Groundwork Of The Metaphysics Of Morals Summary

Kant's deontological moral theory also claims that the right action in any given situation is determined by the categorical imperative, which provides a formulation by which we can apply our human reason to determine the right and rational thing to do, which is our duty to do it. This imperative applies to all rational beings independent of their desires and that reason tells us to follow no matter what. By his categorical imperative we

In the reading of “Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals,” Kant mentions our actions being done out of duty or of desire. In which we have our maxims are a fraction of our actions and it turns into a universal law. In this essay, I shall explain what Kant means by “I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law”(Prompt). Also, how it corresponds to the first proposition, that Kant states, which is an action must be from moral duty. I will provide an example of this proposition taking place.

‘Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that everyone should look upon his neighbour as 'another self,' above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity.’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1931).

(1) Respect for persons: “Treating persons as autonomous agents and protecting those with diminished autonomy”. (Individuals with lessen autonomy are entitled to protection).

According to Kant, there is one imperative that – without presupposing as its condition and any other purpose to be attained by a certain course of conduct immediately- commands this conduct. This imperative is categorical” (Kant 30). The categorical imperative is not affected by the matter of the action or even by the result; it is only concerned with the principle followed by the action. The fact that the categorical imperative contains the essential good and is unaffected by circumstance makes it the imperative of morality (Kant 30). The categorical imperative is an unconditional imperative that leaves the will no free discretion in regards to the opposite; only the categorical imperative carries the necessity that we demand for in a law (Kant 33). The categorical imperative serves as a test for morality. According to Kant, for an action to fit under the categorical imperative, it must contain no contradiction that limits it (Kant 33). Since the moral law is the categorical imperative, any action that contains a contradiction fails the categorical imperative test and is immoral. Summarily, morality works according to a categorical imperative because our actions must be motivated by duty rather than a calculated favorable

Kant’s philosophy was based around the theory that we have a moral unconditional obligation and duty that he calls the “Categorical Imperative.” He believes that an action must be done with a motive of this moral obligation, and if not done with this intention then the action would hold no moral value. Under this umbrella of the “Categorical Imperative” he presents three formulations that he believes to be about equal in importance, relevance, and could be tested towards any case. The first formulation known as the Formula of Universal Law consists of a methodical way to find out morality of actions. The second formulation is known as

The universal law formula of the categorical imperative ("the CI") is an unconditional moral law stating that one should “act only on that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.” A maxim is the motivating principle or reason for one’s actions. A moral act is an act by which its maxim can become universal law that would apply to all rational creatures. As a universal law, all rational creatures must act according to this maxim. The CI requires one to imagine a world where the maxim one wishes to act by becomes a universal law, in which all people must act according to this maxim. If one wills this maxim to become universal law that all rational creatures must follow, but there is a

Therefore, doing the right thing is not driven by the pursuit of individual desires or interests, but by the need to follow a maxim that is acceptable to all rational individuals. Kant calls this the categorical imperative, and he described it thus, “act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.” (Kant, 2008). This basic condition through which the moral principles guiding the relations between human beings is expected of all rational individuals, and determines how they express their moral autonomy and equality. All rational individuals who are morally autonomous willingly comply with the categorical imperative. They then use it to determine the form and scope of the laws which they will institute in order to safeguard these important conditions that form the basis of human rights (Denise, Peterfreund & White, 1999). According to Kant, human beings have the capacity to exercise reason, and this is what forms the basis for protecting human dignity. This exercise of reason must meet the standards of universality, in that the laws formulated must be capable of being accepted universally by all equally rational individuals (Doyle, 1983). Various accounts documenting the historical development of human rights overlook Kant’s moral philosophy, but it is very clear that, through the categorical imperative, he provides the ideals of moral autonomy and equality

There are two ways to we can will inconsistently, either the generalized maxim is logically impossible or that what we will contradicts another of our wills. An example of a maxim which would not pass the Categorical Imperative test would be : “Whenever anyone wants money they will make a false promise, borrow the money and never pay the lender back.” This generalized maxim cannot be universalized because it is self defeating for if it was adopted by everyone no one would lend out money. If there is no one that will give you money, there will be no false promises that can be made and hence the maxim cannot be universalized. Another example of a maxim that does not pass the Categorical Imperative test is : “Whenever anyone is better off than others, they will never give to the less fortunate”. This maxim in itself does not contradict itself but it cannot be consistently willed. If the agent was to imagine himself at that moment to be a homeless person they would will that others who are better off would aid him. However this second will is in direct contradiction of his previous will. In this way, the agent is engaging in inconsistent willing and thus the maxim cannot be universalized. An example of a maxim which passes the Categorical Imperative test is never tell a lie. The generalised maxim would be: “Whenever anyone is asked a question, they will always tell the whole truth”.

According to Kant, imperatives are principles determining what individuals should do. These imperatives may be divided as those which are categorical, and those which are hypothetical; the former expresses imperatives that are those

Immanuel Kant concerns himself with deontology, and as a deontologist, he believes that the rightness of an action depends in part on things other than the goodness of its consequences, and so, actions should be judged based on an intrinsic moral law that says whether the action is right or wrong – period. Kant introduced the Categorical Imperative which is the central philosophy of his theory of morality, and an understandable approach to this moral law. It is divided into three formulations. The first formulation of Kant’s Categorical Imperative states that one should “always act in such a way that the maxim of your action can be willed as a universal law of humanity”; an act is either right or wrong based on its ability to be

It states that “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time [rationally] will that it become a universal law” (Bergeron and Tramel 239). In this definition, the maxim is the objective principle. People need to act in accordance to the objective maxim, and the maxim has become the universal law through the judgments of will. The key point of this formulation is whether the maxim is universalizable or not. If the maxim is universalizable, it is the objective principle. People need to act and obey this objective maxim in moral life. Otherwise, the maxim is only the subjective principle, and people should not apply their subjective maxims into the moral life. People will betray the universal law only by means of their subjective maxims, and this behavior is not allowed in Categorical Imperative. The formulation of universal law is the basis of Categorical Imperative.

Unlike other forms of Categorical Imperatives that provide commands that are conditionally based, the laws governed by the Formula of Universal Law are unconditional. The law does not ask but demands a command that the individual’s actions reflect his or her maxims that his or her reasoning has set down. Hence, the Formula of Universal Law issues a command that does not allow any individual to perform any sort of action that he or she will not be willing to let other members of the society do, thus implying that the individual is not allowed to make any exceptions for himself or herself. Once an individual has reasoned what his or her maxims are, according to the Formula of Universal Law it is irrational to act against these maxims. The maxims that an individual acts upon in certain situations should be in such a way that he or she is willing to let other individuals in the same society utilize the same rules given that the situations they are in are similar. Furthermore, since this is a Universal Law, the maxims that the rational individuals proposed should apply to all other individuals given that the maxims can be realistically adhered to and that all individuals in the society have rationed that it is in their best interest to follow these

The categorical imperative suggests that a course of action must be followed because of its rightness and necessity. The course of action taken can also be reasoned by its ability to be seen as a universal law. Universal laws have been deemed as unconditional commands that are binding to everyone at all times. Kant

The Categorical Imperative is a set of rules to follow in Kantianism. The Categorical Imperative contains two formulations: The categorical imperative (version 1, universalizability), act only according to those principles of action that you could will to be a universal law of nature.