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Categorical Imperative Case Study

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The German automotive company, Volkswagen, was recently involved in an unethical car emission scandal. James Liang, a Volkswagen engineer, pleaded guilty to creating a software program inside over 500,000 Volkswagen diesel cars to manipulate the emissions rating for the cars. This software program would allow the cars that had high levels of nitrogen oxide emissions to pass the car emission tests and be sold in the United States. Some cars released up to forty times the legal standard limit of car emissions. This is an unethical decision by Volkswagen and James Liang because they did not go about their actions with good will. Additionally, Volkswagen did not consider the consequences if someone were to catch the company producing cars with …show more content…

A good will is defined maintaining moral value even if the actions do not accomplish its original intentions. The will is only considered good when it aligns with personal duty. Kant states duty should act from the respect of the moral law, and moral law is defined by the categorical imperative. The categorical imperative is a system that defines if a decision made by an individual is morally right or wrong in every circumstance based on an individual's moral obligations. The categorical imperative has a test to determine if the person's actions contain good will and duty. The test defines the maxim, which is the subjective principle within the situation, questions the generalization of the maxim in terms of good or bad …show more content…

Mentioned previously, Kant's theory is based on a person's moral will and duty. In the court case, Liang and Volkswagen did not portray a good will or duty based on Kant's moral theory. For example, the maxim and universal law for this court case are, one should not lie because if everyone in the universe were to lie, then no one would believe in others, and the truth would be considered a lie. The initiative Volkswagen and Liang took to develop the software program created a lie towards Volkswagen customers and the United States citizens. Furthermore, the development of the software program is considered as a lie because the program generated false emissions test readings, allowing Volkswagen to sell their diesel cars. Therefore, if Volkswagen and Liang approached the emissions issue with a Kantian approach, the company would not have developed the emissions software program, which would prevent the court case. If Volkswagen approached the emissions issue from a utilitarian standpoint, then Volkswagen would consider what would be the consequences if the company was caught developing the software and what the probability would be for them to get

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