Kant and the Moral Law

Kant argues in his works 'Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals' that nothing is unconditionally good except a good will'.

The will is what determines our choices. So other motives such as incentives, desires and personal reasons must be excluded in favour of the will. The one remaining motive, therefore, is acting for the sake of doing ones duty; choosing duty rather than inclination. However, acting from duty requires a respect for a universal moral law, binding all rational beings. Thus the creation of the categorical imperative. Kant argues that one should 'Act only on that maxim through which at the same time will that is should become a universal law'., and so in order for any action to be categorical, it needs to be universally adopted.
Universalisation precludes two kinds of action:

1. Actions that could not conceivably be acted on by everyone.
e.g. ' I will make promises that I intend not to keep'.
If this was to happen, then the practice of promising would break down, as would the possibility of breaking them. - CONTRADICTION IN CONCEPT.
2. Actions that could be adopted universally, but whose universal adoption no one could rationally desire.
e.g. 'I will accept help from others, without myself helping others in need of help'.
While this maxim could prevail across the world, no one could rationally desire it. - CONTRADICTION IN WILL.

Kant suggests that the categorical imperative is equivalent to: 'Act as if the maxim of your action were to become through your will a universal law of nature'. Therefore we should only perform acts that we would be willing tp make the invariable practice of everyone in our situation.

The hypothetical imperative
The hypothetical imperative is a practical imperative that depends on some contingent aim or interest on the part of the agent.
e.g. 'If you want to pass the exam, do some revision'.

	Created by chloe.crismani over 10 years ago

University Ethics Note on Kant and the Moral Law, created by chloe.crismani on 23/01/2014.