kant ethical theory

KANTIAN CONCEPTION OF MORALITY
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who lived from 1724 to 1804.[1] he believed that a rigorous application of the same methods of reasoning would yield an equal success in dealing with the problems of moral philosophy.[2] Kant developed his moral philosophy in three main works: "The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Ethics, Critique of Practical Reason, Metaphysics of Morals. [3]

Kant’s theory is an example of a deontological moral theory. [4] it focuses on the rightness or wrongness of the actions themselves, as opposed to the rightness or wrongness of the consequences of those actions or the character of the actor, and holds that ethical rules bind people to an ethical duty. His theory is founded on his view of rationality as the ultimate good, and his belief that all people are fundamentally rational beings. He believed that morality was derived from rationality and that, just as rational thought leads us to an objective reality, it also leads us to an objective morality, which could be rationally supported.[5]

His major contribution to Ethics was the theory of the Categorical Imperative, which states that one should act only in such a way that you would want your actions to become a universal law, applicable to everyone in a similar situation. Additionally, one must strive to treat others not as mere means, but as ends in themselves, so that it can never be right to manipulate, abuse or lie to individuals, even in the interests of others or even the perceived greater good. He asserted that  we should only be responsible for our own actions, not those of others.[6]

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[1] http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/kantian%20ethics.htm

[2] http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/5i.htm

[3] http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_kant.html

[4] http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/kantian%20ethics.htm

[5] http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_kant.html

[6] ibid