Describe Kant's reasons for defending the need for the categorical imperative. How useful are Kantian ethics for drawing conclusions about abortion?

The first 200 words of this essay...

A. Describe Kant's reasons for defending the need for the categorical imperative.

B. How useful are Kantian ethics for drawing conclusions about abortion?

(A)

Kant's belief was that we should act for the sake of the action, not for an ulterior motive. Laws should be universal, and we should follow them out of a sense of duty. By doing this we are following our own intrinsic goodness. So why was it so important to Kant to defend the need for his theory?

In 1788, Immanuel Kant, (a deontologist), laid a new foundation for ethics and religion with the categorical imperative. Kant believed in the freedom of humans to make their own decisions and considered the exploitation of humans to be the worst evil. Human reason gives us the right to choose and we are therefore able to freely make moral decisions. The categorical imperative states that if 'I ought', therefore 'I can'. It is an absolute law that has no conditions and is consequently a method of making moral decisions. When making decisions, we should not follow our inclinations, but our duty, which is more than just personal preference.

Kant's imperative is categorical,