Act in such a way that you always treat humanity rational nature, whether in. I shall compare kantian and utilitarian approaches and assess their strengths and weaknesses. Onora sylvia oneill, baroness oneill of bengarve ch cbe frs fba fmedsci born 23 august 1941 is a philosopher and a crossbench member of the house of lords the daughter of sir con oneill, she was educated partly in germany and at st pauls girls school, london, before studying philosophy, psychology and physiology at somerville college, oxford. Thats a commonly heard suggestion for making a better world. Easy to use for both students and instructors, introduction to philosophy.
Be sure that your paper includes a reconstruction of the argument you think oneill would make in. Kantian approaches to some famine problems murdoch. Major issues in philosophy o neill, a simplified account of kant s ethics 4. There is then quite a sharp distinction between the requirements of justice and of beneficence in kantian ethics. First i shall offer a simplified version of kant i shall set out some of its ian ethics. Onora oneill interprets the principle of humanity this way see dmi, p. Personally, despite oppositions, i would tend to agree with such notions, especially because oneill is using the concept of consent as a way to define moral and immoral foundations for social interactions.
Presentation of onora oneills kantian approaches to some famine problems by phil jenkins for his fall 2017 online ethics class at marywood university. The main method by which i propose to avoid some of the difficulties of kants moral. Oneill, kantian approaches to some famine problems. Pdf comments on onora oneills paper kantian ethics. Or do complex systems of accountability and control damage trust. She has also served as president of the british philosophical association, chaired the uks equality and human rights commission, and has found time to become a baroness.
Oneill herself advocates a third kind of theorizing that takes human obligations as basic and, in particular, the kantian obligation never to act in ways in which others cannot in principle also act. Evidently we have to do so in any cooperative scheme of action. In the article a simplified account of kants ethics, onora oneill tries to clarify kants complex moral theory which has been dubbed before as forbiddingly difficult 411 to understand. For discussion on this topic, please go to the relevant forum for moral problems and the good life. Onora oneill onora sylvia oneill, baroness oneill of bengarve. Evaluation of possible solutions to world hunger science. As a kantian scholar, one of the major criticisms oneill has with singers solution, and utilitarian reasoning in general, is its impractical or infeasible nature. Oneill applies kantian ethical theory to the problem of famine relief. Onora oneill kantian deliberations on famine problems.
Onora o neill, kantian approaches to some famine problems which formulation of the categorical imperative does o neill apply to some famine problems. Such a theory, she argues, provides a better normative response to hunger and famine than utilitarianism and human rights approaches. Classical and contemporary readings incorporates boldfaced key terms listed after each reading and defined in the glossary, a logical toolkit, a guide to writing philosophy. She criticizes utilitarianism for requir ing calculations that we are unable to make and for failing to prioritize human needs. Justice requires that we act on no maxims that use others as mere means. Type chapter authors oneill onora is part of book title ethical theory. Onora oneill 1980 kantian approaches to some famine problems. Series of reith lectures given by onora oneill on a question of trust in 2002 skip to main content. Introductiontophilosophyphils4partivjuly27continuedjustice,libertyandequalityjohnrawls,atheoryofjustice pdf robertnozick,distributive. Onora oneill has the rare distinction among those who appear in this column of still being alive. In acting on principle onora oneill shows that kantian ethics has practical as well as philosophical importance. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Sally haslanger december 2, 2001 kantian ethics and more on famine so far weve looked at egoist and utilitarian approaches to ethics. First published in 1975, the book is regarded as a classic account and defence of the kantian ethical position.
Pdf oneill kantian approaches to some famine problems. Oneill kantian approaches to some famine problems handout. Is there anything which people ought to do now, and from now on, if they are to be able to avoid responsibility for unjustifiable deaths in famine years. She flips the question, showing us that our three most common ideas about trust are actually misdirected. Onora oneill interprets the principle of humanity this way. Which formulation of the categorical imperative does oneill apply to some famine problems.
Many would argue that since kants day, the study of the starry heavens has advanced while ethics has stagnated, and in particular that kants ethics offers an empty formalism that tells us nothing about how we should live. Oneill, onora 1993 kantian approaches to some famine problems. Start studying oneill kantian approaches to some famine problems. 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. She studied in germany and became a kantian philosopher. Major issues in philosophy oneill, a simplified account of kants ethics 2. Kant does not say that there is anything wrong about using someone as a means. Bbc radio 4 reith lectures 2002 a question of trust. Oneill phil pg 538544 onora oneill kantian approaches to some.
Onora o neill, kantian approaches to some famine problems. After an understandable explanation of kantian ethics, oneill shows the advantages of kantianism over utilitarianism. Right actions are those that are guided by intentions to treat persons as far as possible as ends in themselves, and never as a mere means, i. Onora o neill o neill considers what three different kinds of moral theory say ought to be done about hunger and famine. Kantian approaches to some famine problems online simplified summary oneills approach to the question of what affluent. Kant thinks that a moral theory can be criticized, if, due to an unrealistic conception of. Onora oneill normative application of kantian moral theory. A reply to onora oneills paper kantian ethics and communitarianism, delivered to the philosophical society at the university of oxford in 1992. Kantianism and utilitarianism have different ways for determining whether an act we do is right or wrong. Onora oneill challenges current approaches to accountability, investigates sources of. Code onora oneill 1941 kantian approaches to some famine problems onora oneill is a professor of philosophy at the university of essex.
In sharp contrast to peter singer, onora oneill approaches the problem of world hunger from a kantian perspective. The main objection we considered to egoism was that it failed to accommodate the common sense idea that morality involves a kind of impartiality, at the very least it seems that. The main method by which i propose to avoid some of the difficulties of kants moral theory is by explain. Instead of giving a utilitarian account, which focuses strictly on the consequences of ones actions, she gives a kantian, dutybased account, which.
Kant constructs reason on the fundament of public scrutiny. This year ill give 10 percent of my income to famine relief has as a maxim the. Onora oneill 1941 is a professor of philosophy at the university of essex. O nora o neill challenges current approaches to accountability, investigates sources of deception in our society and reexamines questions of press freedom. Click the button below to open the forum page in a new window. Code onora o neill 1941 kantian approaches to some famine problems onora o neill is a professor of philosophy at the university of essex. Against theories that take human rights as basic, o neill points out that they are divided on the issue of whether some welfare rightssuch as a right to. Onora oneill, kantian approaches to some famine problems. Ethical reasoning of all types is anthropocentric, in that it is addressed to agents, but anthropocentric starting points vary in the preference they accord the human species. Philosophical ethics phil 1100, sections r21r26 lecture. Her works include acting on principle and faces of hunger. As oneills book made me appreciate more than any other exploration of kants thought that i have encountered before, this ultimate source lies in what kant calls the public use of reason. Kantian approaches to some famine problems 686 john harris.
Trust is on the decline, and we need to rebuild it. Suffering and death from lack of food, shelter and medical care are bad. Peter singer, famine, affluence, and morality immanuel kant, groundwork of the metaphysic of morals david velleman, a brief introduction to kantian ethics onora oneill, kantian approaches to some famine problems. Req to help both near and far wo hurting other summary perfect duty universal compliance dont treat people as mere means, imperfect duty nonuniversal compliance treat people as ends. Type chapter authors onora oneill date 20 page start 510 page end 520 ebook.
Kantian approaches to some famine problems online simplified summary oneills approach to the question of what affluent people ought to do for those suffering from famine differs substantially from peter singers. Oneill points out that they are divided on the issue of whether some. Onora oneill, a political philosopher and a crossbench peer, is chair of the equality and human rights commission and fellow of the british academy for humanities and social sciences. Oneills a simplified account of kantian ethics ph115. Kantian approaches to some famine problems onora oneill the second moral theory whose scope and determinacy in dealing with famine problems i shall consider was developed by the german philosopher immanuel kant 17241804. Onora oneill a simplified account of kants ethics cahn thurs, feb 16 onora oneill kantian approaches to some famine problems pdf i reserve the right to add to eliminate change the readings assigned in this course. O neill onora is part of book title ethical theory.
Oneill goes on to illustrate the difference between her advocated kantian famine solutions and the standard utilitarian approach, which entails the knowledgeable consequences of all possible actions, that means actions committed and non. Oneill, onora, environmental values, anthropocentrism and. See all 12 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Oneill phil pg 538544 onora oneill kantian approaches. Environmental values, anthropocentrism and speciesism onora oneill newnham college cambridge cb3 9df, uk abstract. Chapter 57 kantian approaches to some famine problems. Peter singer, famine, affluence, and morality immanuel kant, groundwork of the metaphysic of morals david velleman, a brief introduction to kantian ethics onora o neill, kantian approaches to some famine problems. Famine reliefmoral problems and the good life course.