For example, the “census cummunis” which is
the common sense that every fair-minded human has. An example of this would be a
three-sided object being called a triangle, therefore you could go forth and
identify all three sided objects as a triangle. It is used to judge what is
beautiful, what is right, and all other “common sense” issues. In so far as that
is concerned, there are loopholes in his thought, as far as what is moral and
ethical. There are many issues that his categorical imperative does not deal
with, I cannot help but think it is because the man never traveled more than
forty miles from his home town. One of the many issues is that of female
circumcision which takes place in Africa. This is the centuries old tradition of
cutting off the clitoris on a pre-adolescent girl, usually done with a piece of
glass in an unsterile environment with no anesthesia. She must have this done in
order to wed and it is also done in order to prevent over population. This
tradition is moral to this tribe of people, it is universalizable, reversible,
and they are not using the person to be circumcised as a means. What would the
census communis say? In my opinion, who are we to change a way life that has
been going on before the white man ever had knowledge of these acts. This is the
conflict I have with Kant’s work As far as the rest of what I have studied and
researched about Kant’s work, I believe it to be profound, introspective and
genius. With the negation of the loopholes in the census communis, I believe
that if everyone live by the amalgamation of the two categorical imperatives,
this world would be a much better place. Note:
Bibliography
are by number. The number will precede the reference below.
Bibliography
(1)Guyer, Paul, et.al. The Cambridge Companion to Kant. Cambridge University
Press, 1992 (2)Schick Jr., Theodore and Vaughn, Lewis. Doing Philosophy: An
Introduction through Though Experiments. Mayfield Publishing Company, 1999
(3)Allison, Henry E., (no title), pgs1-6, accessed 8 May 2000 http://www.columbia.edu/~pjs38/biokant.htm
(4)“Ron”, Immanuel Kant, pgs 1-3, accessed 8 May 2000 http://www.connect.net/ron/kant.html
(5)McSwain, Ph.D., Harold. Class Lectures, Scottsdale Community College, fall
1999 Semester (6)Kant, Immanuel,The Metaphysical Elements of Justice, trans.
John Ladd, Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill 1965, page 107
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