Evaluate Kant's Categorical Imperative (25 Marks)
Outline and evaluate Kants categorical imperative (25 marks)
Kant’s categorical ethics is a deontological theory of ethics, this means that the actions are either intrinsically right or intrinsically wrong, this is due to absolute law; the outcome of the situation is not important to Kant’s theory even if the outcome may be good. Kant has a deontological theory because he believes that you must stick to the moral rules and beliefs that you have no matter what the turn out. An example of this would be, Lying is wrong, the action you must take is to never lie no matter what the circumstances. His theory is categorical due to that he believes that you are doing something because it is your duty and you have to, it is based on reason alone; this links to deontological ethics because the basis is the same. …show more content…
The categorical imperative, according to Kant, helps a person who follows their duty to decide which moral laws or actions (deontological) are obligatory and which are forbidden.
Your moral duty is something that you MUST do because it is the right thing to do whether you like it or not; e.g. helping an old person cross the road, you do this because it’s your duty to help people whether you want to or not. The categorical imperative theory has no ‘ifs’ it is either a right or wrong answer, it has a intrinsic value and also they are ends in themselves, their authority does not come from achieving an end. For Kant, the only moral imperatives are categorical. Kant created his own his own categorical imperatives in order to helps us determine which actions are morally obligatory and which are not. Kant devised three categorical imperatives; the universal law, treat humans as ends to themselves and act as if you live in a kingdom of
ends.
Universal law means that all moral statements should be both universalisable, be able to be used in all situations. If a law or rule cannot be universal then they are contradictions to the law of nature. Basically this means a rule or a law in able to work must be able to be used by everybody in any situation. Kant states ‘so act that the maxim of your will could always hold at the same time as a principle establishing universal law’
The second imperative, treat humans as ends in themselves, means that people should always be treated as ends in themselves and not means in an end. In other words treat others with respect that as thinking beings, they deserve. Do not use people. We should all regard ourselves as living in a community and that people deserve respect as rational free individuals.
Act as though you live in a kingdom of the ends, is the thought experiment proposes a world in which all human beings are treated as ends, not as means to an end for other people. For Kant, all rational agents are able to deduce whether an argument is moral or not through using reason alone, Therefore all rational humans should be able to conclude the same moral laws.
Moral statements according to Kant are also a ‘priori synthetic’ this means that statements are knowable by only by empirical examination, this means that they are to be true but they also can be false. An example of this ‘it’s raining today.’ Kant believes that there is an objective moral law which is only known threw reason, Kant debates that the highest form of good is good will or the summon bonum. Summon bonum is wishing really hard that good things will happen to someone or something.
To conclude Kant’s categorical imperative provides human beings with guidelines on how to live a fulfilled and happy life. To live a happy fulfilled life, in Kant’s opinion, you must follow your duty to decide what moral laws are obligated and what are not; you must also follow Kants three categorical ethics in order to reach your summon bonum.
Kant’s categorical ethics is a deontological theory of ethics, this means that the actions are either intrinsically right or intrinsically wrong, this is due to absolute law; the outcome of the situation is not important to Kant’s theory even if the outcome may be good. Kant has a deontological theory because he believes that you must stick to the moral rules and beliefs that you have no matter what the turn out. An example of this would be, Lying is wrong, the action you must take is to never lie no matter what the circumstances. His theory is categorical due to that he believes that you are doing something because it is your duty and you have to, it is based on reason alone; this links to deontological ethics because the basis is the same. …show more content…
The categorical imperative, according to Kant, helps a person who follows their duty to decide which moral laws or actions (deontological) are obligatory and which are forbidden.
Your moral duty is something that you MUST do because it is the right thing to do whether you like it or not; e.g. helping an old person cross the road, you do this because it’s your duty to help people whether you want to or not. The categorical imperative theory has no ‘ifs’ it is either a right or wrong answer, it has a intrinsic value and also they are ends in themselves, their authority does not come from achieving an end. For Kant, the only moral imperatives are categorical. Kant created his own his own categorical imperatives in order to helps us determine which actions are morally obligatory and which are not. Kant devised three categorical imperatives; the universal law, treat humans as ends to themselves and act as if you live in a kingdom of
ends.
Universal law means that all moral statements should be both universalisable, be able to be used in all situations. If a law or rule cannot be universal then they are contradictions to the law of nature. Basically this means a rule or a law in able to work must be able to be used by everybody in any situation. Kant states ‘so act that the maxim of your will could always hold at the same time as a principle establishing universal law’
The second imperative, treat humans as ends in themselves, means that people should always be treated as ends in themselves and not means in an end. In other words treat others with respect that as thinking beings, they deserve. Do not use people. We should all regard ourselves as living in a community and that people deserve respect as rational free individuals.
Act as though you live in a kingdom of the ends, is the thought experiment proposes a world in which all human beings are treated as ends, not as means to an end for other people. For Kant, all rational agents are able to deduce whether an argument is moral or not through using reason alone, Therefore all rational humans should be able to conclude the same moral laws.
Moral statements according to Kant are also a ‘priori synthetic’ this means that statements are knowable by only by empirical examination, this means that they are to be true but they also can be false. An example of this ‘it’s raining today.’ Kant believes that there is an objective moral law which is only known threw reason, Kant debates that the highest form of good is good will or the summon bonum. Summon bonum is wishing really hard that good things will happen to someone or something.
To conclude Kant’s categorical imperative provides human beings with guidelines on how to live a fulfilled and happy life. To live a happy fulfilled life, in Kant’s opinion, you must follow your duty to decide what moral laws are obligated and what are not; you must also follow Kants three categorical ethics in order to reach your summon bonum.