Informed Consent In Kant's Formula Of The End

Kant believes that human life should be respected and regarded as both a means and an end. The Formula of the End in Itself states to treat “humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, never simply as a means but always at the same time as an end”. When a person is involved in a scheme of action to which they could not in principle consent to, they have been used as a mere means. When there is no consent, the person has been used as a mere means.

A person cannot consent to an action if they do not fully understand what that action entails and/or the intention of others involved in the action. Getting involved in a scheme of action with the presence of withholding of information or under the influence of false promises, deception, coercion, or fraudulence is getting someone involved in an action that they cannot possibly consent to. Actions that are done on maxims that require the activities mentioned above (deception, etc) cannot possibly obtain the consent of those involved. When these activities are undertaken, people are treated as mere means and not as intrinsically valuable ends in themselves. The process of obtaining informed consent is essential because it ensures that people do not get involved in situations that they would not otherwise …show more content…
Fair subject selection has been violated. The participants in this study were selected based on their race, gender, and economic class. Black, male, poor individuals were selected. Societal justice has been violated. In regards to studying syphilis in the context of the Tuskegee study, these divides were not necessary. Informed consent occurs after the candidates for the study have been chosen. In this case, there was a moral failure in the participant selection. Informed consent is irrelevant when considering the moral failure of justice in the context mentioned