Kant Moral Law Theory Essay Example for Free

Kant Moral Law Theory EssayTwo things fill the encephalon with ever new and increasing admiration and awe the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them the starry heavens above me and the lesson law within me. Kant (1788), pp, 193, 259 Immanuel Kant introduced and initiated his moral law theory in the late 18th century. The doctrine in question sought to establish and constitute a commanding or absolute principle of morality. Kant disputes the existence of an ethical system, whereby moral obligations ar obligations of purpose or reason. The accuracy of actions i. e. the rightness or wrongness of an individual deed is determined by its configuration and unanimity with regard to moral law. Evidently, according to Kant, an immoral transaction is invariably contemplated as an illogical or unreasonable occurrence or action. The supreme moral principle is a consistent working bar that proves to be practically helpful and theoretically enlightening when used by rational agent s as a guide for making personal choices (Kant VI).A supreme guiding moral principle must race with it an absolute necessity and be done out of duty to the moral law in society to be free from corruption. Kant believed in a fair and impartial law. He accredited and affirmed the carriage of an objective moral law that we, as gentles, were/are able to identify with through the process of reasoning. Kant argued that we are able to recognise and distinguish moral law, without making reference to the possible consequence or outcome.Immanuel Kant state a differentiation between affirmations i.e. posteriori and priori that he believed to coincide with moral law. A posteriori statement is one that is ground on experience of the material world. In opposition, a priori statement requires no such knowledge it is know sovereign of the phenomenal world. Furthermore, Kant continued to make additional distinctions with regard to analytic and synthetic statements. An analytic statement, he c laims, is one that by its very nature is necessarily align, as the predicate is included within the description of the subject. exemplification all squares have quartette sides. The previous statement is of an analytic nature, as the predicate, i. e. the square having four sides, is implicit and is part of the definition of the subject square. An analytic statement is necessarily true true by its own pledge, and is purely explicative, as it tells us nothing new about the subject. In contrast, a synthetic statement is one in which the predicate is not included in the definition of the subject, and thereof is not necessarily true.A synthetic statement also tells us something new about the subject. precedent to Kant, it was widely recognized that there were only two types of statement a priori analytic and a posteriori synthetic. Kant accepted these two statements although believed there to be a third a priori synthetic statement. These are statements that are cognise indepen dent of experience that may or may not be true. Kant claimed that these priori synthetic principles are underlying within us and therefore subsequently form the basis of all moral decision making.Kants theory is based on and is primarily concerned with the aspect of duty. Kant believed and promoted the notion that to act virtuously is ones duty, and ones duty is to act and proceed in unity to the principles of moral law. Due to this, Kants theory is categorised and distinguished as a deontological argument. A deontological theory is one that maintains the moral rightness or wrongness of an action and depends on its fundamental qualities, and is independent of the nature of its consequence Duty for dutys sake.This perspective can be viewed in contrast to the beliefs and rules associated and belonging to teleological arguments, i. e. utilitarianism. Immanuel Kant argued that moral requirements are based on a standard of reasonableness he dubbed the Categorical Imperative. The mon otonic imperative has derived from the initial belief and notion that humans base their moral judgment on pure reason alone. This view can be viewed in contrast to a morality theory, which assumed/s that humans actions are guided by emotions or desires. Example When deciding what I ought to say to a paladin who is distraught.Rationale would dictate that I go for sensible advice, whereas my emotions may impulsively tell me to give comfort and sympathy. The categorical imperative declares and differentiates between prerequisite and forbidden actions, and places further emphasis on the notion of duty. This statement can be change through the following quotation All in imperatives command either divinatoryly or flatly If the action would be good simply as a means to something else, then the imperative is hypothetical but if the action is represented as a good in itself then the imperative is categorical.. Example If someone tells me that they will buy me dinner if I give them a lift into town, then this is a conditional action and would fall into the hypothetical imperative category. Conversely, if I think that I should give my friend a lift into town with no some other agenda (i. e. she will not buy me dinner because of it), then this is a categorical imperative because it is independent of my interest and could apply to other people as well as myself. There are three principles of the categorical imperative * Universal law* work on humans as ends in themselves * Act as if you live in a kingdom of ends. 1. The categorical imperative is Do not act on any principle that cannot be universalised. In other words, moral laws must be applied in all situations and all rational beings universally, without exception. 2. Act that you administer humanity, both in your own person and in the person of every(prenominal) other human being, never merely as a means, but always at the time as an end. The previous statement declares that we must never treat people as m eans to an end.You can never use human beings for another purpose, to exploit or enslave them. Humans are rational and the highest point of creation, and so imply unique treatment. 3. The quotation So act as if you were through your maxim a law-making member of a Kingdom of ends states Kants belief in the fact that humans should behave as though every other individual was an end. In conclusion, it is arguable that the categorical imperative possesses a sense of authority with regard to what actions are permitted and forbidden under Kants moral law theory.