Single Idea 6449

[catalogued under 23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 4. Categorical Imperative]

Full Idea

Hare has proposed that utilitarianism is the ultimate standard to which we are led by the categorical imperative.

Gist of Idea

The categorical imperative leads to utilitarianism

Source

report of Richard M. Hare (Freedom and Reason [1963], p.123-4) by Thomas Nagel - Equality and Partiality

Book Reference

Nagel,Thomas: 'Equality and Partiality' [OUP 1995], p.44


A Reaction

It seems to me better to say that Kant starts (unwittingly) from something like utilitarianism, that is, an assumption that human happiness and welfare have some sort of intrinsic value that cannot be demonstrated. Otherwise evil can be universalised.