, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE TO ANSWER YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Please also note that the author of this document will not be responsible for any plagiarism you
commit.
1. BACKGROUND FACTS
In assignment 1, one of the questions was: “In the first 6 months of 2024, the six wealthiest men in
South Africa gained on average R77 million per day each.” My personal opinion on this statement is
most closely described by:
a. Good for them – they worked hard to earn this.
b. The only problem I have with this is that it wasn’t me earning R77 million a day.
c. No problem with this. I'm sure all of these billionaires donate huge amounts to charities
d. I think that it is morally wrong for anyone to earn that much money.
e. I think that active steps should be taken to correct such immoral earnings.”
Do you remember which option you chose?
In this assignment we are going to zoom in on option “a” specifically: “Good for them – they
worked hard to earn this”. What this option is basically saying is, that the earnings of these
billionaires are completely reasonable and justifiable?
What we want you to do in this assignment is to examine this option (i.e. someone, perhaps
even you, taking R 77 million a day for 6 months) from the perspective of Kant’s formula of
universal law version of the categorical imperative.
2. EVALUATE USING KANT'S CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE (We've done the first two
stages for you)
1. State your proposed act as a maxim:
"The richest South African men will take R 77 million (A) every day for six months (C) in order to get
really, really rich (E)."
2. Restate this maxim as a universal law:
"All people (8.1 billion of them) will take R77 million every day for six months in order to get really,
really rich."
3. Is the maxim above conceivable in a world ruled by the universal law:
To determine whether the given maxim is conceivable in a world governed by universal law, we
must apply Kant’s Categorical Imperative, specifically the Formula of Universal Law. This principle
states that one should "act only on that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should
become a universal law." A maxim, structured as "I will A when C in order to achieve E," must be
tested through a series of steps. First, we state the maxim clearly. Then, we universalize it, imagining
a world where everyone follows the same rule. Next, we ask whether such a world is logically
conceivable—if the maxim contradicts itself or creates a contradiction in the system, it fails this test.
Lastly, we consider whether we could rationally will to act on this maxim in such a world. If the
maxim cannot logically exist as a universal law, it is deemed immoral, and we have a perfect duty to
Please also note that the author of this document will not be responsible for any plagiarism you
commit.
1. BACKGROUND FACTS
In assignment 1, one of the questions was: “In the first 6 months of 2024, the six wealthiest men in
South Africa gained on average R77 million per day each.” My personal opinion on this statement is
most closely described by:
a. Good for them – they worked hard to earn this.
b. The only problem I have with this is that it wasn’t me earning R77 million a day.
c. No problem with this. I'm sure all of these billionaires donate huge amounts to charities
d. I think that it is morally wrong for anyone to earn that much money.
e. I think that active steps should be taken to correct such immoral earnings.”
Do you remember which option you chose?
In this assignment we are going to zoom in on option “a” specifically: “Good for them – they
worked hard to earn this”. What this option is basically saying is, that the earnings of these
billionaires are completely reasonable and justifiable?
What we want you to do in this assignment is to examine this option (i.e. someone, perhaps
even you, taking R 77 million a day for 6 months) from the perspective of Kant’s formula of
universal law version of the categorical imperative.
2. EVALUATE USING KANT'S CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE (We've done the first two
stages for you)
1. State your proposed act as a maxim:
"The richest South African men will take R 77 million (A) every day for six months (C) in order to get
really, really rich (E)."
2. Restate this maxim as a universal law:
"All people (8.1 billion of them) will take R77 million every day for six months in order to get really,
really rich."
3. Is the maxim above conceivable in a world ruled by the universal law:
To determine whether the given maxim is conceivable in a world governed by universal law, we
must apply Kant’s Categorical Imperative, specifically the Formula of Universal Law. This principle
states that one should "act only on that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should
become a universal law." A maxim, structured as "I will A when C in order to achieve E," must be
tested through a series of steps. First, we state the maxim clearly. Then, we universalize it, imagining
a world where everyone follows the same rule. Next, we ask whether such a world is logically
conceivable—if the maxim contradicts itself or creates a contradiction in the system, it fails this test.
Lastly, we consider whether we could rationally will to act on this maxim in such a world. If the
maxim cannot logically exist as a universal law, it is deemed immoral, and we have a perfect duty to
