PHI 1370 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Categorical Imperative, Kantianism, Self-Determination

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHI 1370
• Professor: Alexis Anderson

Document Summary

Because you are human, you have worth in and of yourself. The categorical imperative should be a decision rule for right action. You ought not treat humans as a means to an end. Actions are only good if the principle behind them is duty to moral law. Actions in accordance with duty (imperfect duty) must be distinguished from those performed from duty (perfect duty). Valued , and since value must come from somewhere, it must come from human beings. We make decisions about how to act and the course of our lives, so we can also reason to. The categorical imperative is that you should not act on anything you wouldn"t want to be universal law (i. e. , you shouldn"t do what you wouldn"t want others to do). Choose the moral and honest action regardless of the outcome. You should not use people to get what you want. Perfect duty always applies and has moral worth.