The Supreme Law

                           

On Monday, we finalized our discussion on Kant's Metaphysics of Morals and Ethics. In this particular session, we spent majority of the time period studying the categorical imperative, also know as the supreme law. According to Kant, this law will always guide you to do the right thing no matter who you are. 

Here is my summary of the three formulations of the Categorical Imperative:

• Only do an action if the purpose behind that action is in accordance with the law (when I say law, I mean any social rule or legal rule that we can all agree is wrong, such as lying)
• Treat everyone, including yourself, humanely, because it is not rational to do otherwise.
• Imitate a perfectly moral agent so that the world will become perfectly moral.

I feel that Kant's theory is completely logical if being used as only a starting point upon which we should guide our actions. However, I feel like the categorical imperative is very black and white. There is no room for grey areas, which makes it impractical. There will always be situations where you can refute his formulations.

• In the trolley problem we are willing the death of one person,but in doing so we are saving multiple lives. (Yes, I know that Kant is a non-consequential philosophy)
• Do we treat a serial killer or child molester humanely?
• Do we imitate someone's good deeds, but not necessarily know why the things he/she is doing are good in the first place?

What do YOU think?