Ethical Theorist; Immanuel Kant
...at guide actions are the key to ethical behavior (Donaldson, Werhane, & Cording, 2002). Kant believed that the sole aspect that gives an action moral worth is not the outcome that is achieved by the action, but the motive that is behind the action. The morality of an action, therefore, must be assessed in terms of the motivation behind it. If one were to ask Kant if there is any principal that can govern all human beings, Kant would reply, yes, and he called that principal the categorical imperative. Kant formulated the categorical imperative in three ways. The first, Universal Law formulation states that all should “act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law" (Wikipedia, 2004, 2). In simpler terms, in order for the act to be good, we must remove the desire for any particular goal from our motivation to act. The second imperative, Humanity or End in itself formulation, requires that we “…treat others as having intrinsic value in themselves, and not merly as means to achieve ones end” (Donaldson, et al., 2002). Hitler treated one group of individuals inhumanly, in order to achieve his own ends; thereby, acting contrarily to the second imperative. Such action would be considered immoral according to Kant, because it fails to respect the intrinsic value of rational beings, and utilizes humans as a means to achieve ones end. The third categorical imperative or the Kingdom of Ends formulation combines the previous two imperitives and ties Kant's moral theory together. The formulation states that "all maxims as proceeding from our own [hypothetical] making of law ought to harmonise with a possible kingdom of ends" (Wikipedia, 2004, 2). In other words, Kant believed that if everyone treated everyone else in the manner stated by the Principle of Humanity, we would see the birth of a Kingdom of Ends, where we would be able to pass laws that would make sense for all people to follow. The Authors View Kant’s belief that all people should act in such a way that humanity is treated with respect “…and never simply as a means" is a positive value, which could serve to reduce much conflict in the word today (Donaldson, et al., 2002). Furthermore, Kant’s imperatives coincide with this author’s Christian belief in the expression of "The Golden Rule". The categorical imperative demands that we derive from our own self-interest a generalized concern for all human beings and, treat others as we would like to be treated. Ultimately, Kant believed that all people are of intrinsically equal worth, regardless of race, ge...