2.3.2
Hypothetical & Categorical Imperative
Hypothetical Imperatives
Hypothetical Imperatives
Kant produced two types of imperatives: hypothetical and categorical. An imperative is something you must do. Hypothetical imperatives are dependent on the aims of a person’s wants and needs.
Goal centred and not moral
Goal centred and not moral
- Hypothetical imperatives begin with ‘if’.
- E.g. if you want to be healthier, you should exercise more and eat healthier food.
- Hypothetical imperatives are goal centred and are only used when someone is trying to reach a goal.
- This means they are not moral imperatives as they are only dependent on a goal someone is seeking.
- Additionally, hypothetical imperatives only apply to those that want to achieve a goal and are seeking a reward as a consequence of their behaviour.
Selfish actions
Selfish actions
- Another example: if you want to pass your exam, you should revise and study for it.
- The reward here is to pass the exam and succeed. To succeed, you must revise and work hard for it.
- Kant felt hypothetical imperatives were selfish actions and should not be focussed on. We should turn our thoughts to actions which promote goodwill and promote morality.
Rise of categorical imperatives
Rise of categorical imperatives
- This is when categorical imperatives came into play.
- Kant’s deontological theory began to focus heavily on the moral and human duty to only perform actions based on the reasoning of goodwill.
Categorical Imperatives
Categorical Imperatives
Kant believed there was a principle of morality that could be used to identify what our moral duties, as individuals, are. This is the categorical imperative. In other words, something you must do regardless of circumstances.
Instruct on right and wrong
Instruct on right and wrong
- The categorical imperative is a moral imperative.
- Categorical imperatives are used alongside rules and laws and instruct people on what is right and what is wrong.
- Categorical imperatives can be applied to everybody and can be used to make decisions on what is morally correct.
3 formulations
3 formulations
- Kant devised three formulations to the categorical imperative to make it clear how it should be used and how somebody should apply it to making a decision.
- These are known as the three formulations of the categorical imperative.
First formulation
First formulation
- The universal principle.
- You must perform actions that can be made into a universal rule that can be applied to everyone (universalisability).
- Example: you cannot lie. This is universalisable as it is wrong to lie and lying can cause many issues. It is also not acting out of goodwill.
Second formulation
Second formulation
- Ends in themselves.
- Kant said: “treat people as an end in themselves”. You should not treat somebody as a means to an end. You should treat them as an end, treat them as you want to be treated.
- Kant means that every person is good, intrinsically. He states that we should all treat each other as an end, never use someone to achieve something else. He felt it was never right to treat somebody as a means. We should be using good will to decide our actions and treat others with kindness.
Third formulation
Third formulation
- The principle of the kingdom of ends.
- Our own actions should be judged based on the idea that everyone else in the world is acting morally and treating everybody fairly. Therefore, treating people as an end, not a means.
- This formulation clearly rejects hypothetical imperatives and focuses on the idea that all humans have a moral duty and it is their role to perform it.
Using the three formulations
Using the three formulations
- These three formulations can be used like a checklist to decide whether an action is a categorical or hypothetical imperative.
- Kant said we should be striving for categorical imperatives at all times to focus on our moral duty. We should not be wasting time on selfish deeds or performing actions just to receive a reward.
True categorical imperatives
True categorical imperatives
- Kant argued that a true categorical imperative is performed simply because it is the right thing to do. A bonus is that you might feel good after performing it.
- But a categorical imperative is not performed for the reward; it is simply a product of a moral duty.
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
Jump to other topics
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
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