Metaphysics Of Morals By Immanuel Kant Essay

Immanuel Kant wrote Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals during a philosophically significant time. The period of Enlightenment, which began in the mid-seventeenth century and ended in the early nineteenth century, covered the span of Kant’s life. This period inspired the French and American revolutions through the ideas it produced about democracy and human rights. Knowledge slowly became more accessible, and Kant was one of the first philosophers to write in German instead of the elitist Latin Language. A substantial amount of confidence was placed in reason and humanity’s ability to solve problems logically, which directly corresponds with Kant’s moral principles. Kant bases morality off of several criteria, but choice is very prevalent. We must take responsibility for our own rational agency, or anything we do cannot in principle be morally good. Additionally, it is our moral duty to be diligent about this, because it is

Next, it is presumed that this maxim directly compels an action, thereby treating it like it is purely rational. This maxim is then translated into a universal law of nature for all rational beings and observed. If the universalization of a maxim creates a contradiction, it is morally impermissible because continuing to act upon it is then essentially treating oneself as an exception. For example, some people operate off of the maxim that lying is okay when it is more convenient than telling the truth. When lying out of convenience is translated into a universal law, it immediately creates a logical contradiction. If everyone lies when it is convenient, there is no longer a sense of trust between people, making the intent of lying impossible. Lying is then logically immoral, because it is relying on others telling the truth to maintain trust, while excusing oneself from the same