Groundwork For The Metaphysics Of Morals By Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant’s, Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, pages 516-521, discusses the concept of the categorical imperative. The categorical imperative serves as the foundational principle for moral reasoning. Kant states, “There is therefore only one categorical imperative and it is this: “Act only on that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law,” (Kant, 516). He explains the categorical imperative as a universal moral law. He says it applies to all rational beings. Kant also discusses the hypothetical imperative. He says, “If I think of a hypothetical imperative as such, I do not know beforehand what it will contain – not until I am given its condition. But if I think of a categorical imperative,

The first one mentions a man who is considering taking his own life. He says, “A man feels sick of his life as the result of a mounting series of misfortunes that has reduced him to hopelessness, but he still possesses enough of his reason to ask himself whether it would not be contrary to his duty to himself to take his own life,” (Kant, 516). Kant states that in this instance, “The maxim therefore could not possibly be a general law of nature and thus ut wholly contradicts the supreme principle of all duty,” (Kant, 516). The second scenario mentions a man contemplating borrowing money from someone, knowing he will never be able to repay the debt. Kant states, “I then see immediately that this maxim can never qualify as a self-consistent universal law of nature, but must necessarily contradict itself,” (Kant, 516). The third scenario is a man deciding whether or not to cultivate his given talents and the fourth discusses a man deciding to help others in need or not. As the fourth scenario is concluded Kant states, “We must be able to will that a maxim of our action should become a universal law – that is the authoritative model for moral judging of action generally, (Kant,