He grew up to attend Collegium Fredericianum, an institution run by Pietist priests, followed by the University of Konigsberg, where he was also taught by Pietists (Sullivan, p. 7). The Pietist belief stuck with him as he began to venture into the field of philosophy while staffed at the University of Konigsberg. Kant was able to incorporate into his new theories that he derived, as well as his politics his religious background thanks to the Pietists. He continued to write and theorize until he died in 1804 (Sullivan, p. 7).
There were four foundations that Kant used when he derived his moral theory of categorical imperative. First, moral norms cannot be based on experience (Sullivan, p. 22). Kant's reasoning behind this was that experience shows that people have been exposed to all sorts of conduct and therefore destroy the possibility of constructing a moral point of view. Situations such as this, Kant declares empirical, or of an outside reasoning. Second, it is crucial to situate morality firmly within the public forum (Sullivan, p. 22). This means that any law proposed or propagated needs to be, in a sense, tested in public by the citizens of the area where this is to be imposed. If this law does not gain the respect of citizens, it will not be fulfilled to its maximum potential, whether it is their duty or not. This is the true first step to the categorical imperative. Third, necessity is never an adequate excuse for violating moral standards, for they hold universally and absolutely!.
(Sullivan, p. 22). This concept was used by Kant to test the governing policies of Machiavelli, lying and making lying promises. He found that there is no excuse to break morality down in order to make personal gains. Finally, effectiveness is not a measure of moral character, for effectiveness can be used to justify immortality (Sullivan, pp. 22-23). This is where Kant determined effectiveness to be prudential.
Life and Accomplishments of John Wallis John Wallis was born on the year of 1616. His father was also named John Wallis and was a minister in Ashford. John Wallis 1st met Joanna Chapman and married her in 1612 to be his second wife. They had five children together and John Wallis being third o...
