Kant’s Moral Formalism: Reason, Imperatives, and Postulates
The Moral Formalism
Kant stated that there is a theoretical application and practical use of reason.
Theoretical use refers to theoretical knowledge. His book, “Critique of Pure Reason,” addresses this. Through epistemic judgments, it answers the question: “What can I know?”
Practical use refers to action. His book, “Critique of Practical Reason,” addresses this. Through value judgments, it responds to the questions: What should I do? And what can I hope for?
Kant notes that every voluntary action is filed prior to reason in the form of a mandate or imperative, which may be:
- Hypothetical Imperatives: These are conditional structures where the validity of the appointment depends on the consequences of the action, tending to satisfy the desired condition subjectively. Since they do not have their basis in a priori principles of reason, their validity is not universal.
- Categorical Imperatives: According to Kant, these are unconditional and have absolute validity. Only categorical imperatives can be the basis of a universal moral law that is necessary, i.e., objective. This objective moral law legislates for every rational will and must be applied in any action.
Kant separates the legality of morality, because for Kant, acting according to law does not necessarily mean acting morally, because the law makes its rules in the form of hypothetical imperatives.
Instead, Kant notes that the source of moral law is based on the categorical imperative, and it would act according to that law. The willingness on the part of a formal ethics act according to duty and not wanting, since the will is autonomous and is free, and it is precisely the origin of the law, just as law has its origin in the reason, so that the will is reason to practice.
Kant argued that there were 3 postulates:
- The Postulate of Freedom and Choice: (You have to be free) Kant says that if there is a rule, the will can choose to comply or not. The will acts freely.
- The Postulate of the Immortality of the Soul: (Immortal soul) A person may choose to perform well or perform poorly. If they perform well, they will be rewarded with happiness, and if they do not get it in life, they get it after death, because the soul is immortal.
- The Assumption of the Existence of God: (God exists) If everyone gets their reward, there should be a higher being; that being is God.
The Synthesis Between Rationalism and Empiricism in Kant
Kant notes that in the field of philosophy, rationalism and empiricism have failed to explain the workings of knowledge because they believe it was the subject which should follow the object, to its laws. But this way was impossible to obtain universal knowledge and necessary, since experience shows only contingent and particular entities.
However, they are precisely the characteristics of universality and necessity of the laws which gave to mathematics and natural science status of science.
Consequently, Kant believes that metaphysics must also make that change of method, making it the object that conforms to the powers of human knowledge, hence the expression: “Objects must conform in accordance with our knowledge.”
Only then, the subject may impose a priori elements that guarantee the universality and necessity of the known.
This inversion of the explanation of knowledge formed the cornerstone of transcendental idealism and Kant calls change of direction.