Two objections to the categorical imperative

Identify and discuss two objections to the categorical imperative. (Be sure to begin with a brief description of the position.)

I used to make a joke when I’d say, “Do unto others, then split!” The C.I. is just doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing! It is a human being’s duty. Kant made an inference to “the moral law within us,” and also said that he had to limit knowledge in order to make room for faith. Let’s don't forget that he was a Lutheran by upbringing and that his categorical imperative comes very close to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The categorical imperative isn't actually a categorical imperative. It is a premise that a person chooses to be rational and moral. Simply put, you love others as you love yourself. It is also a matter of what you are than a matter of what you do, i.e. a loving being. What’s that old saying though, there is matter and doesn’t matter. As to why anyone should choose to be rational, I have no idea. I do think it is entirely possible to be too rational for one's own good. That's the bad news. The good news is that by assuming that 'being rational' equates with 'being objective,' you can solve all sorts of rationality problems, i.e. emotional instability. Kant says, “Could you will to have your maxim serve as the universal law? If not, then you should not act on that maxim.” A maxim (how you act) is a subjective (something you feel) principle or rule that the will of an individual uses in making a decision. Just because the majority feel something is right, doesn’t mean it is right for everyone. William Butler Yeats wrote of a 'Great Memory,' which he believed is the subconscious in which humans preserve past memories. For some of us, I believe it is innate to do the right thing. But then again, I have teenager and sometimes I feel like a “doormat.” I guess this is something that I have consented to. If you allow someone to mistreat you, I suppose the theory is you deserved it.

One objection by Friedrick Nietsche to Kant’s morals theory is to impose his own values placed on us. Then there is the Master (power)/Slave (weak) objection. Some people think everything should be handed to them, while others believe in survival of the fittest. I personally think we should turn and look at the bible. Doesn’t it say someplace in there to work to the best of your ability? My family’s values are to work hard and to play even harder.