Important Ethical Principles
The chief moral principles from which I reason are:
- Kant's Categorical Imperative
(second formulation): "So act as to treat humanity, whether in thine
own person or in that of any other, in every case as an end withal, never
as a means only."
- Aristotle's Principle of
Distributive Justice: distributive justice consists of treating equals
equally and unequals unequally, but in proportion to their relevant
differences.
- A presumption of basic human
equality.
- Mill's Harm Principle: One's
liberty is justifiably restricted by government to prevent direct harm to
others.
- A presumption that other
species have intrinsic value.
- It is impossible to have absolute
certainty because knowledge cannot be complete.