Kant s Philosophy On Moral Philosophy Essay - 1519 Words

Although Kant s philosophy, outlined in The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, has some value as a moral guide, it alone is not always sufficient. After analysing Kant s objective moral imperative, I will show that implementing his philosophy has the potential to permit what is considered to be immoral. This is due to its rigid conditions, which are formed on the basis that he believes in the existence of a perfect morality that always holds true. However, I will argue that there is not a perfect form of morality; and due to this, there are situations where a less rigid moral law, based on subjective experience, is considered more morally permissible. I will propose that by adding a subjective formulation which is evaluated against an objective utilitarian goodness, Kant s categorical imperative becomes a more reliable moral guide. My essay will not examine the nature of a perfectly objective utilitarian goodness, but will instead show it s functionality in evaluating the mor al permissibility of actions. Kant s moral philosophy is rigid due to his belief that a perfect form of morality exists. This perfect form is the only truly moral action because it is, due to its origin of pure reason, intrinsically good; thus, it alone should be followed. He demonstrates this by showing that from using the opposite of this, common practical reason, . . . there arises a natural dialectic, that is, a propensity to rationalize against those strict laws of duty and to castShow MoreRelatedKant And Kant s Moral Philosophy Essay1709 Words   |  7 PagesApproaches in Moral Philosophy Every moral philosopher has their own moral approach and method to arriving at a moral decision. This is an overview of Kant, Mill, Aristotle and Held s moral approaches as well as their similarities and differences to each other. Kant s main point in The Categorical Imperative is that the morality of one s actions should be judged based on the motives behind the action. Kant also states that the only correct maxims are those which are universal laws. AccordingRead MoreKant s Philosophy On Moral Philosophy1515 Words   |  7 PagesImmanuel Kant presented his most notable positions on moral philosophy in his book The Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel subsequently presented a number of objections to Kant’s positions, mainly in his book The Phenomenology of Spirit. Hegel presents objections to Kant in two different ways, implicitly and explicitly. Hegel gives arguments against Kant’s moral theory as well as the general philosophical thought that produces the moral theory that Kant presents. ButRead MoreKant s Philosophy On Moral Philosophy1991 Words   |  8 PagesKant really focuses his arguments regarding to moral rules that are necessary and universal, such as m oral law that would hold up to all rational beings. In Kantian ethics, Kant offers two different explanations of moral law, the formula of the universal law of nature and the formula of humanity as an end in itself. In this paper, I am going to focus on explaining, reconstruct, and analyze on the first topic which is the formula of the universal law of nature regarding to the lying promise. KantRead MoreKant s Philosophy Of The Metaphysics Of Morals Essay1655 Words   |  7 PagesKant’s Philosophy of How To Act In the second section of Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant argues what is good will. 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It will analyze the role a moral educationRead MoreImmanuel Kant s Moral Philosophy2217 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction: What is moral philosophy? Moral philosophy refers to the branch of philosophy concerned with ethics, in other words, What actions are right or wrong in particular circumstances?. Although there are two apparent options to choose from (the ‘right’ one, and the ‘wrong’ one), morals and ethics are more complicated than what we perceive it to be at first glance. For example, who decides which of the two is the more morally ‘correct’ option? What one perceives to be the ‘right’ optionRead MoreKantian Moral Theory : Kant s Philosophy1328 Words   |  6 PagesKantian Moral Theory In general, society considers lying to be negative and therefore one should not lie. Telling the truth is the morally right thing to do, and we should always be honest. Telling lies can leave us very stressed out and cause us to be deceitful towards others. We end up distorting ones views and perhaps even our own when we tell a lie that can lead to a snowball effect. Immanuel Kant has some of the strictest views on lying, and some philosophers claim there is something erroneousRead MoreKant s Philosophy Of Ethics And Moral Reasoning1432 Words   |  6 Pageshis book, â€Å"Critique of Practical Reason,† Immanuel Kant outlines his philosophy of ethics and moral reasoning. He introduces the reader to the Fundamental Law of Pure Practical Reason in chapter one of the Analytic. The Universal Law is a categorical imperative, which states: â€Å"So act that the maxim of your will could always hold at the same time as a principle in a giving of universal law† (Kant, 1993, p. 30). Like other nonconsequentialists, Kant is much more concerned with the motive behind an actionRead MoreImmanuel Kant s Philosophy On Moral And Good And Evil Behavior1413 Words   |  6 Pages Moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy which focuses and investigates the ideas of right and wrong and good and evil behavior. Moral philosophers have researched and justified the logical consequences of moral or ethical beliefs.When we think of morals, we think of rules that tell us which actions are right and which are wrong. But, do human beings have the ability to judge for themselves, based on the facts of a situation, what is right and wrong, what they should do and not do? Well, accordingRead MoreKant s Philosophy On The Metaphysics Of Morals, Categorical Imperative1592 Words   |  7 Pageson the metaphysics of morals, categorical imperative is defined as an absolute command that must be obeyed in all circumstances. 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