The Good Life vs The Ethical life - Essay Example

In my opinion, one of the most valuable and credible allegations of Kant is that Kant focused on the fact that a person should always be considered as a goal rather than a means. This gives the opportunity to see the justification of Kant’s desire to argue the absolute nature of moral principles, as in this case the society might avoid the risk of dehumanization. The fact that a person should be seen as an end rather than as a means is directly related to the categorical imperative. According to this principle, we must evaluate our actions based on whether we can consider them “as a universal law” (Rohlf, 2010).

The value of this concept is that it has a humanistic nature, arguing the need for humane treatment of others. Despite its obvious advantages, this concept is associated with a certain challenge. The fact is that in reality we cannot always remain faithful to moral principles. In some situations, it makes sense to hide the truth or even kill a person when it comes to saving our own life or the lives of our relatives. Different situations may involve different types of behavior, and, unfortunately, they cannot always meet the moral principles.

I believe that Kantian ethics is crucial for the existence of society, because it determines the high status of moral values. On the other hand, my personal experience allows me to assert that the fundamental adherence to all ethical commandments in all situations may even lead to tragic consequences. Despite my sincere desire to comply with all the moral principles sometimes I have to violate a few of them. This fact makes me sad, but on the other hand, I understand that certain situations may require a certain behavior.

In this case, I am referring to the method suggested by the concept of ethical utilitarianism. It argues that the assessment of behavior should assume an ethical analysis of the implications