Racial Profiling According to Immanuel Kant of the Metaphysics of Morals and According to Yourself - Essay Example

KANT Philosophy: Racial Profiling According to Immanuel Kant of the Metaphysics of Morals and According to Yourself According to Immanuel Kant, "free will and a will subject to moral laws are one and the same." A will is considered good if it is in all aspect good. The thing that makes a will good or bad is the intention or purpose that is behind it. Inanimate objects like money is good, but once it is used to violate the rights of others then money is considered evil. This is to convey that our decisions and use of resources must be for the betterment of ourselves and others. However, great care must be exercised when it comes to making decisions, the disadvantages and advantages of which must be weighed carefully. This perspective above regarding will is based on the Categorical Imperative that was Kants concept of moral philosophy. The categorical imperative is comprised of two (2) aspects which are: 1) People, including ones own self, must never be considered as a means to ones own ends, but must be thought of as ends only; and 2) individuals must act on the principles which they can will to be a universal law. Kant believed that moral laws existed and that morality was not an illusion. He did not think that morality was subjective, but was objective and independent of human thoughts, opinions and desires. The first aspect as per Kants view implies that all persons have an intrinsic value and possess a will that should be respected at all times. People according to Kants moral philosophy are beings who are "autonomous." Individuals who have their own desires and judgments or opinions, that is different from others. Therefore, it goes to say that others must not be subjected to force or coercion to suit our own personal purpose or intents. By forcing or intimidating others to follow our will or wants for whatever purpose we may have, we are KANT 2 violating their rights to be able to act independently and to think for themselves without any inhibitions. Taking it a step further, Kant says: acting rationally is following rules that are applicable to everyone. Nobody should be exempted from the rule. Morality is significant in the sense that we should live by the same rules that others can likewise follow. That being the case, everyone must received the same treatment and must not be perceived as a case-to-case basis where others may get little leniency. The rightness and wrongness of an act depends on reasonable choices that are made before one acts on a particular situation. Being individuals with free will, people must act in accordance to the principles of good reasoning. Taking it into plain context we must – "think first before you act." Well thought-of reasons or right judgments are the controlling factors for our personal wants and desires. The second aspect of categorical imperative says that people should act in accordance with the principles they deem to be a universal law. The guiding principle here is that we must base our actions on a general rule that the community or society adheres to. The second aspect also says that all our actions depend partially on what motivated or caused an individual to act the way he or she did. In retrospect, people act differently in various situations and under different circumstances. Although everyone using a general law to guide them in their specific actions, it is essential to remember that people have free will that must be upheld in the light of Kants "deontological theory" which states that respect must be given for a persons view or opinion. In corroboration with the foregoing, Kant says that right actions must be in conformity KANT 3 with the general laws of human freedom. These actions must also be in accordance with the free and moral actions of others, and must have respect for human dignity. External forces that prevents freedom are unjust since they go against the rule of respecting the free wills of people. Actions that are taken against these unjust forces that hinders freedom promotes the principles of freedom. Racial Profiling in Relation to Kants Ethics in the Groundwork for Metaphysics of Morals Racial profiling is judging if a person is likely to commit a certain kind of crime because he or she belongs to a particular race or ethnic origin. In relation to Kants categorical imperative found in the Groundwork for Metaphysics of Morals, we must respect others and we should not use them or ourselves to justify any course for whatever purpose. Thus, Kants morals in relation to racial profiling indicates that we must not judge others because we do not belong to the same race. Superiority in terms of resources must never be the basis in thinking that one race is better than the others. Taking advantage of the flaws or weakness of another human being because another feels that he or she is better than them, is violating the rights of that person as a free individual. As per Kant, coercion or any intimidating acts committed in the destruction of freedom and the ultimate sacrifice of a human life or lives does not conform to the moral laws of a free society. The first aspect of the categorical imperative clearly states that others and our own selves must not be used for any purpose or manipulated by anything or anybody to achieve a personal gain. While it is significant to consider that people have different beliefs based on their own tradition and culture, the universal laws or general rules pertaining to respect for others must KANT 4 overshadow any personal biases that hinders us to do good deeds which are motivated by right reasons and good judgments. The dignity of man is always elevated through reason. Since people have the will to act and think in accordance to the correct principles, right reasoning forbids self-interest that may inhibit the freedom of others. Racial Profiling According to My Own Views Based on Kants Categorical Imperative People have different beliefs and ideologies that motivates or influence how they conduct their daily lives and achieve their ultimate goals. In my perspective, it is vital that despite these differences, the respect for one person as a human being must not be tarnished by the environment or race where they come from. Although basing it on human nature it would be impossible for us not to come up with our own conclusions and biases regarding somebody or something since we are individuals endowed with free volition and opinions. Respect in my terms should be given to everyone because they are people like us who need to uphold their pride and dignity in the community. Commanding respect through our achievements is a different aspect altogether because we are being showed honor and being held in high regard due to achievements or accomplishments. In a free community where people live and let live, it is not viable at times to comprehend that there are certain groups of people who do not share the same views regarding policies and rules that must be followed in order to maintain peace and prosperity. The destruction of infrastructures and most importantly the taking of lives of the innocent to promote a certain ideology are uncalled for and considered unjust. The use of force and fear to manipulate events and situations to conform to ones desire is abominable in the least. KANT 5 Good reasons and proper judgment with regards to unprovoked actions taken to accomplish a certain goal for the cause of a few is not considered a good will. Counter actions taken in defense of freedom is needed when there is no other way out. Instilling fear in the minds of people to promote an agenda of change or doctrine is not possible, because if fear is present then the subject is coerced to abide with principles that are not inherent to his or her own liking. If situations like these arises constantly, then freedom is inhibited which is in violation of respecting fellow human beings. Reasons for such actions must consistently be in accordance with the rules that society follows. When for any other reasons that such laws were violated then the person who committed such an act must be prepared for any consequences of his or her actions. Since rules must be adhered to by everyone then nobody should be exempted from paying the penalty of their actions. Because we live in a society that is governed by laws, our actions and reasons must be based on the standards that are set within the laws or rules of society. Despite the fact that man has free will, there are certain limitations that must be observed to be able to live with others harmoniously. But it must also be made clear that no one should be above the law. Hence, the rules are applied equally on everyone. The punishment for an action done against the society must be dealt with the due process of law, where a criminal or outlaw is not at fault until proven guilty of a crime. In the pursuit of our goals and performance of daily tasks, it is essential that we take into consideration the guiding laws that we must follow. Performance of duties should merit good judgments as to how far are we willing to go to perform our job. If our courage would KANT 6 mean endangering the lives of others then it must not considered. Doing ones job in order to serve others and make a better place for everyone in the community must be the propelling force that should encourage one to work with all his heart. Concern for others and our own welfare must always be in parallel with our deeds and thoughts. It is not enough to know what is right and wrong, but what we must do in order to implement good judgments in the preservation of our dignity and freedom within a civilized and modern society. Aside from this it is often essential to remember that the needs, desires and aspirations of others are as important as ours. Having all the right morals is not sufficient to induce good will, but the guiding principle of "do unto others what you want others do unto you" would be a nice starting point. Although it cant be helped that everybody has their own personal opinions, the respect given with regards to their ideas, culture and beliefs must always be shown in every association we have with others. KANT 7 References Immanuel Kants Groundwork for Metaphysic of Morals (n.d.) Retrieved on April 08, 2008 from http://www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/kant2.htm Read More