Basic Strengths and Weaknesses of Kantian Ethics

Main strengths of Kantian ethics:

• Clarity - Kantian ethics is clear and easy to follow. Its absolutist, deontological nature is arguably the most easy to apply
• this is good for environmental, business and sexual ethics. Any theory which is easy to apply is helpful/useful/reliable
• Egalitarian - Kant states we should treat people as "an end in themselves" and so Kantian ethics puts everyone on equal ground
• this is also good for all three, for obvious reasons
• Consistent - the absolutist nature of the ethic means that what it says will never change - nobody is an exception
• this is good for business - all customers are treated exactly the same and none are favoured
• Honours respect and dignity

Main weaknesses of Kantian ethics:

• Maxim scope - anyone could universalise a maxim to allow anything, so long as it is universalisable
• sexually, the maxim 'women should always be sexually passive' could be put forward, as could several others. Is this fair?
• corrupt businesses could employ any maxim they wish to justify doing something which many of us may see as immoral
• Inflexible - because of its absolutist nature, Kantian ethics offers no flexibility. It doesn't regard the situation of an action, which is arguably not helpful or useful in the modern world
• this is a weakness for all three - environmental, sexual and business issues are all specific and different
• Speciesist - Kant once said that "animals are there merely as a means to an end. That end is man."
• this anthropocentric view may offend certain environmental theories and present humanity as arrogant - preference utilitarian Peter Singer would take particular offence  because pretty much all he talks about is animals. He loves them.