What Is Kant's Duty

Kant holds the position that as long as one does not violate the rights of others man is a free agent. Despite this man cannot use his own freedom to destroy himself. Kant believes that it is one’s duty to preserve their life and by willfully taking their life they are doing the opposite of this. This is seen in the quote “The first, not principal, duty of a human being to himself as an animal being is to preserve himself in his animal nature. The contrary to this is willful physical death or killing oneself.”(Kant 1996 p. 176). Another duty Kant mentions that man must abide by is the duty to uphold one’s dignity. By a human being taking their own life they are violating this duty of maintaining their dignity. Moreover, he claims that by committing