Kant says that we should treat humanity.....never simply as ameans but Essay - 1

Kant says that we should treat humanity.....never simply as ameans but always at the same time as an end in itself. What does this mean Can a Kantian form of - Essay Example Is there, as Kant argues, a universal set of guiding principles that are applicable in all situations and all cultures? Are human rights and mans existence an end in itself, and not merely a means to reach an end? For the individual, a better sense of responsibility, obligation, and duty have become paramount in a social environment where individuals have the authority to make decisions that have the potential to do great good or intolerable harm. The purpose of this paper is to define and explain the meaning of Kants Categorical Imperative as it applies to individuals and moral agents in todays world of globalisation. The paper will further discuss humanity as an end in itself, rather than simply a means to an end. It will illuminate and demonstrate the paradoxes and challenges that are faced when we attempt to apply Kantian ethics to the modern world of globalisation. As human beings living in a world of interdependence, our actions not only reflect upon our own moral essence, but also impact others. Nobody lives in a vacuum and everything we do involves other people that have an equivalent moral and ethical value. Kant has contended that the treatment that is afforded the other agents in our transactions is not the means that we use to accomplish our goals, but is the goal in and of itself. According to Kant and Paton (1948, p.55), an imperative is categorical if it represents "an action as objectively necessary in itself apart from its relation to a further end". The categorical imperative removes any consideration for context and does not mitigate on the basis of time, space, situation, or culture. Kants categorical imperative is a guiding principle that invokes a sense of duty and obligation even when it contradicts the moral agents own feelings and emotions. Kantian ethics additionally contend that there are moral absolutes that must be adhe red to without regard