Kants Humanity Formula Essay - 1646 Words

Kants Humanity Formula â€Å"Few formulas in philosophy have been so widely accepted and variously interpreted as Kant’s injunction to treat humanity as an end in itself†(Hill, 38). Immanuel Kant’s views, as elucidated in his book, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, are based on the belief that â€Å"people count† by prohibiting actions which exploit other individuals in order for self-prosperity or altruistic ends. Ethics then, are confirmed by the dignity and worth of the rational agency of each person. Since human beings are the only rational beings capable of decision making and reasonable judgement, humanity must be valued. Kant proposes a test that ensures that humanity is treated with respect, and not used merely as an†¦show more content†¦First, one creates a maxim and considers whether the maxim could possibly be a universal law for all rational beings. Second, one determines whether rational beings would will it to be a universal law. Once the maxim pass es both tests, there are no exceptions to it. Kant truly believed in the value of humanity, and felt that everyone should be subjected to the same moral standards. The Universal Law Formula was his method of ensuring this, requiring maxims to be universally acceptable to all rational beings. In the latter half of Section II, he imposes even further stringent requirements for treating humanity in universally acceptable means by proposing his Humanity Formula. Human beings have the special capacity to exercise rational judgement, â€Å"foresee future consequences, adopt long-range goals, and resist immediate temptation,† so we must therefore value rational agents as an end (Hill, 40-41). This yields one of three formulations of the categorical imperative, and the one that is most worth discussing, the humanity formula: â€Å"So act that you use humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means† (Kant, 38). Kant probably intended â€Å"perso ns are ends† and â€Å"humanity in persons is an end† and therefore humans should be treated in a humane way. In other words, we must always treat people with respect to the virtue of their rational capacity and asShow MoreRelatedKants Humanity Formula1647 Words   |  7 PagesKant: The Humanity Formula Few formulas in philosophy have been so widely accepted and variously interpreted as Kants injunction to treat humanity as an end in itself(Hill, 38). Immanuel Kants views, as elucidated in his book, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, are based on the belief that people count by prohibiting actions which exploit other individuals in order for self-prosperity or altruistic ends. Ethics then, are confirmed by the dignity and worth of the rational agency ofRead MoreKant And The Categorical Imperative1177 Words   |  5 Pagesidea he called categorical imperative, which are commands you must follow, regardless of your desires. In Kant’s view, the categorical imperative is the voice of our rational selves, it’s what we all truly believe when we’re thinking sensibly, it’s the rule of our own intelligence gives us. We will discuss two of Kant’s formulations; The Universalization Formulation and The Formula of Humanity and the problems attached t o each. 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Along with his theory, he also gave formulations in order to aid people in deciding whether a maxim leading to an action was moral. By applying these formulas, one has a better understanding of not only how decisions can affect moral law, but also an understanding of what sort of roles and powers humanity inherently possesses. There are four formulations: The Law of Nature, the Formula of Humanity, theRead MoreEssay on The Golden Rule in Kant and Mills Ethical Theories1320 Words   |  6 Pagesthat relate to human behaviour; with respect to their actions and purpose. The two most important philosophers that deal with ethics are Immanuel Kant and John S tuart Mill. Kant’s ethical theory is Kantianism or deontological ethics. Mill’s ethical theory is utilitarianism. Both philosophers’ theories have many differences; Kant’s theory deals with conduct, seeking reason for good action in duty. Mill’s theory deals with consequences and maximizing human happiness. However both Kant and Mill’s ethicsRead MoreThe Right to Lie by Christine Korsgaard1185 Words   |  5 Pagespermissible under one formulation of Kant’s categorical imperative yet not another. From this Korsgaard concludes that Kant’s formulations of Universal Law and of Humanity as an End in Itself are not equivalent, and that one is more strict than the other. In this paper I will present Korsgaards example and then use her interpretation of the Formulation of Universal Law to evaluate what it would prescribe as the correct responses to three additional cases. Under the Formula of Universal Law no maxim is permissibleRead MoreThe Trolley Problem Of The Monist1624 Words   |  7 Pagesinformed, intellectual application of his principles to The Trolley Problem and to determine the perspective Kant would most likely have. Shandon Guthrie interpreted Kant’s Categorical Imperative in The Examined Life On-Line Philosophy Journal. Guthrie begins with Kant’s concept of duty and good will in which Guthrie explains Kant’s thought of an unconditional obligation to do something for something else to occur, regardless of whether there will be credit awarded for the act or not (Guthrie 1)Read MoreJohn Stuart Mill s Utilitarianism And Immanuel Kant s Categorical Imperative1487 Words   |  6 Pagesasks questions of morality. There are a vast number of moral philosophies one can align themselves with, but two major categories of moral philosophy are the most popular and the most debated. These are John Stuart Mill’s Utilita rianism and Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative. In looking at the three trolley cases, one can align themselves with either Mill, Kant or create their own perspective. Utilitarianism is defended by Mill in his writing entitled Utilitarianism. This method of decipheringRead MoreThe Universal Law Of Nature877 Words   |  4 PagesThe Formula of the Universal Law (of Nature) is the first formulation of the categorical imperative in Kant’s â€Å"Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals,† in which he proposes to â€Å"act as if the maxim of your action were to become through your will a universal law of nature.† (Kant, 421) For example, telling the truth is considered a universal law. However, many skeptics argue that it is illogical because of human behavior, we as a society are put into dire situations in which lying is necessary toRead MoreSummary On Critique Of Practical Reason By Immanuel Kant1029 Words   |  5 Pagesmeans and ends, that humanity is a treated as an end in itself and never a means. This then transpires with the two types of imperatives: Hypothetical and Categorical. Hypothetical imperative is based on desi re, while categorical imperatives are based on just reason, regardless of the situation. Kant then gives us formulations to work out categorical imperatives. One being, the formula of Law and Nature, and the second being the formula of The Law of its End in itself. The formula of the Law of Nature