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the second formulation of the categorical imperative (only the good will…
the second formulation of the categorical imperative
treating someone as a end also means leaving them free to peruse the ends that they adopt
the value of what people choose to do lies in their ability to choose it , not just in what they have chosen
so we should refrain from harming or hindering them, have to respect their rationality
only the good will is without its qualification
it is the only thing of unconditional value
everything else that is valuable depends, in some way, on the good will
something is only an end if it is adopted by the will, it is our adopting something as an end that gives it value
because i have desires and purposes, various things in the world are valuable to me
for instance , intelligence is valuable for all sorts of purposes , it is valuable as a means to an end
its value then depends on the value of its ends
kant says that because people are ends in themselves, we must always treat them as such and never simply as a mean
we rely on other people in many ways as a means in achieving our own ends , e.g people serving me are a means of getting what i want to buy
we cannot only use them only as means
kant says to respect them as an end
kant gives a 2nd formulation of the categorical imperative known as
the formulation of humanity
act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means , but always at the same time as an ends
kant identifies dignity as intrinsic worth
the will has unconditional value as the thing which gives value to everything else
by humanity , kant means our ability to rationally determine which ends to adopt and persue
what gives us this dignity is our rational will
someones being an end in themselves means that they are an end for others
we should adopt their ends as our own , we should help them persue their ends, just as we persue ours
the 2nd formulation requires that we help other people, should be one of ends in life
to treat someone simply as a means , and not also as an end = is to treat that person in a way hat undermines their power of making rational choices in themselves
coercing someone, lying to them or stealing from them all involve not allowing them to make an informed choice
if they are involved in our action in any way they need to be able to agree/refuse to adopt our end as their own
we should appeal to others reason in discussing with them what to do , rather than manipulating them in ways they are unaware of