Summary Of Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative

Immanuel Kant’s basis for “Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals” is an objective view into how and why decisions are made among rational beings for the furtherance of their and society’s wellbeing. Through his view in the 1700’s we can see how much of a scientific stance Kant took in journalizing his analyzation of his own and society’s morals. Kant lists five “formulations” that are involved in rational decision-making. Rational beings have utilized the “Categorical Imperative” to shape today’s society by way of relationships and treatises. These formulations give rational beings an expanded view of the many faces of the Categorical Imperative. Kant’s first formulation is that of a “Universal Law.” This entails that the “will behind …show more content…
Without ends, laws would be useless, because there would be no rational beings to make them valid. All rational beings within society are their own ends, and in that, they are the lawmakers. However, they are only to make laws as if these laws are universal and good for society as a whole. Society is to act only on the universality of the morality, that they must “treat people as ends and not mere means” (McCloskey p391). While each rational being may be another’s means, also individually they are their own end. Here Kant makes an argument that autonomy is possible, when the “Kingdom of Ends” is the overriding law of society. The kingdom of ends allows for a “legal system,” a system of universal laws authored by rational beings. Beings within this legal system are the lawmakers, but are also subject to these laws (Kant p101). The “citizens” of this kingdom can only create laws based on maxims of absolute necessity. In order to produce a “Kingdom of Ends” society’s will must be inherently good. In that, a rational beings duty must be in concert with a universalization of