EXAM NOTES

1. Bring a blue book (or two), a pen (or two). You can have a 3”x5” card for notes.

2. You can email Weston with questions up to 10:00 p. m. at tweston@mail.sdsu.edu or 101@tomweston.net.

3. There is useful information, handouts, etc. on the web at:

http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/phil/wwwest.html.

4. You will have two essay questions. They count equally. You will have some choice of questions.

KANT ON KINDS OF OBLIGATION

Strict Obligation or Duty	Not to make lying promises	Not to kill yourself from self-love
This is when your maxim could not possibly become universal	Maxim: “I make lying promises when I am in difficulties” Maxim can’t be universal, because trying to make it universal would make promises impossible, so lying promises would be impossible, too	Maxim: “Out of self-love, I will shorted my life when it contains more evil than satisfaction” Can’t become a universal law, because this would mean having in inclination to destroy life by means of that feeling which leads you to improve you life.
Beneficent (or Meritorious) Obligation or Duty	To help other people	To develop your talents.
Possible for maxim to be universal, but irrational to will that it be so	Maxim: “I never help anyone” Maxim can be universal, but choosing that be so means choosing that other do not help you when you need it.	Maxim: “I don’t develop my talents if it is more enjoyable not to do so” Can’t be chosen as universal law since it means choosing not to have capabilities that benefit you in order to benefit you.