Kant And The Categorical Imperative - 1177 Words

Immanuel Kant was a philosopher who tried to work out how human beings could be good and kind outside admiration and devotion of traditional religions. Kant was a pessimist about human character and believed that we are by nature intensely prone to corruption. This became more clear to Kant after reading the work of philosopher David Hume. It was this that led him to formulate his life’s project, the desire to replace religious authority with the authority of reason, that is human intelligence. When it came to religion, Kant argued that although historical religions had all been wrong in the content of what they believed, they had latched onto a great need to promote ethical behavior, a need which still remained. It was in this context†¦show more content†¦However, this statement leads to a contradiction. Kant’s wording specifically states that moral actions cannot bring about contradictions. The contradiction here is that no one would say that everyone should steal all the time. If that were the case everyone would steal from each other. Another example that contradicts Kant’s statement of universal law is about cheating in a relationship. If I wanted to cheat on my partner, I would have to be willing to make it the case that everyone always cheat on their partner - but if this were to happen no one would ever trust to be in a relationship with someone else. So, if you willed ,that cheating, should become a universal law then you would prevent your goal making it impermissible to lie according to the categorical imperative. The second formulation known as The Formula of Humanity states that we should 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 a means but always at the same time as an end. To treat a person as an end, for Kant meant keeping in view that they have a life of their own in which they were seeking happiness and fulfillment and deserve justi ce and fair treatment. The Formula of Humanity does not eliminate using people as means to our ends. This would be absurd since we do this all the time but we do it in morally appropriate ways. We use people all the time, such as professors, doctorsShow MoreRelatedKant And Kant s Categorical Imperative1241 Words   |  5 Pages Immanuel Kant, an 18th-century moral philosopher, had contended that the fundamental principle of morality is the Categorical Imperative, from here will be additionally labeled as (CI) or otherwise mentioned. He supported his view by suggesting a pure moral philosophy; a metaphysics of morals that is not solely for rational beings to explore different ¬ sources of basic moral principles that are found through their own observational experience a priori, but additionally for the sake of morality asRead MoreThe Categorical Imperative : Immanuel Kant842 Words   |  4 PagesThe categorical imperative is Immanuel Kant’s improvement on the Golden rule and all rules associated with the Golden Rule. We are called by Kant to act as how we wish all others to act. According to an article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, â€Å"Kant characterized the [categorical imperative] as an objective, rationally necessary and unconditional principle that we must always follow despite any natural desires or inclinations we may have to the contrary† (Johnson and Cureton). The categoricalRead MoreImmanuel Kant And The Categorical Imperative1437 Words   |  6 PagesImmanuel Kant, a German philosopher, specifically a deontologist, has two imperatives: the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative. These imperatives describe what we ought to do and are only applicable to rational beings because they are the only beings that recognize what they ought or ought not to do. The hypothetical imperative is when an individual’s actions are reasoned by their desire, so they only act with the intention of fulfilling th eir desires. The categorical imperativeRead MoreEthics of Kant and the Categorical Imperative1817 Words   |  8 PagesKant’s Categorical Imperative What is a categorical imperative? A categorical imperative is a moral obligation which is absolute and necessary in any moral situation and isn’t reliant on a singular person’s desires or wills. For Kant, categorical imperatives are the foundation for morality because they invoke â€Å"pure† reasons for our moral actions and decisions since each rational being reasons to act outside of their own personal desires or will which may cloud judgments or impose a biased verdictRead More Kant and the Categorical Imperative Essay897 Words   |  4 PagesKant and the Categorical Imperative Kant tried to develop a theory of ethics which relied on reason rather than emotion. While he was not anti-religious, he wanted an ethical system which was not clouded by religion, emotion or personal interpretation. He placed emphasis on motives behind an action rather than, like the Utilitarians, the consequences of an action. He believed that consequences were no guide to whether an action was moral or not. His theory is known asRead MoreCategorical Imperative By Immanuel Kant946 Words   |  4 Pagesregardless of religion or belief in a God. Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative, arguably what he is best known for can be summed up for an argument for making the right moral decision, as if they applied to everyone equally. This can be done using a person’s sense of reason, and consideration for others. Likewise these imperatives are the moral obligations you need to follow, despite your desires. While applying this to religions, Kant believed that making a moral choice based on religion was thatRead MoreKant s The Categorical Imperative875 Words   |  4 PagesKant believed that good intentions count. He also thought that the morality of an action is determined by the intentions behind it rather than its consequences. Kant tells that courage isn’t good by itself, but good when combined with good intentions. In Kant’s eyes, consequences are irrelevant to assessments of moral worth. He believed the only appropriate motive for moral action is a sense of duty. Sense of duty is doing something so lely because it is the right thing to do, not just acting purelyRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1454 Words   |  6 PagesIn this paper, I will explain the concept of Kant’s Categorical Imperative, and show how he used it to justify why it is wrong to lie to an inquiring murderer. I will note how he arrived at this conclusion, and why I consider it to be the correct moral answer. According to Kant, the Categorical Imperative is the supreme law of morality by which a particular rule that an individual takes as a maxim must be accepted by all rational beings. This universal acceptance is what judges an action to beRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1246 Words   |  5 Pagesutilitarianism, Kant was more focused on intent and action itself. This leads into one of Kantian ethics main ideals; you mustn’t treat another human being as a means to an end. Kant’s Categorical Imperative (CI) is a deontological theory, which relied heavily on his belief that humans are all capable of reason in the same manner, on the same level (A Brief Summary of Kant s Categorical Imperative, 2012). Kant recognized 2 kinds of moral ‘imperatives’, a hypothetical imperative (what must be doneRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1190 Words   |  5 PagesIn section I of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative, Kant argues that every huma n being alive is subject to the categorical imperative. Kant came to this conclusion by arguing that the only thing that is good without needing qualification is a good will. Throughout this paper I will discuss Kant’s good will and his three propositions. A good will is an act done from duty and motivated by respect. If a person manifests a good will in action, the respect for duty determines that I do the action