Kant’s believes, that humans are rational beings that can think for themselves, they are dignified beings who are the “ends-in-themselves,” and are able to determine what are moral laws. Kant explains his stance on morals based from his theory of hypothetical and categorical imperatives. The hypothetical imperative states, “If an action is commanded as being necessary for bringing about some further end…” For example, if a person wants become a better singer, then that person must practice in order to improve on their singing. However, hypothetical imperatives are subjective and are not affiliated with morals. That aspect leads hypothetical imperatives to be loosely followed. For example, if there is a person who doesn’t care about improving their singing, then vocal training/practice wouldn’t be beneficial to them. The categorical imperative states, “If an action is commanded as being good without qualification…” Kant believed categorical imperatives were commands that are always to be followed regardless of a person’s thoughts, feelings, or opinions about them.
If a person is motivated solely by their sympathy to help someone in need, then they are not doing something of true moral worth. I believe what makes that statement true, is the fact that person’s motivation is based on how they feel about the condition that other person is in. This person may only be acting in service to another person to fulfill a sense of purpose that they lack within themselves; regardless of them considering what that other person needs or desires. I feel like this person’s decision to help someone wouldn’t be reflecting the basis of what categorical imperatives are based on. Kant explains that categorical imperatives emphasize, “…act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means…” Kant is saying we can’t use people to our own benefit. He continues to say, “humans, as rational ends-in-themselves, are the authors of the moral law, so that their obedience to duty is not an act of submission, but an act of autonomy” Kant saying that we are ends-in-ourselves means, that humans exist as themselves, and can work toward the things they want or need in life without having to use other people. This person’s sympathy is the driving force to why they’re helping another person in need. They’re using someone to relieve themselves of that sympathetic feeling. They’re not helping them because they feel bad about the condition they’re in, they’re helping based on purely selfish reasons.
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