Conatus: THIRD EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

C O N A T U S

inflicted refers back to Kant’s first formulation of the categorical imperative, ie., it makes the type of punishment something that should be adopted as a universal law. According to Kant, it is that part of us which resides in the noumenal world that has the freedom to make ethical choices and yet leave the strict cause and effect relationships within the phenomenal world intact. If criminals were not responsible for their actions then we would not be justified in objecting to their behaviour. Of course, we could ask: Does it really follow that trying to reform criminals is treating them as ‘means’ rather than ‘ends’?

The value behind Kant’s rule of treating others as ends rather than means is that humans have intrinsic worth — worth in and of ourselves — not simply extrinsic or utilitarian value. Likewise, behind the systems of utilitarianism and virtue ethics mentioned above, there are key values that are often just assumed, but not made explicit. Freedom, equity and fairness might be considered key values for most systems. We might add, the sacredness and sanctity of human life (from Kant above) the sacredness of nature and, humility, empathy, compassion, integrity, truthfulness, love. Also, some things are just considered not simply wrong but actually profane in themselves, thus the opposite of sacred.

So, quite apart from the various theories of ethics and morality we’ve been considering, it seems necessary to also allow for the wider reach of ideas that we have about what makes something right and wrong. The sacred is just one example of the way we find meaning in the

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