PHL 301 1st Edition Lecture 26Outline of Last Lecture I.RationalityII.Formula of Universal LawIII.ConsequencesIV.ImperativesOutline of Current LectureI.Formula of the Law of NatureII.Obligationsa.Perfectb.ImperfectIII.Practical Test Current LectureKant’s Formula of the Law of Nature states: Act as though the maxim of your action wereby your will to become a universal law of nature. He says that there are perfect and imperfect obligations both to ourselves and to others. A perfect obligation is specific: it gives others rights that are unjust to violate. An imperfect obligation allows a choice in how to fulfill it. It might be wrong to violate an imperfect obligation, but not unjust. These are not specific.An example of a perfect obligation to ourselves is to not commit suicide. Doing so would be destroying life for the sake of life, and therefore cause a contradiction and lead to self-exploitation if it were to become a universal law of nature. A perfect obligation to others might be to repay debts. What if a person knew he couldn’t repay money but borrowed it anyway? To find out if this is right to do or not, we should ask what would happen if this were a universal law. If everybody did this, then people wouldn’t take promises seriously. Therefore, it isn’t right to do. An example of an imperfect obligation to the self would be developing our own talents. What if a person discovered a talent but decided to slack off? Well, we could not will slacking offto be a universal law because slackers will not develop abilities and, even if they spend their lives having a beer on the beach, they will eventually get bored of everything. They would become stupid and irrational. There is no way anyone, as a rational being, could will to be stupidand irrational because that would be disrespecting the self. An example of an imperfect obligation to others could be being charitable. A rational being could not will for each person to pursue his or her own good because every rational being wants to be aided as well. These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Kant then develops the Practical Test, which states that we should respect rationality andtreat people only as ends, not as means. This has to do with respecting their autonomy. We live under rules set by ourselves, which lies in dignity. This then leads us to the Formula of Humanity: Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as only a means to an
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