Kant’s Categorical Imperative Essay

Kant believed that a chaste pull with is made up of duty and good will. Without duty, an action screwnot be virtuously good. This is how he developed the duty-based Categorical Imperative, to a fault kn make as moral commands, as a foundation for altogether other rules and will be true in whatsoever circumstance purely based on reason. These tell every(prenominal)one what to do and dont dep displace on anything else, much(prenominal) as personal desires. Within the Categorical Imperative, Kant outlines three important aphorisms in The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals which test how morally acceptable an action is.The starting line maxim states Al bureaus act in such a way that you provide also will that the maxim of your action should be a universal law. This can be interpreted to mean that nevertheless do something if it can be universalised and if its something that will always be acceptable for anyone to do. If it cant be universalised then it is not a valid mo ral rule. To illustrate this, Kant uses the example of suicide, claiming that it is always wrong because it cant be made a universal law. He asks us to consider if we would want everyone to take their own manners in any situation, even if it is to escape a state of suffering and despair.Stealing would also be considered never to be morally acceptable in Kantian Ethics since it cannot be universalised as well. If it was to be universalised, everyone would be stealing from apiece other, therefore human relationships would fail because trust is the foundation of human relationships. Furthermore, this maxim is important in order for there to be a symphonic society. The second says Act so that you treat humanity, both in your own person and in that of other, always as an end and never only if as a means.Here, Kant was telling us that we should value every individual and not use anybody to gain something else he believed that the end can never justify the means. For instance, if you allowed a person to be humiliated to lambast money for charity then this would be self-contradictory. While you are essay to do something good, you are devaluing a human being in the process. Devaluing another(prenominal) human being results in inequality because it denies the other person the proper(ip) to be rational and independent in judging their actions, when in point they are just as rational as us this would be making you seem superior to them.Kant says you should always aim to help others, but not at the expense of self-destruction or harm of another person. His last maxim is emphasises on the Kingdom of Ends Act according to the maxims of a member of a merely possible kingdom of ends legislating in it universally. The kingdom of ends refers to a social state in which all of the members desire the same good. Its a society where moral laws are designed to achieve and these goods are common ends of humanity. Kant aims to remove all meshing in order for humans to realis e their common aims. He believed that closely humans are rational people who prefer moral life over immorality.However, this is not achievable in this life but we mustiness attempt regardless. In this maxim, Kant reinforces the concept that everyone should act as if everyone was an end. fit in to Kant, every being is autonomous and able to make moral judgements through understanding the principle of pure practical reason then applying this to everyone equally. Anything that goes ignores the hauteur of a human being in order to achieve its end is morally wrong because it would be going against the Categorical Imperative, which should be employ as a basis for all actions.