Kantian Philosophy of Morality
Kantian Philosophy of MoralityKantian philosophy outlines the Universal Law Formation of the
Categorical Imperative as a method for determining morality of
actions. This formula is a two part test. First, one creates a maxim
and considers whether the maxim could be a universal law for all
rational beings. Second, one determines whether rational beings would
will it to be a universal law. Once it is clear that the maxim passes
both prongs of the test, there are no exceptions. As a paramedic faced
with a distraught widow who asks whether her late husband suffered in
his accidental death, you must decide which maxim to create and based
on the test which action to perform. The maxim "when answering a
widow's inquiry as to the nature and duration of her late husbands
death, one should always tell the truth regarding the nature of her
late husband's death" (M1) passes both parts of the Universal Law
Formation of the Categorical Imperative. Consequently, according to
Kant, M1 is a moral action. The initial stage of the Universal Law
Formation of the Categorical Imperative requires that a maxim be
universally applicable to all rational beings. M1 succeeds in passing
the first stage. We can easily imagine a world in which paramedics
always answer widows truthfully when queried. Therefore, this maxim is
logical and everyone can abide by it without causing a logical
impossibility. The next logical step is to apply the second stage of
the test. The second requirement is that a rational being would
will this maxim to become a universal law. In testing this part, you
must decide whether in every case, a rational being would believe that
the morally correct action is to tell the truth. First, it is clear
that the widow expects to know the truth. A lie would only serve to
spare her feelings if she believed it to be the truth. Therefore, even
people who would consider lying to her, must concede that the correct
and expected action is to tell the truth. By asking she has already
decided, good or bad, that she must know the truth. What if
telling the truth brings the widow to the point where she commits
suicide, however? Is telling her the truth then a moral action
although its consequence is this terrible response? If telling the
widow the truth drives her to commit suicide, it seems like no
rational being would will the maxim to become a universal law. The
suicide is, however, a consequence of your initial action. The suicide
has no bearing, at least for the Categorical Imperative, on whether
telling the truth is moral or not. Likewise it is impossible to judge
whether upon hearing the news, the widow would commit suicide. Granted
it is a possibility, but there are a multitude of alternative choices
that she could make and it is impossible to predict each one. To
decide whether rational being would will a...
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