Who was Immanuel Kant?
Kant lived in Germany in the 18th century, at a time when many people were interested in reason and science. He wanted to find out whether there are clear rules for how we should act.
For Kant, it was important that we use reason, not just emotions or what benefits us.
What do you think?
Do you always make decisions based on reason, or sometimes on emotions?
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Statue av Immanuel Kant
What did Kant believe?
Kant believed that we should follow rules that are the same for everyone. To decide what is right or wrong, he asked an important question:
Can what I do become a rule for all people?
If the answer is no, then the action is wrong.
Example: Lying
Imagine that you are thinking about lying to get out of something. If you follow Kant’s philosophy, you would ask:
What would happen if everyone lied all the time?
Then people would not be able to trust each other. That is why Kant believed that lying is always wrong.
What do you think?
Is it always wrong to lie?
What if you lie to protect a friend?
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Illustrasjon av en person ved en vekt på en murkant, med fjell i bakgrunnen og myke grønntoner
Using other people
Another important idea in Kant’s thinking is that we should not use other people just to get something for ourselves. This is because all people have value in themselves, not only because they are useful to others.
Imagine this:
You are working in a group, but you let the others do all the work because you know you will get the same grade.
Are you using the others to get something for yourself?
Kant would say yes. You are taking advantage of them, and that is wrong.
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Studenter som sitter sammen ved et bord med bøker og bærbare datamaskiner, gruppearbeid for å diskutere et prosjekt i klasserommet
What is good about Kant’s way of thinking?
Kant’s ethics is clear and fair because everyone follows the same rules. You cannot make exceptions just because it suits you. This makes the rules easier to follow, and you know what is right.
People are also treated with respect.
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Statuen av rettferdighetens gudinne
What can be difficult?
Kant’s ideas can also create problems in some situations.
Imagine that you know where a friend is hiding. Someone asks you where the person is, and you know they want to hurt them.
What should you do?
Should you tell the truth?
Or can you tell a white lie to protect your friend?
Kant would say that you should still not lie, and many people disagree with this.
What do you think?
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Trefigur av Pinocchio med lang nese som vokser
Kant and consequences
Kant focuses on rules, while other philosophers, such as John Stuart Mill, focus more on consequences.
Kant asks: Is this the right thing to do?
Mill asks: What will happen if I do this?
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Veiskilt med to piler merket “riktig” og “feil” som peker i motsatte retninger
Why is Kant relevant today?
Even though Kant lived a long time ago, his questions are still important today.
Think about situations like cheating on tests, sharing pictures on social media, lying online, or how we treat other people.
Are there rules we should never break?
Think for yourself
Are there situations where it is right to break a rule?
What is most important: rules or consequences?
Have you experienced a situation where it was difficult to do the right thing?
Which way of thinking suits you best? Can you explain why?
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Nærbilde av gammel bokside med gotisk skrift og teksten “Immanuel Kant”.
Sources
- Store norske leksikon (SNL)l: Immanuel Kanthttps://snl.no/Immanuel_Kant
- Eriksen, 2002. Vestens store tenkere. De norske bokklubbene
- Filosofi.no Lastet ned 24.03.2025 fra:https://filosofi.no/immanuel-kant/
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