Immanuel Kant: The Duties of the Categorical Imperative

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The first expression of Kant's categorical imperative requires that ethical decisions be universalizable.
• The second expression of Kant's categorical imperative requires that ethical decisions treat others as ends and not means.
• Kant's conception of ethical duties can provide clear guidance but at the cost of inflexibility: it can be hard to make the categorical imperative work in everyday life.