Kingdom of Ends

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…

example, our answer was to work. Act always so as to treat persons (beings) as an end, and near as means only is the main position of categorical imperative. If morality really exists, then ethical relativism is false. Persons are driven to act out of 2 different considerations, such as the likelihood that the action will lead to more of the same. Basically this means that pleasure doubled and pain doubled. Or one can have the likelihood that the action will lead to the opposite, like when…

exemplified in the end of the play, when after Othello has smothered her she continues to protect him saying that the she killed herself “Nobody. I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell” (Act 5 Sc. 2 l.152). Even after he has accused her of adultery and murdered her as an act of justice for her treachery, she continues to be loyal and devoted to the man that she loves. To this Kant would say she is acting in a way that is morally right for the love that she holds for her…

which the action is right or wrong, is undoubtedly subjective. There are numerous moral theories, as opposing ideas by Kant and Mill explore for example, about what makes human behavior moral. In my opinion, the foundation of morality and what makes human behavior moral or immoral is intention. There are many reasons why this can be seen as true, as actions are performed based on intentions which are either moral or immoral, not consequences. Moreover, we cannot always predict the…

Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher most famous for his deontological ethics, also known as Kantian ethics. Kant believed that whether an action was right or wrong did not depend on the consequences, but on whether they fulfilled our duty as rational beings. Kant’s ethics are guided from the philosophical concept that is the Categorical Imperative, a wholly binding rule of morality that is justified as an end in itself. In the spelunker case, Kant would ultimately have the choice of killing…

Everything felt like it was going in slow motion once I walked into the doors of the hospital. Doctors were running from one end to the other without skipping a beat while families were crying over losses and tragedies. Everything felt so overwhelming, but I knew what I had came to do. My heart began to race as I approached the reception desk. "Can I help you?" the woman asked. I could hear the words she was saying but I couldn 't find anything to say back. She looked at me again and asked…

To Our Meramec Kindergarten Parents, On behalf of our entire school community, welcome to Meramec! If you are a current Meramec family, welcome back to Kindergarten! Our kindergarten teachers Bobbie Williams, Megan Hutson, Patti Casseau and I, look forward to your kindergartner joining us in August. We are pleased to have you as partners in this educational year. As the year progresses, and as you become either more informed or more puzzled, please do not hesitate to call our school and talk…

other. But is it possible for a society based on reason to take over the non-reasonable group? In Kant’s ideal a “kingdom of ends” the kingdom is ruled by Kantian rational human beings (Kant, pg 36). The question then becomes ‘what is the purpose of non-rational beings?’ What rights would be given to the hodgepodge of living beings? I will explore the basics of Kantianism and discuss the outcome of the non-rational beings in the kingdom of ends. Immanuel Kant is one of the great enlightenment…

"Mason are you here for therapy?" requested Dr. Stiner, as he casually moved towards Mason, who was in the shadow of building half way into the night. The moon was high in the sky, creating small shadows in which Mason hid. Mason only nodded in response. "Follow me towards the movie theater," uttered Dr. Stiner. He proceeded to jaunt towards the theater with Mason close behind. The way Mason paced himself only made it seem like he was having a struggle keeping up with the doctor. The walk lasted…

“Kingdom of God”, “the day of the LORD”, “the end of the world”, “the last judgment” and “a new heaven and a new earth.” These words are the image of eschatology, and eschatology is an important subject in the Bible. Even Donald K. McKim says that the theme of the Bible is the kingdom of God (McKim, 167). In the Gospel, Jesus taught about the kingdom of God in his whole life and ministry, and the kingdom of God is represented as “already, but not yet” (McKim, 170). John Calvin, a 16th century…