Kingdom of Ends
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Ends is a thought experiment
in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant
. It is regularly discussed in relation to Kant's moral objectivist
theory and its application to ethics
and philosophy
in general. Kant
introduced the concept in his work, the Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals
(4:439).
. A kingdom of ends is composed entirely of rational beings, which Kant defines as beings who are capable of moral deliberation (though his definition expands in other areas). In order to be a part of the Kingdom of Ends, these rational beings must choose to act by maxims that have universality
. It is from this point of view that they must judge themselves and their actions.
By the phrase kingdom, he means the "union of different rational beings in a system by common laws." These common laws, as established by the categorical imperative
, are the laws used to evaluate the worth of an individual's actions. With this kingdom of individuals all living by the categorical imperative, particularly Kant's second formulation of it, our kingdom and all within it will treat all other members of this kingdom as ends in themselves, rather than as means to arriving at goals that one selfishly wants to accomplish for one's own purposes. This systematic whole is the kingdom of ends.
People can only belong to the kingdom of ends when they give universal laws unto it, and are subject to those same laws and all laws within. Such rational beings must regard themselves simultaneously as sovereign when making laws, and as subject when obeying them. Morality, therefore, is acting out of reverence for all universal laws which make the kingdom of ends possible. In a true kingdom of ends, acting virtuously will be rewarded with happiness.
In his writings on religion, Kant interprets the kingdom of God as a religious symbol for the moral reality of the kingdom of ends. As such, it is the ultimate goal of both religious and political organization of human society.
Thought experiment
A thought experiment or Gedankenexperiment considers some hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences...
in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher from Königsberg , researching, lecturing and writing on philosophy and anthropology at the end of the 18th Century Enlightenment....
. It is regularly discussed in relation to Kant's moral objectivist
Moral objectivism
Moral objectivism may refer to:* Robust moral realism, the meta-ethical position that ethical sentences express factual propositions about robust or mind-independent features of the world, and that some such propositions are true....
theory and its application to ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in general. Kant
KANT
KANT is a computer algebra system for mathematicians interested in algebraic number theory, performing sophisticated computations in algebraic number fields, in global function fields, and in local fields. KASH is the associated command line interface...
introduced the concept in his work, the Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals
Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals
The Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals , also known as Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals or Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals, is Immanuel Kant's first contribution to moral philosophy. It argues for an a priori basis for morality...
(4:439).
The nature of the concept
The kingdom of ends is a hypothetical state of existence that is derived from Kant's categorical imperativeCategorical imperative
The Categorical Imperative is the central philosophical concept in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, as well as modern deontological ethics...
. A kingdom of ends is composed entirely of rational beings, which Kant defines as beings who are capable of moral deliberation (though his definition expands in other areas). In order to be a part of the Kingdom of Ends, these rational beings must choose to act by maxims that have universality
Universality (philosophy)
In philosophy, universalism is a doctrine or school claiming universal facts can be discovered and is therefore understood as being in opposition to relativism. In certain religions, universality is the quality ascribed to an entity whose existence is consistent throughout the universe...
. It is from this point of view that they must judge themselves and their actions.
By the phrase kingdom, he means the "union of different rational beings in a system by common laws." These common laws, as established by the categorical imperative
Categorical imperative
The Categorical Imperative is the central philosophical concept in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, as well as modern deontological ethics...
, are the laws used to evaluate the worth of an individual's actions. With this kingdom of individuals all living by the categorical imperative, particularly Kant's second formulation of it, our kingdom and all within it will treat all other members of this kingdom as ends in themselves, rather than as means to arriving at goals that one selfishly wants to accomplish for one's own purposes. This systematic whole is the kingdom of ends.
People can only belong to the kingdom of ends when they give universal laws unto it, and are subject to those same laws and all laws within. Such rational beings must regard themselves simultaneously as sovereign when making laws, and as subject when obeying them. Morality, therefore, is acting out of reverence for all universal laws which make the kingdom of ends possible. In a true kingdom of ends, acting virtuously will be rewarded with happiness.
In his writings on religion, Kant interprets the kingdom of God as a religious symbol for the moral reality of the kingdom of ends. As such, it is the ultimate goal of both religious and political organization of human society.