Editing Ethics (section)

==== Kantianism ====
{{main|Kantian ethics}}
[[File:Immanuel Kant - Gemaelde 1.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|alt=Oil painting of Immanuel Kant|[[Immanuel Kant]] formulated a deontological system based on universal laws that apply to all [[Rationality|rational]] creatures.]]

[[Immanuel Kant]] (1724–1804) is one of the most well-known deontologists.<ref>{{harvnb|Alexander|Moore|2021|loc=§ 2.4 Deontological Theories and Kant}}</ref> He states that reaching outcomes that people desire, such as being happy, is not the main purpose of moral actions. Instead, he argues that there are universal principles that apply to everyone independent of their desires. He uses the term ''[[categorical imperative]]'' for these principles, saying that they have their source in the structure of [[practical reason]] and are true for all [[Rationality|rational]] agents. According to Kant, to act morally is to act in agreement with reason as expressed by these principles<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Johnson|Cureton|2022|loc=Lead section}} | {{harvnb|O'Neill|loc=§ 1. Kant's Ethics}} | {{harvnb|Jankowiak|loc=§ 5. Moral Theory}} | {{harvnb|Nadkarni|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aoM8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT20 20]}} }}</ref> while violating them is both immoral and irrational.<ref>{{harvnb|Johnson|Cureton|2022|loc=Lead section}}</ref>

Kant provided several formulations of the categorical imperative. One formulation says that a person should only follow [[Maxim (philosophy)|maxims]]{{efn|A maxim is a rule that people can adopt to guide their action, like "If you want to make big money, you should go into sales" or "Thou shalt not commit murder".<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Kerstein|2009|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Bqemab0aXx8C&pg=PA128 128]}} | {{harvnb|Cardwell|2015|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=iEbKBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA85 85]}} }}</ref>}} that can be [[Universalizability|universalized]]. This means that the person would want everyone to follow the same maxim as a universal law applicable to everyone. Another formulation states that one should treat other people always as ends in themselves and never as mere means to an end. This formulation focuses on respecting and valuing other people for their own sake rather than using them in the pursuit of personal goals.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|O'Neill|loc=§ 1. Kant's Ethics}} | {{harvnb|Jankowiak|loc=§ 5. Moral Theory}} }}</ref>

In either case, Kant says that what matters is to have a good will. A person has a good will if they respect the moral law and form their intentions and motives in agreement with it. Kant states that actions motivated in such a way are unconditionally good, meaning that they are good even in cases where they result in undesirable consequences.<ref>{{multiref | {{harvnb|Jankowiak|loc=§ 5. Moral Theory}} | {{harvnb|Johnson|Cureton|2022|loc=§ 2. Good Will, Moral Worth and Duty, § 3. Duty and Respect for Moral Law}} }}</ref>