Kant And Kant s Universal Law Essay - 1458 Words

Does Kant successfully establish that one must never under any circumstances or for any purpose tell a lie? In this essay, I will argue that Immanuel Kant fails to successfully establish lying as morally impermissible because the claim that lying is morally impermissible goes against common sense. Kant defines his Universal Law to demonstrate the necessary action one must take in order to act in a way that is morally permissible and uses it in support of his belief that one’s motive is the sole determinant of the moral worth of his actions. He uses the Universal Law Theorem to determine whether it should be morally permissible to lie in any occasion, and consistently reaches the conclusion that is it not (Kant Paton, 2005). However, let us consider an example situation: An elderly woman is awoken during the night to pounding on the door from a handful of children claiming to have just escaped the captivity of a pedophile in the neighbourhood. She immediately takes the children into her home, promising to keep them safe for the night. Before she has the chance to contact the authorities and their parents, she hears the sounds of a man raging outside, screaming about lost children. The woman answers the door calmly, claiming to have just been awoken and scolds the younger man for being so rowdy, sternly telling him she has not seen any children and encouraging him to return home before she contacts the authorities. Utilitarian, defined as system of ethics to helpShow MoreRelatedKant s Categorical Imperative Of Universal Laws And Humanity1440 Words   |  6 PagesKant’s Categorical Imperative of Universal Laws and Humanity People have an intrinsic worth above mere things or possessions. In order for people to cohabitate peacefully and respectively, there’s a need for universal laws based on good will and absolute moral beliefs. It is this moral belief which is based on reason and must be uniformly abided by. This allows humanity to function as an amicable society; an amicable society that is achieved by treating ourselves and others with respect andRead MoreKant s Theory Of Moral Theory1466 Words   |  6 Pagessince Kant s publication of his renowned ethical treatises, deontologists and utilitarians alike have argued over which moral theory is most coherent. Yet, in Mill s critique of Kant, Mill sidesteps this issue, not by directly critiquing Kant s moral theory, but rather by asserting that Kant s moral theory is actually just a form of utilitarianism. Essentially, Kant s universal law test is nothing more than a veiled appeal to consequences, as Mill correctly claims in his critique of Kant. AfterRead MoreImmanuel Kant s Philosophy On Moral And Good And Evil Behavior1413 Words   |  6 Pagesaccording to Immanuel Kant, who is one of the most influential philosophers of all times, believes that human beings should not be making decisions based on the facts of a situation, but should act according to universal moral codes that apply in all situations regardless of the outcome. Kant refers to these universal moral codes as categorical imperatives and must be fully followed at all times across all circumstances. In his work, Groundwork of Metaphysic of Morals, Immanuel Kant talks about threeRead MoreKants Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Moral803 Words   |  4 PagesKant s Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Moral The central concept of Kant s Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals is the categorical imperative. 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One can argue both are used but according to these two thereRead MoreThe Moral Value Of Ethics1261 Words   |  6 Pageseffective framework for the moral value of actions. Immanuel Kant is an influential figure of Deontological Ethics. He proposed three laws called â€Å"The Categorical Imperative† to decide whether an action is ethical or not: 1. Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. (Ibid., 422) 2. â€Å"Act as though the maxim of your action were by your will to become a universal law of nature. (Ibid) 3. â€Å"Act so that you treat humanity, whetherRead MoreKant s Philosophy Of The Metaphysics Of Morals Essay1655 Words   |  7 Pagesof Morals, Kant argues what is good will. He gives the answer to this question: â€Å"good will is the one which follows the categorical imperative to act only according to that maxim which you can at the same time will that it becomes a universal law† (4:421). Kant means good will is to follow the categorical imperative, which only has one principle of acting following the maxim in the universal law. He talks about what is the categorical imperative and how maxims become the universal law, which is importantRead MoreEmmanuel Kant and Moral Theory1589 Words   |  6 Pagesto show the methodology by which individuals derive moral truths and the fundamental nature of these truths. Overall, Kant s philosophical works are still extremely relevant to modern political and philosophical conflicts and his legacy survives in the essential concepts of liberalism, egalitarian ethics, social contract theory, cosmopolitan global justice, and many others. Kant is also considered the founder of the 18th century doctrine of transcendental idealism and many of his published works