Explain Kants understanding of universal maxims. Can they be applied to Euthanasia?

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Explain Kant’s understanding of universal maxims (25).

Kant believed that to get to a universal maxim you must first do as God asks you to. He therefore believed in “duty for duty’s sake” He believed that the only acceptable reason for putting good will into action was a sense of duty. Good will + duty = a moral action. He defined an action of good will is only good when a person acts from a sense of good will. Foe example you should go and see your gran because it is your duty and not because you are being bribed by your mother. He said “Good will shines forth like a precious jewel” Kant also had a theory that “ought implies can” This comes into play in moral situations. It is like your conscience and it “taps” you on the shoulder to say “hey! You can help here” For example helping an elderly lady across the road. You think “I ought to help her”, therefore you can help her and you should help her. This links in with Kant’s hypothetical imperative. This is when you must do something else to get your desired result. “If I want X, I must do Y” e.g. if I want to lose weight I must go on a diet. You can’t lose weight without doing something about it and that is the hypothetical imperative. It is a conditional “if” command. Then there is the categorical imperative. This is what helps you get a universal maxim. If the action in itself is presented as good then the imperative is categorical. However it is no desires or needs. “I ought to do such and such” e.g. “I ought to tell the truth” becomes “I should tell the truth” which becomes “I will tell the truth”. There are three principles of the categorical imperative:

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  1. Universalisation.
  2. Treat human’s as ends in themselves.
  3. Act as if you live in a kingdom of ends.

Universalisation means that the moral laws must be applied in all situations and to all people, at all times. If an action is right for one, it is right for everyone. E.g. telling the truth is right for everyone so everybody must tell the truth AT ALL TIMES. Treat human’s as ends in themselves means you should act in a way that you always treat humanity never simply as a means, but always as an end. It means not promoting ...

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