Introduction to Kant’s Ethics and Deontology
The Crash Course video, viewed as part of the course, provides information about Kant’s approach to ethics through Deontology or duty. Kant was able to identify the core of the moral struggle in the realm of individual awareness in the conflict between duty and inclinations, urges, desires, and urgent aspirations through the methodological distinction of the “logic of feelings” and the “logic of morality” (Philosophy Lander, 2020). In Kant’s view, debt is a one-sided and firm alternative to moral softness, and he rejects it as a compromise on moral grounds (Philosophy Tube, 2021). One of Kant’s significant contributions to the conception of morality is his recognition of the underlying universality of moral standards. It sets morality apart from numerous other social conventions that resemble it, such as traditions and customs.
The Categorical Imperative and Its Foundations
The categorical imperative of Immanuel Kant, the substance of which is outlined in his work Critique of Pure Reason, is one of the fundamental ideas of German philosophy. Kant categorizes objective imperatives and subjective maxims as practical guidelines (Philosophy Lander, 2020). The imperative is divided into categorical and hypothetical. A categorical imperative is an absolute moral law that is not associated with any purpose and, unlike a hypothetical one, acts as precautionary advice and can exist only under certain conditions.
The Formula of the Categorical Imperative
Kant’s categorical imperative is constructed according to the formula: must because must. This formula gives it a universal, stable, and unchangeable character, allowing moral law to exist in any situation. The categorical imperative allows us to treat other people with respect and is, to some extent, an internal regulator of behavior. Therefore, a person should remember that their subjective maxims cannot be universal, and their task is to organize them and make them as close as possible to the categorical imperative (Philosophy Lander, 2020).
The Formulations of the Categorical Imperative
There is one moral law, but there are several formulations of it. In the pursuit of profit, a person often forgets that there are maxims of others besides their own. While realizing one’s subjective goal, one can betray, deceive, and offend others by using them. For example, a person can quarrel with friends by telling them lies that are in their best interests. To prevent this, they must follow a categorical imperative, as evidenced by two other formulations that urge people to act so that the subjective expression of will becomes an objective law.
Autonomy and the Role of Goodwill
These three ways of external expression of the law emphasize its multifaceted meaning, paying attention to individual aspects. The existence of these formulations reflects such an essential principle of the moral law as its autonomy. Its meaning lies in the fact that the categorical imperative is prescribed to us by the will itself, while not requiring justification of its obligation.
However, the imperative would be useless if there were no one critical condition – goodwill (Philosophy Lander, 2020). As Kant says, this concept opens the way for autonomy (Philosophy Tube, 2021). Goodwill makes the will legislative and independent of external factors, allowing it to self-determine based on the form of the law, not its content. The proof of this is such a feeling of remorse.
Conclusion
From all of the above, the following definition can be formulated: a categorical imperative is an absolute, objective, universal moral law, the necessary condition of goodwill, and the main principle is autonomy, ensuring its stable and unchangeable character.
References
Philosophy Lander. (2020). Ethics: Kantian ethics. Web.
Philosophy Tube. (2016). Beginner’s guide to Kant’s moral philosophy[Video]. YouTube. Web.