What Would Kant Do?

April 21, 2024

First Aired: April 17, 2022

Listen

German idealist and moral philosopher Immanuel Kant is probably best known for his “Categorical Imperative,” which says that you should act following moral rules you could rationally support as universal law. In other words, do only what you would have everyone else do. But are Kant’s rules really a good guide to action? Does he have anything to say about things people confront in everyday life, like friendship, manners, or gossip? Is Kant overly optimistic about our capacity to use reason and choose freely? Or was he right that rationality is the key to moral progress? Josh and Ray do right by Karen Stohr from Georgetown University, author of Choosing Freedom: A Kantian Guide to Life.

Can you reason your way into being a good person? Should morality be the same for everybody? Josh begins by wondering about the place of empathy in Kant’s emphasis on reason, and Ray explains that emotions can often lead us astray. Josh pushes back by questioning the accuracy of reason, as well as Kant’s categorical imperative of never using people as a means to an end. Ray considers individual versus universal ethical values, and they propose that freedom can come from moral rules.

The philosophers are joined by Karen Stohr, Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University, who appreciates Kant because of his commitment to believing that humans have the potential to improve despite being ethical messes. Ray asks why Kant is so intent on the power of reason, prompting Karen to explain how it was characteristic of Enlightenment scholars to place a tremendous amount of faith in reason. Josh considers specific formulations of the Categorical Imperative, like what Kant means when he says that we should act as if we live in a kingdom of ends. Ray is skeptical about Kant’s ability to accommodate the non-ideal reality of human beings, but Karen is optimistic that his theories have room for imperfection.

In the last segment of the show, Josh, Ray, and Karen discuss the place of compassion in Kant’s ethics, the moral importance of dinner parties, and the application of Kant to today’s society. Karen thinks that Kant would be troubled by social media and the contempt that people have for one another. Ray raises the question of how to treat someone who has just done a bad thing, and Karen suggests that it is compatible to hold people accountable for their actions while treating them respectfully. Josh wonders about the importance of community in becoming a better person, and Karen advises listeners to find and join the helpers of the world.

Roving Philosophical Report (Seek to 4:33) → Sarah Lai Stirland speaks to a group of Kant scholars about their response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Sixty-Second Philosopher (Seek to 45:31) → Ian Shoales considers if Kant knew he was part of the Enlightenment while it was happening.