Watch this Crash Course Philosophy video on Kant’s categorical imperative.
Then, demonstrate your understanding of Kants categorical imperative by considering the following scenarios. In your post, do the following:
State the maxim that would be created in each situation (*see note below!)
Explain how you believe a good Kantian would respond based on the maxim. Include reasons for your answers; in other words, instead of simply saying ‘a Kantian would respond thusly’ explain WHY you think a Kantian would respond that way.
Scenario 1: You are experiencing symptoms that could indicate you have Covid-19, but you go to a friend’s birthday party regardless.
Scenario 2: You want to lie to a friend about your dislike for her romantic partner to avoid hurting her feelings.
*Pgs. 549-551 of our text specifically discuss how a maxim would be reached in 4 example scenarios. A maxim is a general principle derived from a specific situation, and it is expressed as a complete sentence. As an example, were I late to a meeting and wondering if it would be ethical for me to speed from a Kantian perspective, the maxim I would derive from this specific scenario, my speeding to get to a meeting, would be a general, universal statement: everyone should speed, or, it would be morally right for everyone to speed. Then, I would reason about this general, universal statement to decide whether it would be moral for me to speed. Formulate a maxim for each of the above scenarios as a complete statement expressing a universal action.
Copy the below link in youtube to complete the discussion board…
Works Linked/Cited:
Kant & Categorical Imperatives: Crash Course Philosophy #35. YouTube, uploaded by Crash Course, 14 Nov. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bIys6JoEDw. Accessed 15 Aug. 2019.
