Kant's Formula Of Humanity Essay

This presentation focuses on Kant’s formula of humanity as an end-in-itself, what is meant by this formula, and what can be derived from its formulation bearing in mind that the concept of treating humanity as an end-in-itself continues to be influential in contemporary ethical discourse.
To formulate the second variant of the categorical imperative, Kant begins with the definition of the will as a capacity in rational beings that allows them to act in accordance with the law (4:427.20). He remarks that “what serves the will as an objective ground of self-determination is the end […] what contains merely the ground of possibility of an action the effect of which is an end is called the means”. Kant states that some of our actions (especially

Rather this absolute worth must be viewed as an end which cannot be arbitrarily exchanged. This implies that the treatment we accord to be people must be based on how they rationally consent to be treated. For Kant, we owe an unswerving duty to ourselves and other human beings. It is on this ground that the categorical imperative comes to fore, which is “rational nature exists as an end in itself” (4:429.3). “So act that you use humanity, in your own person as well as in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means” (4:429.9). Kant espouses the aforementioned formula by applying it to the four previously stated examples of duty (4:421-423). The first and third examples stipulate duty to oneself, while the second and fourth are about duties to other rational creatures. This will be expatiated in the paragraphs that

Central to Kant’s postulate is that an agent who ends his own life treats himself merely as a means to fleeing his misfortunes. This action, in Kant’s view, contradicts the second variant of the categorical imperative, which stipulates that human beings are ends in themselves because a human being differs from a mere “thing” (4:429.18). In the second illustration, here, Kant argues against using people merely as a means. He uses the example of making false promises to a lender, thus using him as an instrumental object to achieve a further end. This, Kant remarks, is contradictory to the principle of treating humanity as an end in itself. Kant’s main argument here is that rational beings ought to be respected. Third, (example 3) Kant explicates that, as rational beings, our capacities for greater perfection” are a distinctive part of us and it is the purpose of “nature with regard to humanity in our subject”. Consequently, duty to one’s self demands that we nurture our talents. Humanity, argues Kant, will still be sustained if we fail to develop our given talents; however this will not promote its flourishing. Fourth, on the last illustration, Kant claims that our end pursuit, as rational beings, is happiness – we all naturally wish to be happy. Consequently, as a duty to others, we are to promote the happiness of other rational