Study Questions for Kant

1. As a basis for morality/ideals, is the categorical imperative more like the Christian, Jewish, Islamic basis of morality, like Plato, or like Machiavelli?

2. What’s the difference between a categorical and a hypothetical imperative?

why isn’t the following ‘hypothetical’:  “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”?

3. The Categorical Imperative is a ‘synthetic a priori’ statement (a term Kant defines in his Critique of Pure Reason). ‘A priori’ means something that it known before any experience – from pure reason.  ‘Synthetic’ means that it is about the world, has practical significance. So the question is how can one know something of the world without basing it on experience?

4. There are several formulations of the categorical imperative. Does that weaken or strengthen the argument as to its fundamental character?

5. In a debate (last essay in Hackett version of the assigned book) Kant argues that shouldn’t lie even it would endanger someone. What does that mean about the level of abstraction of the categorical imperative?

Application 1:  What would Kant say about the use of lethal force against African-Americans in the cases highlighted by “Black Lives Matter?”

Application 2:  How would Kant help you decide whether to turn in someone cheating on an exam  or paper? or sheltering an ‘undocumented’ migrant?