Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative

Chapter 1: Immanuel Kant

  • Morality for Immanuel Kant means acting in accordance with a categorical imperative.

  • The categorical imperative is the supreme principle of morality.

  • An act is moral if it is done in accordance with a categorical imperative.

  • There are two types of imperatives: hypothetical and categorical.

  • A hypothetical imperative expresses a conditional command.

  • A categorical imperative expresses an absolute command.

Chapter 2: Core Concepts of Kantian Ethics

  • Goodwill is the one that facilitates a human act.

  • Duty and the Moral Worth of an Act

  • Formulations of the Categorical Imperative

Chapter 3: The Good Will

  • Goodwill is good by virtue of its intrinsic value.

  • Goodwill is manifested when it is done for the sake of duty.

  • The will is autonomous if it is self-legislating.

Autonomy of The Will

  • self legislating

  • not influenced by any outside factors : not forced

Chapter 4: Duty and the Moral Worth of an Act

  • Duty should be the motive of any moral act.

  • Inclination or self-interest can never be the motive of any moral act.

  • An act has moral worth if it is done for the sake of duty.

  • Actions that accord with duty are different from actions done for the sake of duty.

  • Only actions done for the sake of duty have moral worth.

Chapter 5: Formulations of the Categorical Imperative

1st: Principle of universality.

  • The maxim someone acts on must be such that others are willing to make it the case that everyone always acts on that maxim.

  • Stealing is always impermissible according to the categorical imperative.

  • The act of helping a friend in times of need is morally right according to the categorical imperative.

2nd: Formula of The End = Principle of Humanity.

  • Treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, never merely as a means, but always as an end.

  • Human beings have inherent value and should never be treated as means to an end.

  • Any act that treats humanity as a means is not morally right.

  • Cheating someone is absolutely immoral because it treats others as means to an end.