Kant and the Categorical Imperative Essay - 897 Words

Kant and the Categorical Imperative Kant tried to develop a theory of ethics which relied on reason rather than emotion. While he was not anti-religious, he wanted an ethical system which was not clouded by religion, emotion or personal interpretation. He placed emphasis on motives behind an action rather than, like the Utilitarians, the consequences of an action. He believed that consequences were no guide to whether an action was moral or not. His theory is known as deontological, or duty-based, where ends can never justify the means.He believed that there were general rules which must be adhered to in every circumstance. He called these absolute rules of what is good or bad Categorical†¦show more content†¦For example, to tell your sister that she looks good in a dress - which does not in fact suit her - just to make her feel better about herself, would be lying, however good the motive behind it. Not lying, to Kant, is an absolute imperative and he uses a priori reasoning to come to this conclusion. These moral rules are as reliable as mathematical proofs because they derive from first principles. Only free agents (people thinking for themselves and making their own decisions) can make moral decisions. There must be an element of choice - the choice to do good or bad. He assumed that we are all free agents. An action can only possess moral value when it is done for is own sake, for dutys sake, and not for the pleasure of the individual or in the hope of gaining specific outcomes. (Part B): Taken at face value, one could argue that Categorical Imperatives allow no room for compassion in the treatment of women wanting abortions. This is because categorical imperatives are absolute rules which cannot be altered to suit an individual. To Kant, murder is always wrong and this would be the categorical imperative. Kant would have to be persuaded that this categorical imperative cannot be said to cover every abortion. If it could be argued that a human life does not begin at the moment of conception but, say, after 8 weeks, the categorical imperative could be said not toShow MoreRelatedKant And The Categorical Imperative1177 Words   |  5 PagesImmanuel Kant was a philosopher who tried to work out how human beings could be good and kind outside admiration and devotion of traditional religions. Kant was a pessimist about human character and believed that we are by nature intensely prone to corruption. This became more clear to Kant after reading the work of philosopher David Hume. It was this that led him to formulate his life’s project, the desire to replace religious authority with the authority of reason, that is human intelligence. WhenRead MoreKant And Kant s Categorical Imperative1241 Words   |  5 Pages Immanuel Kant, an 18th-century moral philosopher, had contended that the fundamental principle of morality is the Categorical Imperative, from here will be additionally labeled as (CI) or otherwise mentioned. He supported his view by suggesting a pure moral philosophy; a metaphysics of morals that is not solely for rational beings to explore different ¬ sources of basic moral principles that are found through their own observational experience a priori, but additionally for the sake of morality asRead MoreThe Categorical Imperative : Immanuel Kant842 Words   |  4 PagesThe categorical imperative is Immanuel Kant’s improvement on the Golden rule and all rules associated with the Golden Rule. We are called by Kant to act as how we wish all others to act. According to an article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, â€Å"Kant characterized the [categorical imperative] as an objective, rationally necessary and unconditional principle that we must always follow despite any natural desires or inclinations we may have to the contrary† (Johnson and Cureton). The categoricalRead MoreImmanuel Kant And The Categorical Imperative1437 Word s   |  6 PagesImmanuel Kant, a German philosopher, specifically a deontologist, has two imperatives: the hypothetical imperative and the categorical imperative. These imperatives describe what we ought to do and are only applicable to rational beings because they are the only beings that recognize what they ought or ought not to do. The hypothetical imperative is when an individual’s actions are reasoned by their desire, so they only act with the intention of fulfilling their desires. The categorical imperativeRead MoreEthics of Kant and the Categorical Imperative1817 Words   |  8 PagesKant’s Categorical Imperative What is a categorical imperative? A categorical imperative is a moral obligation which is absolute and necessary in any moral situation and isn’t reliant on a singular person’s desires or wills. For Kant, categorical imperatives are the foundation for morality because they invoke â€Å"pure† reasons for our moral actions and decisions since each rational being reasons to act outside of their own personal desires or will which may cloud judgments or impose a biased verdictRead MoreCategorical Imperative By Immanuel Kant946 Words   |  4 Pagesregardless of religion or belief in a God. Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative, arguably what he is best known for can be summed up for an argument for making the right moral decision, as if they applied to everyone equally. This can be done using a person’s sense of reason, and consideration for others. Likewise these imperatives are the moral obligations you need to follow, despite your desires. While applying this to religions, Kant believed that making a moral choice based on religion was thatRead MoreKant s The Categorical Imperative875 Words   |  4 PagesKant believed that good intentions count. He also thought that the morality of an action is determined by the intentions behind it rather than its consequences. Kant tells that courage isn’t good by itself, but good when combined with good intentions. In Kant’s eyes, consequences are irrelevant to assessments of moral worth. He believed the only appropriate motive for moral action is a sense of duty. Sense of duty is doing something so lely because it is the right thing to do, not just acting purelyRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1454 Words   |  6 PagesIn this paper, I will explain the concept of Kant’s Categorical Imperative, and show how he used it to justify why it is wrong to lie to an inquiring murderer. I will note how he arrived at this conclusion, and why I consider it to be the correct moral answer. According to Kant, the Categorical Imperative is the supreme law of morality by which a particular rule that an individual takes as a maxim must be accepted by all rational beings. This universal acceptance is what judges an action to beRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1246 Words   |  5 Pagesutilitarianism, Kant was more focused on intent and action itself. This leads into one of Kantian ethics main ideals; you mustn’t treat another human being as a means to an end. Kant’s Categorical Imperative (CI) is a deontological theory, which relied heavily on his belief that humans are all capable of reason in the same manner, on the same level (A Brief Summary of Kant s Categorical Imperative, 2012). Kant recognized 2 kinds of moral ‘imperatives’, a hypothetical imperative (what must be doneRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1190 Words   |  5 PagesIn section I of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative, Kant argues that every huma n being alive is subject to the categorical imperative. Kant came to this conclusion by arguing that the only thing that is good without needing qualification is a good will. Throughout this paper I will discuss Kant’s good will and his three propositions. A good will is an act done from duty and motivated by respect. If a person manifests a good will in action, the respect for duty determines that I do the action