response to peer 7

Categorical imperative is a notion that suggests that motive or the end does not really matter. What matters is the significant thing that a person must do. Immanuel Kant, a philosopher, came up with the idea of categorical imperative. According to him, moral choices are governed by a categorical imperative. Kant wanted people to practice self-dependence to discover what morality means. Therefore according to him, categorical imperative was something a person had to do regardless of the circumstances.

The downside of Kant’s categorical imperative in ethics is that it encourages moral rigidity. Kant’s theory focuses on following your duty as you should. In doing so, one is not supposed to be guided by human benevolence and sympathy (Elosegui, 20 Can Rules Define Morality, 2012). In fact, Kant stated that emotions should never have any part in morality. He stated that only reason should be the guide. This notion however, is misguided because benevolence and morality should go hand in hand.