What is Kantian Philosophy in Simple Terms?
To understand what Kant’s philosophy is all about, we must first understand its basic concepts. Those concepts are Practical reason, Autonomous will, and Universal law. But before we go deeper, let’s briefly examine each of them. There are many other aspects to this theory, too, which we’ll discuss in more detail below. What’s more, there are even imperative formulas that we can use to better understand Kant’s philosophy.
Practical reason
In Groundwork, Kant develops a theory of moral responsibility by deriving a supreme principle by philosophically examining the practical faculty of reason. The resulting rules of determination are exhibited and explained. In this essay, I attempt to explain and relate Kant’s account of practical reason to the task of practical justification. I also examine Kant’s treatment of practical reason in relation to contemporary ideas of practical rationality. I focus on three species of practical reason.
In the end, both theoretical reason and practical reasoning are concerned with preferences and desires. The latter also deals with resources and obstacles. For example, good people do not teach virtue by being clever; they do it through conditioning and persuading people to desire the right things. The emergence of democracy and human freedom depend on progress in sciences, but without objective ends, these pursuits are ineffective. But Kant’s theory argues that without practical reason, it is impossible to justify our actions.
Kant’s theory of practical reason is universal and a priori. The moral law, in Kant’s theory, is derived from practical reason and form. All rational agents are bound equally by this moral law. Consequently, the moral law is universal and can apply to any agent. However, this universality is not sufficient. For example, it is impossible to determine what constitutes a right action without the aid of reason, if the moral principle itself is not objective.
Universal law
If we assume that perfect duty requires rational agents to behave in a certain manner, then we are bound to comply with that duty. However, the theory of perfect duties does not apply to non-humans. For example, it does not apply to animals with brain malfunctions, or to people with illness or persistent vegetative coma. Therefore, conflict resolution becomes much trickier. Nevertheless, it is important to note that Kant argues that the ideal state of human society requires rational agents to behave in such a manner that is consistent with universal moral law.
The theory states that the density of an object depends on the ratio of its attractive and repulsive forces. Kant’s theory differs from that of his mechanist predecessors, who thought that every physical phenomenon could be explained by appealing to the material body. However, the Cartesians maintained that there was no real difference between a body’s density and a person’s porosity. This difference explains the fact that a completely filled volume may be reduced in size but the quantity of the object stays the same.
The categorical imperative, on the other hand, directs an individual to avoid leaving trash on the streets. In contrast, the golden rule has no duties towards one’s self. Moreover, this moral principle does not apply to behavior directed towards another person. In this context, the golden rule is unsuitable. As a result, Kant’s theory is unable to reconcile the conflict between the two moral principles.
Autonomous will
The Kantian theory of autonomous will claims that a person’s rationality is a necessary feature of his or her self. According to Kant, this rationality can direct choices and actions to reach hypothetical ends. The actions are motivated by desires and are guided by a hypothetical imperative. This theory is opposed to the empiricism of the utilitarian and liberal schools of thought. Consequently, Kant’s theory of autonomy is a more difficult and controversial one.
One of the difficulties of Frankfurt’s autonomous will theory is that it is ill-suited for scientific purposes. Frankfurt’s early hierarchical account of autonomy addresses the intuitively plausible claim that a person can act in accordance with his or her desires without acting autonomously. For example, a drug addict’s desire to take a drug is not a self-directed action. It is merely an expression of his or her wish to be free from the drug, and does not constitute autonomy.
A second issue affecting the Kantian theory of autonomous will is the question of personal autonomy. The question is: How much freedom does the person have? It is impossible to give everyone the same freedoms. The answer varies from one individual to another, but the premise of autonomy is always the same: a person has the right to choose what actions he or she will engage in. In short, we can’t force others to act in ways that are in their best interests.
Imperative formulas
In his categorical imperatives, Kant says that certain actions are objectively necessary without reference to the end or purpose of the action. Such actions command the agent to act without taking into account his end goal. This principle, called the categorical imperative, is fundamental to Kant’s ethical theory. In this sense, Kant rejects the act consequentialist theory of teleology. Here are some examples of categorical imperatives in Kantian theory.
The categorical imperative sounds like a close cousin to the Golden Rule and is similar to the Golden Rule. The difference, however, lies in the content. For example, a hypothetical imperative might state that a person should act towards another in the same way they would wish to be treated. While this is a significant improvement, it does not radically alter the basic idea. It merely emphasizes the difference between a hypothetical imperative and a purely formal one.
The first formulation of the categorical imperative states that the will is the source of all rational action. Treating the will as a subjective end denies the existence of free will in general. Furthermore, the person should never consider themselves a means to another end. Therefore, the categorical imperative is a logical continuation of the first formulation. In order to explain this, Kant argues that the self-centered, autonomous will is the source of all moral action.
Categories of good
The categories of good in Kantian theory describe the different attributes of a certain object. This theory differs from the utilitarian theories of the good and evil, which relate only to appearance. Kant argued that categories must be applied through time. He developed a schema to do this. But it is not clear whether this theory is applicable to every object. Here is an overview of its main points. Using Kant’s schema, we can understand how he thought of categories.
According to Kant, everything in nature is created to serve a purpose, and that human beings have a faculty of practical reason. Nevertheless, Kant was aware that human beings generally fail to use this faculty. In the end, Kant intended his ethical theory to be descriptive and normative, rather than prescriptive. But the theory has a major flaw. There are many areas where Kant’s theory does not apply.
A person may not be able to attain happiness in an unrestrained manner without the aid of other things. Hence, it is a good idea to apply the principle of rationality to all kinds of actions. Kant’s analysis is particularly useful in explaining why a good thing cannot be viewed as a pure good. A person who is happy in a particular way must have a good will, but it is not necessarily a good thing in and of itself.
Virtuous will
The virtuous will is a concept that is important for morality. Kant believes that the good will is good no matter what the circumstances are. Kant’s definition of a good will is different from the common sense idea of a good person. However, Kant uses the term “will” to analyze moral thought, and this concept prefigures later discussions of rational agency. If the virtuous will were only good when motivated by duty, then it would not be good.
Virtues are not innate; therefore, they can be acquired, but a person must do it by training. The best way to develop virtuous habits is trial and exercise, but you must be a good person to achieve this. Then, it is important to develop those qualities over time. However, it is impossible to codify virtue in a principle or rule, as it requires experience, perception, and practical reason. Virtuous will requires time to develop. The uncodifiability of ethics thesis claims that ethical theory cannot be codified, because the subject matter and circumstances are too diverse and imprecise to be generalized. This is where flexible theories come in.
In a second exercise, Kant uses “vivid” examples of moral dispositions to emphasize the purity of the will. Here, the pureness of the will is emphasized, while the contentment of the will is the main goal of moral habit-formation. Moreover, Kant rejects Aristotle’s notion of virtue as a “moral habit.”
