The Moral Law: Kant’s Categorical Imperative

Ever been in a dilemma where you didn’t know the right thing to do? Ever wish there was a foolproof way to figure out the right answer to life’s difficult moral choices?

In this session of the Syracuse Philosophy Meetup, we’ll discuss one great philosopher’s answer to the great question of morality. Immanuel Kant was one of the most influential philosophers who ever lived, writing long books on the theories of knowledge, ethics, and aesthetics. In his works on ethics, Kant believed he had discovered THE moral law that would necessarily apply to all rational beings, and he called this law the categorical imperative. Kant’s moral theory focuses on the notion of duty and the inherent rightness or wrongness of our choices, which stands in opposition to consequentialist theories (like utilitarianism) where moral value is based on an action’s consequences.

We’ll discuss Kant’s different “formulations” of the categorical imperative as he expressed them in his short book entitled Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. And we’ll see how we can apply Kant’s theories to real world moral dilemmas.

I’ll be provided a cheat-sheet for everyone, so it’s not necessary to read the book. But for those who do wish to read it, there’s a good online version here. And youtube videos abound explaining the concept, so feel free to look there.

It’ll be a fun and engaging conversation, so don’t miss it!

P.S. For those who wish to dig a bit deeper (though I wouldn’t say it’s necessary), I suggest this edition by Oxford Philosophical Texts. The new books is absurdly expensive, but there are used versions available. It contains a good introduction which explains each section, an analysis of arguments section, and copious annotations in the text itself to help explain.

This one by Cambridge is probably pretty good, as I’ve liked other books in this series.