Kant's Law of Morality

Essay # 46189

Philosophy

A description and analysis of Kant's Categorical Imperative.

2,487 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2003 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Immanuel Kant is a very controversial philosopher and how he argues from a Deontological standpoint that actions are determined as good in themselves, not by their consequences. It describes Kant's moral law and his Categorical Imperative and then offers a critique of Kant, based on the fact that he contradicts himself, he does not allow for satisfaction from good will, and his moral theory is fundamentally flawed.

From the Paper:

"Kant then gives us the first formulation of the categorical imperative. "Act only on that maxim whereby thou canst at the same time will that it should become a universal law" (P. 312). In other words, before you act, you should consider upon what principle you are acting. Then be sure that it is reasonable to will that that particular principle be a universal law applicable to everyone at every time. Kant gives four examples to illustrate this point (I will discuss two of them). One of the examples is of a man who has been going through a series of misfortunes and is considering suicide. His maxim is that due to self-love, it is acceptable to take your own life to prevent the evil that its longer duration would bring. But this cannot be adopted as a universal law of nature."