Kant's Categorical Imperatives

The categorical imperative is the foundational principle of morality. It has an unquestioning, universal reason-giving force. "It is the only practical policy that gives every rational creature a good practical reason to act and does so independently of every other possible consideration." 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant thought religion and morality were a terrible pairing, and if anything, the two should be kept apart. Instead, Kant argued, to determine what's right, you have to use reason. And a sense of consideration for other people. Kant maintained that humans seek an ultimate end (supreme good) nor summum bonum, which is pursued through moral acts. Since it is impossible to achieve this in one lifetime, he concluded that we must have immortal souls to succeed. Belief in the afterlife and God, therefore, provide an opportunity to reach this supreme good, where happiness and virtue are united. Kant is claiming that an action's moral worth is tied to two concepts: those of moral duty and moral law.

"never treat humans simply as a means to an end but always also as an end in themselves," people are rational and autonomous (self-legislators) and so are worthy of respect. We cannot only use them as a means for getting something else but always as intelligent beings with dignity.

Kant argued that to be morally justifiable, actions had to be universalizable -- susceptible to becoming universal laws applicable to any individuals. If it is right for A to steal from B, then it will have to be right for B to steal from A, or C from D. Kant's categorical imperative assumes a moral universe of equal beings, all of whom would be subject to the same rights and prohibitions. In making moral choices, Kant contended, human beings treat one another as "ends in themselves." By contrast, the utilitarians, in their most basic form, argued that moral decisions must be judged according to whether they maximize happiness.

Kant's view on consequentialism is that somebody somewhere will have to go through trials and tribulations. If a society wants to have an innocent person put to death, technically, it would be for the greater good to put that innocent person to death. In ethical thought, Kant's concept of an unconditional moral obligation that is binding in all circumstances and does not depend on an individual's inclinations or goals. By merely by following the rules, you are acting ethically