Kants Categorical Imperative

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Kants Categorical Imperative

• Michael Lacewing
• enquiries_at_alevelphilosophy.co.uk

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Deontology

• Morality is a matter of duty.
• Whether something is right or wrong doesnt
  depend on its consequences. Actions are right or
  wrong in themselves.
• We each have duties regarding our own actions.

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Kants Categorical Imperative

• Morality is meant to guide our actions.
• We act on maxims principle of action, what we
  intend.
• Morality is universal, the same for everyone.
• so Act only on that maxim through which you can
  at the same time will that it should become a
  universal law.

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The two tests

• contradiction in conception a maxim is wrong
  if the situation in which everyone acted on that
  maxim is somehow self-contradictory. E.g.
  stealing If we could all just help ourselves to
  whatever we wanted, the idea of owning things
  would disappear but then no one would be able to
  steal.

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The two tests

• contradiction in will It is logically possible
  to universalize the maxim, e.g. not to help
  others in need (even though it would be
  unpleasant). But we cant will this, because we
  might need help, and to will an end is to will
  the means.

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Imperatives

• An imperative is just a command.
• A hypothetical imperative is a command that
  presupposes some further goal or end.
• A categorical imperative is not hypothetical. It
  is irrational and immoral not to obey it.

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Happiness and reason

• Only reason and happiness motivate us. Morality
  motivates us, so must be one of these.
• It cant be happiness, since what makes people
  happy differs, and happiness can be good or bad.
• It is reason morality is universal and
  categorical - so is reason.

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Objections

• Any action can be justified, as long as we phrase
  the maxim cleverly.
• But the test is what our maxim really is.
• Conflict of duties
• Duties never really conflict, but knowing how to
  apply the CI requires judgment.
• Strange results I shall never sell, but only
  buy is immoral!

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Respecting humanity

• 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 someones humanity simply as a means,
  and not also as an end, is to treat the person in
  a way that undermines their power of making a
  rational choice themselves.