Categorical Imperative

Notes

The categorical imperative claims that one should follow the behavior that would still be logical if it was done by all. For example, if you lie in a world where most people tell the truth, it might still be a viable option, but if everyone would have lied no one would trust anyone which makes lies irrelevant as they are perceived as lies regardless if they are true. As all beings share the capacity to logic, our actions should take the perspective of other agents in mind, assuming they would reach similar conclusions Zoom out.

Usually this rule helps us avoid acting like a Free rider, because we realize that being a free rider is something that can only be done because others are not acting that way.

However, the categorical imperative lies on the same shaky foundations as all the "logical" based morality views. First, it denies Diversity, it assumes that all people will come to the same conclusion, despite the fact that people differ greatly from one another in terms of preferences, which changes the answer of their logical calculation. Second, it lacks force behind it. The fact that I know that my behavior is not sustainable or scailable doesn't lead me to act differently. I might reach the conclusion of "as long as others are trustworthy, I could still lie" Intelligence is not morality.

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Overview

🔼Topic:: Ethics (MOC) ↩️Origin:: Immanuel Kant (philosopher) 🔗Link::