Understanding of Man As A Person to Immanuel Kant. Man is a biological organism as well as a free intentional being.

1. UNDERSTANDING
OF MAN AS A
PERSON
Sem. Ian Mark Lloyd L. Santisas

2. Immanuel Kant

3. For kant
Determining criterion for personhood ought not
to be
Wealth birth Status Geography
But strictly the human capacity for rationality

4. Whoever is endowed with his capacity
for rationality is capable of exercising
freedom as autonomy.

5. As Autonomous
• He is independent
• Has a self-contained
capacity to make moral
decisions by and for
himself

6. PERFECT DUTY IMPERFECT DUTY
TWO TYPES OF DUTIES

7. PERFECT DUTY
Bonevac, 2001
• A person must always observe
irrespective of time, place, and
circumstances
• Specific
• It involves specific obligations
to specific people
• Giving people rights that duty
be performed

8. PERFECT DUTY
Bonevac, 2001
• A person must always observe
irrespective of time, place, and
circumstances
• It involves specific obligations
to specific people
• Giving people rights that duty
be performed
Smith should not kill Jones
Example

9. PERFECT DUTY
Bonevac, 2001
• A person must always observe
irrespective of time, place, and
circumstances
• It involves specific obligations
to specific people
• Giving people rights that duty
be performed
Smith borrows money from
Jones
Example

10. • A person must observe
only on some occasions
• It allows an agent choice
about when and how to
perform his duties
IMPERFECT
DUTY
Bonevac, 2001

11. Bonevac, 2001
Willingly
contributing to
a charity
Example

12. Some argue
that one is not
always
presented with
an opportunity
to contribute
to charity
However, It is looked upon with
much admiration when one does

13. Kant believed
• That perfect
duties are more
important that
imperfect duties

14. Whoever is capable of rational
thinking possesses moral
dignity and should be treated
accordingly

15. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals book
In general, every rational being exists as an end in
himself and not merely as means to be arbitrarily
used by this or that will. He must in all his actions,
whether directed to himself or to other rational being
always be regarded at the same time as an end.
The practical imperative will therefore be the
humanity whether in your own person or in the
person of another, always at the same time as
an end and never as a means.

16. What exactly does
it mean to treat
others as ends in
themselves?

17. For Kant
• Your own goal and
purpose in life and
nobody has the right to
use your life for his own
purpose.
• In that case you would
be used as simply a
means to an end.

18. Treating someone as an end in one
self
YOURSELF INCLUDED
• It means that a being with rational
nature is its own goal and should not
be reduced to a stepping stone
for others’ purposes.

19. What are some
forms of treating
others simply as
means to an end?

20. Kant has this to say:
• any time we lie to others to gain an advantage or get
out of nasty situation
• We treat others like tools, instruments, mere means
to an end, Without giving them the respect their
rationality has earned them.
• Anytime people prey on others they reduce their
victims to mere means to their own gain or
gratification.

21. Anytime people prey on others they reduce their
victims to mere means to their own gain or
gratification.
people
Bulgars
Drug dealers
Sexual predators
Con artist

22. Anytime some cultural institution
treats a part of the population as
instrument to be used as power
structure sees fit
• Slaves, conscripted soldiers ,
women reduced to birth
factories for the next
generation of workers and
soldiers

23. Why did Kant
emphasize “simply
as means to an
end”?

24. We treat others as a means to an end
all the time, without necessarily doing
anything awful to them

25. Example
When you take your
car to shop

26. In those daily give and take
situations we could do with a
little more respect and
consideration all around

27. Thank you!
GOD BLESS.