Freedom Morality and the Catagorical Imperative
Freedom, Morality, and the Categorical Imperative In his Groundings for the Metaphysics of Morals Kant leads his theory of categorical imperative through a subtle transformation, developing it in a slow step by step process. In establishing this categorical imperative Kant integrates his concepts of freedom and morality, showing that morality is derived from the freedom of rational beings. This concept is very important to understand in exploring the categorical imperative. Kant establishes that humans are rational beings in stating that humans have freedom. This freedom, he explains, is possible due to the two worlds that humans in exist in. ... This is what gives man his freedom and morality, for he has the choice, the autonomy of will, between instinct and rationality. From this concept of freedom, Kant derives his thoughts on morality. ... After developing his ideas on the freedom of a rational being, Kant continues by setting up his categorical imperative, a concept which any moral man must, ideally, live by. “There is only one categorical imperative and it is this: Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” (30). ... One complying with the categorical imperative would not borrow the money, as they could not apply such actions universally, where as the immoral man would borrow the money.