Kant

CondorcetEducation for the massesEducation for womenMechanical productivity gainsIncrease in agricultural yieldMedical advances

Jean Jacques Rousseau

French Philosophe“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains”People are goodSociety and government make people bad

Rousseau’s Social Contract

Hobbes – Contract between man and an absolute monarchLocke – Contract between man and a representative governmentRousseau – Contract between man and his fellow men

Rousseau's Philosophy

Best government is popular sovereignty (direct democracy)Individual needs are secondary to the “General Will”Against private property and noble titles

Immanuel Kant

Born in PrussiaProfessor of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Königsberg

Respect

“Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.”

Categorical Imperative

How do we tell right from wrong?What makes right actions right and wrong actions wrong?Maxim: a subjective rule that the will of an individual uses in making a decision.

Kant’s Maxims

First Maxim: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law." Second Maxim: “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end.”Third Maxim: “Therefore, every rational being must so act as if he were through his maxim always a legislating member in the universal kingdom of ends.”

First MaximIs it okay to steal?

Maxim: Stealing is okay.1st Maxim:– Could it be a universal law?– Could everyone go around

stealing from everyone else? Answer: No– There would be no such thing

as property– There would be no such thing

as stealingResult: Stealing is wrong

Second Maxim

What is the end result?Getting something that doesn’t belong to you.

Do the ends justify the means?Did the act violate someone’s freewill?– Answer: Yes, you didn’t ask if

you could have the property.

Result: Stealing is wrong

Third Maxim

Does the maxim apply to citizens?– No, no property

Does the maxim apply to rulers?– No, a ruler wouldn’t want

citizens to steal from government

Result: Stealing is wrong

Harder Cases

Try your logic on these:KeepingPromisesCharitySuicide