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Categorical Imperative Essay

1086 Words5 Pages

According to Kant’s point of view, a critical subject endowed with rational capacities is a sufficient condition for freedom. Reason ought to be seen as the highest priority in morality (Scruton, 2001, p.60), and it is the reason why Kant has often emphasized rationality and reason in his works.

One of the most mentioned philosophical concepts from Kant is categorical imperative. Kant regards the concept of categorical imperative as a universal law, which is possible to make adoption in all rational beings. (Hunter, 2001, p.306) There is no exception for rational individuals in the world to escape from the law of categorical imperative. The presentation of categorical imperative is somehow like a test of morality (Hunter, 2001, p.306), rather than just a moral concept. Moral maxim is of vital necessity in the determination of morality for an action. From Kant’s view, an action can be treated as moral when it is motivated by one’s maxim, while it also suits the universal law. (Hunter, 2001, p.306) Therefore, it can be concluded that moral maxim is the standard of deciding whether an action is moral or not. Rational individuals can …show more content…

(Scruton, 2001, p.80) People have free will to subject themselves to objective, ethical, moral law. Kant developed his concept of autonomy in which rational individuals able to overcome heteronomous factors, especially include one’s own desire and interest. These elements may trigger conflict with reason and rationality of oneself. (Scruton, 2001, p.80) In this case, reason become a essential factor to how people act morally. Reason has the ability to govern freedom, and therefore it also determines behaviors. (Scruton, 2001, p.80) Freedom also has the power of proposing an end to one’s actions and behaviors. (Scruton, 2001, p.79) The self-subjection autonomy to the moral law embodies the possibility of harmony in subjective desire and

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