Deontology: Formulations of the Universal Law

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FORMULATIONS OF THE UNIVERSAL LAW

• Categorical Imperatives are understood through the Formulations of Universal Law
  • Kant argued that proper, rational application of the Categorical Imperatives will lead us to moral truth that is fixed and applicable to all moral agents.

%%Formulas for Categorical Imperatives%%

Universalizability

• @@Formula of Universal Law (FUL) and Formula of the Universal Law of Nature (FULN)@@
• “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time, will, that it should become a universal law.”
• You should only act in a way whereby you would want everyone else in the world to act in the same way. By that basis, you should refrain from doing things you would not want everyone else to do.
• Hence, an act is permissible if you’re willing for that action to be universalized. If not, then this cannot be moral law.
  • If your actions would cause contradictions in your will when universalized, then these are actions you should refrain from.
• Treat humanity as an end in itself and never simply as a means.
  • @@Formula of Humanity as an End in Itself (FUH)@@
  • A rational being should never be used by someone else to fulfill another end. Rather, they should be considered ends themselves.
  • They should be treated as people.

Kingdom of Ends

• @@Formula of Autonomy (FA) or the Formula of the Kingdom of Ends (FKE)@@
• Kant imagined a hypothetical kingdom of perfect, rational, moral beings.
  • Kant urged all people to see themselves as a member or lawmaker of the Kingdom Ends, and act as though your actions will be approved by this kingdom of rational beings.

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