The categorical imperative

[Shaun Goldstein]

In his Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, Kant formulates the Categorical Imperative in three different ways:

* The first (Universal Law formulation): "Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
* The second (Humanity or End in Itself formulation): "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."
* The third (Kingdom of Ends formulation) combines the two: "All maxims as proceeding from our own [hypothetical] making of law ought to harmonise with a possible kingdom of ends."



Does anybody else live by this philosophy?

[Monty Cantsin]

Kant’s ethical system is a empty system that give you a structure for deciding moral questions, I like that it’s half way between relativism and absolutism.

Few problems though –

What incentives do human beings have in following the categorical imperative? They can just follow the hypothetical imperative when it suits them and be hypocritical the rest of the time. Kant remarked in the grounding for the metaphysics of morals somewhere that a truly rational-being would follow the categorical imperative out self-interests the problem is human-beings aren’t impeccable rational-beings.

If Kant’s system is based on the will universalised (a draw issue with that because I don’t want a one-dimensional realm of activity) when is the decision made about an actions moral validity? If i commit to an action that gets and innocence person killed is it judged on the fact that I had good intensions or after I’ve committed the actions and seeming the consequences feel that I would not universalise the maxim find the action immoral? Well for my Kant’s system judged Morals on a level of priori thus the empirical outcome of the will and action have no meaning because the good will was there at the moment the action was taken.

So is Kant’s system a trial by error or is simply I meant well excuse?

To answer you’re question do I live by this philosophy? No.