UNIVERSABILITY

Almendral, Princess Pauline

Belen, Maria Cristine
Mendoza, Jasjean Paula
Substantive Moral Theory
A substantive moral theory immediately
promulgates the specific actions that
comprise that theory. As such, it identifies
the particular duties in a straightforward
manner that the adherents of the theory must
follow.
Formal Moral Theory
A formal moral theory does not supply
the rules or commands straightaway does not
tell you what you may or may not do.
Instead, a formal moral theory provides us
the "form" or "framework" of the moral
theory.
 Kant endorses this formal kind of moral
theory. The Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der
Sitten, which he wrote in 1785, embodies a
formal moral theory in what he calls the
categorical imperative, which provides a
procedural way of identifying the rightness or
wrongness of an action.
 There are four key elements in this
formulation of the categorical imperative,
namely, action, maxim, will, and universal
law. Kant states that we must formulate an
action as a maxim, which he defines as a
"subjective principle of action" (Ak 4:422).
 In Groundwork towards a Metaphysics of
Morals, Kant takes up the issue of making
false promises (Ak 4:4221). He narrates the
predicament of a man who needs money, but
has no immediate access to obtain it except
by borrowing it from a friend.
 Remember that Kant states that we
should act according to a maxim by
which we can at once will that it
become a universal law.
 Kant distinguishes between being
"consistent with itself" and contradict
itself." Look at the maxim again:
"When I am in need of money, I shall
borrow it even when I know I cannot
pay it back."
 What is the result of all these?
We reveal the rational
permissibility of actions insofar as
they cannot be rejected as
universalizable maxims.
 In contrast, those universalized
maxims that are rejected are
shown to be impermissible, that
is, they are irrational and thus, in
Kant's mind, immoral.