This post springs partly from my work done on Hegel and his view of Religion, especially his evolving Christology.
First, let us look at what Kant's view of morality.
Now, for Kant, Morality was synonymous with the Categorical imperative. This rationality is a priori, which means that it is not based on the visible world, on what we see or experience. This is, then, found in the will.
Kant's definition of the categorical imperative is this specific for three reasons:
1. The Will must be free. A priori means that the moral laws are free from bounds of the contingent world. This is markedly different then utilitarianism (Bentham, etc). The allows for freedom of the will, without succumbing to the determinism of the world. This is why for Kant the height of humanity is the autonomous (self-governing) person.
2. The Good will is the rational will. This good is not based on utility or on some divine fiat, but is based on man's defining attribute: reason. Therefore, there is a common foundation for morality, found in all human beings (following Aristotle's definition of a human being). Rationality has a long history in philosophy, dating back beyond Plato to Parmenides.
3. Morality has high, immutable standards. This morality is not based on your inclination. It is not based on your circumstances or even in your ability to carry out these moral demands.
Let us try out Kant's system with a relatively easy vice: stealing. The Categorical Imperative requires us to universalize this particular action. So, if we were to steal, what would the world be like if everyone stole? Here we see the irrationality of stealing. Stealing only works if I'm the only one stealing. Therefore, I ought not to steal.
Now, remember. This is a priori reasoning. One must not start with casuistry. If a thing cannot be universally applied, then the particulars do not matter.
From this priniciple of the categorical imperative, all duties flow. Since reason is one, it is necessary that the maxim, though formulated three different ways by Kant, ought to be one as well.
This is a brief overview of Kant's ethical philosophy.
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A good primary resource of Kant's ethic work is "Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals."
ReplyDeleteThis is shorter and not as dense as his work in epistomology, even though Kant's epistomology is needed to maintain the freedom and morality of the will.
What is Kant's basic premise for metaphysics?
ReplyDeleteKant was reacting to the skepticism of Hume, who said that we can never know anything. So, Kant needed a way to preserve science. Another concern of Kant's was to preserve the freedom of the will. If science is all there is, then the will is determined, and we cannot be held responsible for our actions (in Kant's mind). Therefore, Kant created two worlds: being in itself and the world of apperances. No one knows what being in itself looks like, since we interpret the world through the categories of understanding, like space, time, cause, effect, etc.
ReplyDeleteThese categories of the understanding mediate the world to us as the world of apperances. But we can never be sure if what we see is really being in itself or if we see something completely different.
This saves science, since the world of apperances has laws like space, time, cause, effect, etc. This also allows Kant to put the will in the nomena, or in the world of being in itself. This gives it it's freedom.
I didn't know if you were looking for an epistomological or an ethical metaphysic, so I kind of gave you both.
Perfect, thanks.
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