ETHICS OF DUTY(KANT’S CATEGORICAL

IMPERATIVE)

“TWO THINGS FILL THE MIND WITH EVER NEW AND

INCREASING ADMIRATION AND AWE THE MORE
OFTEN AND MORE ENDURINGLY REFLECTION IS
OCCUPIED WITH THEM: THE STARRY HEAVENS ABOVE
ME AND THE MORAL LAW WITHIN ME.” (KANT, 1788, 1)
MORAL OBLIGATION

 Every person knows the meaning of the moral

good; and this knowledge is the source of moral
duty [which is universal]; it is the fundamental law
of nature (Kant).
“The dignity of humanity consists in
the ability of being universally
legislating through with the very
condition that it is also subject to
the same legislation.”

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 Good is discerned internally through freedom (will);
hence duty is the supreme norm of morality.
 A priori – morality is pure and formal; not drawn from
experience; the idea of duty must belong to reason.
“nothing can possibly be
conceived in the world or even
out of it, which can be called
good without qualification
except a good will…” (Kant
2002: 33)

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THE GOOD WILL

 The man of good will is a being who is autonomous by itself.

Meaning, he is self-ruled [we are autonomous beings].
 Here, morality can be attributed as proceeding from the
autonomy of the will, wherein the individual performs the moral
ought in accordance with the inner law of the will.
 The good will is a good-in-itself, independent of anything
external.
“Autonomy is the basis of the
dignity of every human being
and also of every rational
nature… although a conception
of duty implies subjection to
the moral law, people yet
ascribe a certain dignity and
sublimity to the person who
fulfils his duty.” (Kant 2002: 38) 7
WHAT IS CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE?

 It is categorical, hence, an unconditional imperative wherein the

man of good will adheres as though his freedom tells him to do
otherwise.
 The categorical imperative, unlike the imperative of duty and
prudence goes away with the empirical or desired after-
thoughts – thus, not hypothetical or conditional.
 Thus, man for Kant can legislate the good as a rational being.
 It is fundamental for man to be bound by the law of
human nature, this law of human nature is called moral
obligation or duty – and thus studied through deontology,
or the ethics of duty.
THE CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE

 ACT ACCORDING TO THE MAXIM THAT YOU

WOULD WISH ALL RATIONAL PEOPLE TO FOLLOW,
AS IF IT WERE A UNIVERSAL LAW.
FOUR FORMULATIONS ON THE IMPERATIVE:

1. The Formula of the Law of Nature

2. The Formula of the End itself
3. The Formula of Autonomy
4. The Formula of Kingdom of Ends
 NEVER TREAT A PERSON AS MEANS TO AN END
WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE GROUND OF MORALITY?

 The ultimate reason on why we should be moral and follow the

categorical imperative is that we owe it to our own humanity,
our own dignity and freedom.
 Freedom: is the (1) capacity to go beyond our instincts and
inclinations; and (2) that this higher law of morality is, in truth,
our own law, the law of our very being as rational will. The
rational man is a self-governing being. He is free.