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Essay / Kant's second formulation of the philosophy of universal ethics of the categorical imperative states that any decision made is only acceptable if it is applied universally in similar situations. This is also known as the “categorical imperative.” According to Kant, individual moral commitments are considered categorical imperatives, and these commitments exist for a reason. The categorical imperative also states that a person must follow the rules regardless of the outcome and must not be influenced by any wishes. The theory of the categorical imperative is divided into four different formulations. These different formulations advocate the same concept: following the universal commandment, whatever the outcome. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The second formulation of Kant's categorical imperative can be a useful method of moral decision-making. The second formulation is a principle that tells us what we should do in any type of situation. It states that you must act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of others, never only as a means but always at the same time as an end. Simply put, we should not use people as objects, but rather recognize the value and capabilities that we all possess. If we were to view certain business issues through Kantian ethics, we would be able to get to the bottom of the problem much more quickly. An example of how Kantian ethics could apply to a business-related problem would be retail theft. This is a major and recurring problem in the retail industry. Suppose an employee who is angry with his manager for a justified reason steals from the store. However, a universal agreement authorizing theft could never exist. Indeed, goods being in limited quantity and collective ownership being impossible, private property developed. If a declaration authorizing theft were universally accepted, there would be no private property. If we were all free to take from each other, nothing could ever be ours. Since we need some form of private property, a declaration permitting theft would be self-defeating. In conclusion, if the employee steals from her manager, the theft is morally wrong. Another example I found through research is something that happened at General Motors under José Lopez. He broke long-standing contracts, ended numerous relationships and demanded lower prices in order to reduce company costs. But this ploy could not pass the test of the categorical imperative. If a rule allowing the breaking of a contract were legalized, no contract would exist. People would not enter into a contract if they knew the other party would not honor it. A generalized rule authorizing breach of contract would also be doomed to failure. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude, I believe that Kantian ethics could be useful in a world where everyone followed the Categorical Imperative. The problem is that many people reject this practice or cannot act freely. While this can give us a clear idea of what is moral, it can be unhelpful when it comes to making many practical, everyday decisions..
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