Morality and ethics by Kant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Morality and ethics by Kant - Essay Example However, the interaction between the human will and the inherent imperative is full of complexities. An imperative is a directive to act, to do good. However, the act itself will come from the will. Not because an imperative presents something good to do, the human will does it. Kant tackles this by identifying two distinct imperatives – hypothetical and categorical. Hypothetical imperative demands an action for some particular purpose. It’s doing Plan A, to get winnings X. In the paper, the hypothetical imperative seems logical. Most of the time, that is how humans operate. You study in order to get good grades; you start up a business to gain money; you watch movies, attend parties and socialize to gain the feeling of belongingness or acceptance. Basically, you act because it will benefit you, or it will be for the greater good. However, the application of hypothetical imperative could also be troubling. Would you rob a bank because your loved one is dying and you don ’t have money to pay for it? Would you lie for a friend, whom you found out is cheating on his wife, to avoid getting his wife hurt and ruining his family? There are a lot of subjective inclinations that clutter the hypothetical imperative. Thus, for Kant, the moral law forms around the categorical imperative. It’s the unconditional demand to act for good itself. For his first maxim, Kant states, â€Å"that one should act only on that maxim that can at the same time be willed to become a universal law†.