Kant's Categorical Imperative-Kant

Decent Essays
One’s moral compromise, integrity, honesty, or if you will be compromising your virtues are the issues that are at stake in the article.

One of the points of the author was that if engaging in that behavior does not put anyone in danger it is acceptable; however, it can be argued on the morals of the individual. For example – cheating, just because 99% of the class is cheating in an exam does that mean its ok for you to cheat as well? that is something morally questionable in that case.

In Kant's categorical imperative- Kant is worried about what is morally right. One example is being stuck in a line with an indecisive individual at the head of the line. To speed up the process one could consider hurting that individual to get them out of

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Some people may think determining the morality of an action as an easy task, and fail to realize that it is no easy task. Every action is driven by other actions, and depending on the circumstances, an act may be moral in some cases and not in others. This is why Kant favors the Categorical Imperative when compared to other methods of determining morality. The Categorical Imperative does not deal with circumstances, instead it denotes an all-encompassing rule that, if obeyed, means actions would be moral no matter what the situation may be. He first describes the Categorical Imperative when he states, “I should never act except in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law” (Kant 14).…

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    One major underlying theme that many of our recent readings for this course share is that of ethical boundaries with regard to scientific research. At various times in history, unthinkable atrocities have been committed with scientific research being their justification. During the Second World War, Nazi forces and (and other 'Axis powers ') carried out some of the most unethical and inhumane experiments to date. At times the experiments being carried out on human beings were so barbaric that any discoveries made were met with disgust and disapproval from scientists around the globe.…

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In the book, Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant lays out his theory for making moral decisions. Unlike many other philosophers, Kant focuses not on the consequences of actions, but on the maxim in which the action was performed; in addition, Kant also tries to find his moral theory a priori instead of through empirical experience. He attempts to formulate a theory grounded through pure reason in which he bases his moral law on something that has never been experienced before that we are able to imagine and strive towards. Kant’s theory circles around the idea of a Supreme Principle of Morality called the Categorical Imperative which encompasses the Formula of Universal Law and the Formula of Humanity; all of which I will…

    • 2081 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    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.…

    • 1856 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Immanuel Kant’s impact on Western thought is undoubtedly profound. Being one of the most distinguished figures of the German Idealist movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Kant’s work has set a precedent that, to this day, deeply influences our understanding of ethical discussion, political philosophy, and human cognition. Kant’s multiple contributions still are subject of debate; although, it is his Categorical Imperative that gathers the most attention, discourse, and controversy. Being a reaction to the subjectivity of his era, the Categorical Imperative provides an objective and infallible guideline for universal moral behavior, that stipulates one’s actions should not be dependent on ulterior motives and in consideration that the act itself will become universally accepted, ergo, if one were to steal then one should also be accepting of…

    • 1360 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Questions pertaining to whether certain actions are morally right or morally wrong are never easy to settle. There are various moral theories that try to address the question, divine command theory, virtue ethics, ethical egoism, cultural relativism, to name just a few. There is, of course, not much agreement among moral philosophers as to which is correct. There is, however, much agreement on what is actually morally right or morally wrong. The merits of a particular moral theory will depend (in part) on whether or not it can account for actions most of us consider to be right.…

    • 1256 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    This paper will discuss the differences between Kant’s Categorical Imperative, the Golden Rule, and the Silver Rule. I will begin by introducing the definition of Kant’s categorical imperative along with the three formulations that it consists of. This will be followed by an explanation of the golden and silver rule, in addition to how the origins are steeply in connect with religion. As a final point I will discuss the juxtaposition between Kant’s categorical imperative, the golden rule and silver rule. Other terms will be included in the discussion such as egoism, sadism, and masochism to further distinguish the difference between these theories.…

    • 1969 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kant On Direct Duty

    • 427 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Kant asks his readers to live through the terms of direct and indirect duties. A direct duty is an obligation from being to another based on what that being is. An indirect duty is an obligation to something as a result of a direct duty. A real life example that portrays this system would go as follows: a man has a direct duty to another human, Sally, but because she is a self-conscious human. This same man, Erik, does not have a direct duty to sally’s cat, Bons.…

    • 427 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The second formula of Kant’s Categorical Imperative illustrates that to be a moral it is necessary to treat every human being as an end, never as means. Regarding the sexual relationship of the human being, if someone does not seek her partner’s consent to be engaged in sex, he then humiliates his partner by considering her merely as means. In fact, his behavior is equivalent to a rapist because none of them get consent from the opposite, therefore is immoral. But, this sort of philosophical thinking does not go hand in hand with the religious thinking. Hence, I would like to discuss that Islam, one of the major religions on the planet, seems to be reluctant about the consent of women at the time of intercourse.…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The categorical imperative has three formulations but only two will be discussed. In the first formulation of the categorical imperative Kant states, “ Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that should become a universal law”(Justice, “The Supreme Principle of Morality”). With this statement maxim means being a principle or a general rule, will means to intend to do something, and universal law states how all people ought to act without any exceptions. Basically do act on things with good intent and not self-interest because then it would not be any moral worth if things were just done for the…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the medical field, there are several ethical issues that can arise. In the case of whether Nurse Sanchez is at liberty to tell Jake that he is dying from leukemia, there are obviously some ethical issues at play. In analyzing this particular issue, I will utilize three formulas of Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative to show that Jake should be told about his prognosis because not telling him would violate each formula. The first formula of Kant’s categorical imperative that I will use is the Formula of Universal Law. This formula essentially states that a certain action must be able to be applied to anyone and it must result in only good.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kant's Code Of Ethics

    • 1055 Words
    • 5 Pages

    1) Part A) The following are Kant's important ideas about ethics. The first is the principle of Universality, which states that we must follow the rules of behavior, that we can apply universally to everyone. And the other is the logic or the reason determines the rules of ethical behavior, the actions are mostly good because they follow from the logic. (Gift of Fire-social, Legal and ethical issues for computing technology, pg no-29,1.4 Ethics.)…

    • 1055 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Categorical Imperatives

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Thank you for writing to me about this. I know that you are in a difficult situation in your marriage and that it can be tough to know if an action is morally right. With that said, I cannot advocate your decision to have an affair no matter what the consequences are. My moral beliefs are centered on two rules that help me determine whether a decision is morally good or bad. Your actions are not morally right according to the two rules that I call the categorical imperatives and I would like to explain why.…

    • 493 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kant’s Categorical Imperative emphasizes “the importance of rationality, consistency, impartiality, and respect for persons in the way we live our lives. If Kant is correct that moral absolutes cannot be violated, then he prevents any loopholes, self-serving exceptions, and personal biases in the determination of our duties” (Anscombe). The Categorical Imperative does well in preventing loopholes, self-serving exceptions, and personal biases, however, in doing that, it does not properly address areas that need an exception. For example, if a murderer at the front door of a family’s home is looking to kill the children asks if the children are home, the parent would be required to tell the murderer that the children are home, thus further endangering the lives of the children, and going against the duties of being a parent. In this case, the parent would have to choose between performing their duty, and protecting their children by lying to the murderer or being honest to the murderer and endangering the lives of their children.…

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kant's Moral Theory Essay

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Kant’s moral theory is based on the fact that one’s action should be governed by a maxim that follows the purity of the will; the idea that one’s actions should be based on a will that aligns with duty and not on the consequences of one’s actions. In the contrary, rule utilitarianism is based on the consequences of one’s actions and how it impacts the overall happiness of the individuals involved. The following paper focuses on the ideas of duty ethics and utilitarian ethics; and how these ideas can be implemented in the case of James Liang. Kant believes that an act is morally acceptable when such an act perfectly aligns with one’s duty. Furthermore, he believed that all rational beings are obligated by the demands of duty.…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays