Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative

572 Words2 Pages

Immanuel Kant was one of history’s greatest influential deontological philosophers that developed the idea of the Categorical Imperative. Deontology is viewed that some actions are morally permitted or forbidden regardless of the consequences. Believing the only thing intrinsic moral worth is the goodwill of others as well as self. Kant also believed that goodwill is not good because of what it affects or accomplishes nor because of its adequacy to achieve something in the proposed end (McKnight, 2016). This is not the “Golden Rule.”
Maxim is the general rule that is characterized by the motives of a person’s actions. Therefore, when pertaining to Kant’s thoughts, it was a will that is good and doing it because it was the right thing to do. The respect of moral law or Categorical Imperative is determined through the moral worth of one’s action (Stanford Encyclodepia of Philosophy, 2017). Good moral actions motivated by maxims are to be like a universal law. Actors may interpret one’s actions to another by comparing them with accepted role performances (Zuckerman, 1999).
Therefore, this is a very appropriate way …show more content…

(1972). Morality as a system of hypothetical imperatives. The Philosophical Review, 81(3), 305-316. doi:10.2307/2184328
Potter, N. T. Jr., (1998). The principle of punishment is a categorical imperative. Faculty Publications - Department of Philosophy. 22. Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=philosfacpub
McKnight, L., (2016). Immanuel Kant and "The Categorical Imperative" for Dummies Retrieved from: https://owlcation.com/humanities/Immanuel-Kant-and-The-Categorical-Imperative
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2004). Kant's moral philosophy. Retrieved from: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/ Zuckerman, E. (1999). The Categorical Imperative: Securities Analysts and the Illegitimacy Discount. American Journal of Sociology, 104(5), 1398-1438.

Open Document