Barbara Herman: on the Value of Acting from the Motive

question 6

Multiple Choice

Barbara Herman: On the Value of Acting from the Motive of Duty
Herman's essay examines a controversial doctrine of Immanuel Kant's: that an action has moral worth if and only if it is done from the motive of duty alone - that is, done solely because it is the right thing to do. Many critics have found Kant's view implausible, because actions performed (for example) out of a desire to help people also seem to be morally worthy, even if they are not done from a motive of duty. Herman sets out to clarify and defend Kant's view.
Following Kant, Herman considers two defects of motives other than the motive of duty. The first is that nonmoral motives tend to be morally unreliable; even the desire to help others can motivate one to do immoral things. The second is that those who act from nonmoral motives seem to show a lack of concern for morality, for "while sympathy can give an interest in an action that is (as it happens) right, it cannot give an interest in its being right." For these reasons, Herman agrees that one must be motivated at least in part by a concern for duty for one's action to be morally worthy.
But what about actions that are preformed partly from a nonmoral desire (say, to help others) and partly from a motive of duty? Is Kant committed to saying that such actions have no moral worth? Herman claims that the key to answering this question lies in Kant's conception of motives. According to Herman, "Kantian motives are neither desires nor causes. An agent's motives reflect his reasons for acting." On such a view, one can have an inclination to help others, while still acting solely from the motive of duty. In such a case, Herman claims, one's action can have moral worth.
Herman also discusses how the motive of duty can serve as a limiting factor, not directly motivating actions but constraining the agent from performing impermissible actions. Even though merely permissible actions cannot be done from the motive of duty, Herman argues, the motive of duty can play a role in determining whether we perform them.
-As Kant sees it, moral deliberation characteristically begins with:

• A) reflection on duty.
• B) reflection on the good will.
• C) a demand placed on us by others.
• D) a nonmoral interest or motive.

Identify different types of checks and their specific uses.

Describe the procedure for correctly positioning a patient's ledger on a pegboard system.

Recognize the advantages and limitations of computerized bookkeeping systems.

Comprehend basic bookkeeping and accounting processes within a medical office.

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Definitions:

Net Income

The total earnings of a company after all expenses and taxes have been deducted from total revenue, indicating the company’s profitability over a specific time period.

Equity Method

An accounting technique used by companies to assess the profits earned through their investments in other companies, reflecting these profits as income.

Dividends

Payments made by a corporation to its shareholders from its profits or reserves, usually in the form of cash or additional shares.

Recognized Gain

An increase in the value of an asset that has been sold or deemed to have increased in value officially on financial statements.