Immanuel Kant
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In order to understand the strengths of Immanuel KantÆs views on morality and morals, we must recognize that he argues for a realm of moral law that transcends both the realm of science and sensory experience. In The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant posits human reason with the ability to conceive of a world that is beyond that capable of being experienced by the sense or ôsensibleö experience. By using reason to rise above experience or sensory data, human beings are able, in KantÆs view, to experience certain ôtranscendentö principles. While we can never experience a concept such as the soul, Kant argues we can conceive of it and benefit from its study as the highest of all mental pursuits. This analysis will discuss some of the major strengths and weaknesses of KantÆs moral philosophy as expressed in Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. In contemplating this transcendent realm through reason, Kant formulated his concept that serves as the basis for all moral action, the ôcategorical imperative.ö The categorical imperative is a singular command that applies across the entire range of human behavior. This command dictates the same moral outcome for all human beings, a strength of KantÆs philosophy in that it uniformly applies to all human beings as a measure of the morality of action. Also referred to by Kant as a ômaxim,ö the categorical imperative mandates that oneÆs actions, in order to be moral, must be such that
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former is based only on free self-constraint.ö Kant maintains that developing oneÆs own perfection and the happiness of others are duties of virtue. Such duties cannot be demanded and are therefore impossible to enforce to Kant. As such, Kant (p. 197) stated that ôduties of virtueö are ôwideö and ôthe duty has in it a latitude for doing more or less, and no specific limits can be assigned to what should be done.ö Therefore, a moral act or immoral act is left to the discretion of the doer or agent.
Criticisms of KantÆs moral philosophy are quite possible due to his distinction between perfect and imperfect duties. Imperfect duties are the duties a virtuous man or woman would carry out but how one chooses to be virtuous or the degree to which one wishes to be virtuous are left to the agent or actor. In this I find a significant criticism that can be leveled against KantÆs moral theories. I think that the imperfect nature of a positive human duty of beneficence seriously undermines the moral force of KantÆs view of virtue. Kant rejects the notion that an individual can claim anotherÆs duties of virtues. In so doing, he is theorizing an environment in which justice must be imposed or enforced by external actors like the gover
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Approximate Word count = 1442
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
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