Macquarie Research Seminar Friday 29th May Paul Formosa (Macquarie) Dignity and Respect: How to apply Kant’s Formula of Humanity W6A Rm 708 1.30-3.30 All welcome
Abstract Kant’s Formula of Humanity (FH) tells us that to treat persons with dignity and respect we must always treat them as ends in themselves and never as mere means. But how do we apply this formula in practice? Surprisingly little work has been done on answering this important question. This paper aims to rectify some of this neglect by arguing that FH grounds two principles, the Mere Means Principle (MMP) and the Ends in Themselves Principle (EIT). EIT requires that we make it our end to further the ends of other persons and to cultivate our own rational capacities (broadly constructed). When applied to ourselves MMP requires that we never damage or destroy, even temporarily, our rational capacities, unless we have a good moral reason to do so. When applied to others MMP requires that we only interact with others on the basis of terms that all parties could possibly consent to. The paper will then explore a number of examples to illustrate how these principles work in practice. _______________________________________________ SydPhil mailing list: http://sydphil.info 1000 subscribers now served!! To UNSUBSCRIBE, change your MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS, find ANSWERS TO COMMON PROBLEMS, or visit our ONLINE ARCHIVES, please go to the LIST INFORMATION PAGE: http://sydphil.info
