Immanuel Kant, in his second formulation of the categorical imperative advocates for the treatment of human beings as an end in themselves, as opposed to as means to an end. According to Kant, individuals must always consider other human beings, including themselves, as rational moral agents who also have projects, goals and pursuits (Bruce 217). The second formulation advocates for human beings to be viewed as entities capable of freely knowing how they would like to be treated.
In Kant’s view, humans must never be treated as inanimate objects, in that their treatment must always take into account the fact that they are rational beings capable of making free choices. Essentially, the second categorical imperative impresses on individuals the imperfect duty of ensuring that they further the ends of others as they do their own. As such, it is the moral duty of any person to desire for others the same things they desire for themselves (Guyer, 246).
Kant’s second formulation can help people make moral choices in business or in life, due to the fact that it not only advocates for people to have shared interests, but it also helps guard against selfish interests by discouraging the urge to take advantage of others. The second formulation of the categorical imperative therefore works by encouraging people to treat other human beings as an end in themselves, as opposed to as a means to an end. A good example would be if as an employee of a pharmaceutical company, one discovers that the company is cheating the system, and as a result exposing the population to potentially harmful drugs. On the basis of Kant’s imperative, the moral choice would be to report and put an end to the practice, regardless of what it may mean for their employment. By ensuring that the company does not view customers simply as a means to profit, the employee would be employing the principle of the categorical imperative. Another instance in which the principle of the imperative can apply, is where an individual seeking a sense of security, instead of simply employing a night guard, opts to form a neighborhood watch that incorporates the interests of others as well.
Works Cited
Bruce, Aune. Kant's Theory of Morals. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1979. Print
Guyer, Paul. Kant on Freedom, Law, and Happiness. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
