Immanuel Kant: The Duties of the Categorical Imperative

Read this section, which shows some of the difficulties of an objective, "categorical" approach. Do the circumstances affect the morality of lying, or is it always wrong to lie? Is it really lying if Weinstein chooses not to write the book? Is there conflict between telling the truth and the imperative of dignity in Weinstein's dilemma?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The first expression of Kant's categorical imperative requires that ethical decisions be universalizable.
  • The second expression of Kant's categorical imperative requires that ethical decisions treat others as ends and not means.
  • Kant's conception of ethical duties can provide clear guidance but at the cost of inflexibility: it can be hard to make the categorical imperative work in everyday life.