Kant's Corruption

Citizens storm the streets to bring awareness to corruption. Wealthy citizens condemn progressive tax rates, claiming the government is stealing their money. Jurors meet to discuss the proper decision to make in regard to a criminal’s actions. All of these people, ranging from very different backgrounds, with very different motives, unite in a common purpose: to ensure justice is met. Likewise, American students across the country stand every morning and salute their flag, uttering this promise given by the government of the United States: “liberty and justice for all.” We all go around demanding justice, yet we do not know what it means to be just. Both Democrats and Republicans, Authoritarians and Libertarians debate about women’s reproductive
According to Kant, such maxims, or ideals, are obtained through pure reason. This notion of pure reason is what allows us to differentiate and determine right and wrong, good and evil. Growing up in a devout Christian household like Kant, I similarly believe in Kant’s concept of pure reason; however, I refer to it as the Light of Christ, what most would call one’s conscience. All people are born with the Light of Christ, and through it, we are able to tell right from wrong and differentiate light from dark and good from evil. Through this divine gift are we, as human beings, separated from other species of life and capable of determining universal truths and moral values. Because we all have this same God-given gift, if we ignore individual desires, we should all arrive at the same conclusion as to which universal maxims we, as a community, should implement and use as the foundation of justice. Once we have used solely our conscience and the Light of Christ to discover the fundamental maxims that should be employed in a just society, only then can we pursue our
By creating a foundation of morals and ensuring fundamental, moral rights to all citizens, the general welfare is promoted and the greatest happiness achieved in the long run. Happiness, not pleasure. Happiness is a long term feeling capable of being present in one’s life at all times. Pleasure is merely a temporary release of dopamine causing us to experiment a short-lived upbeat emotion. In this regard, I am similar to John Stuart Mill, in that I believe that a just society serves to increase the utility of people in the long run, not simply to temporarily incite