PHIL 251 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Immanuel Kant, Categorical Imperative
Document Summary
Foundation for the metaphysics of morals (c. 1875) 1st proposition of morality: for an action to have moral worth it must be done from duty. 2nd proposition of morality: action done from duty gets its moral worth not in the purpose to be achieved, but rather in the maxim that determines the action way of representing a person"s will in a particular situation. Act as though the maxim of your actions were by your will to become a universal law of nature . If the maxim fails a test of logic, the opposite de nes a perfect obligation. If the maxim fails a test of rationality, the opposite de nes an imperfect obligation. Perfect (1) 1st test: self-preservation (2) 1st test: Imperfect (3) 2nd test: self-development (4) 2nd test: benevolence. 2nd formulation: act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another always as an end and never as a means only .
