{{Immanuel Kant The Kingdom of Ends (german: Reich der Zwecke) is a part of the

categorical imperative The categorical imperative (german: kategorischer Imperativ) is the central philosophical concept in the deontological moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Introduced in Kant's 1785 ''Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals'', it is a way of evalu ...

theory of

Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (, , ; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and ...

. It is regularly discussed in relation to Kant's moral theory and its application to

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns m ...

and

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

in general. The kingdom of ends centers on the second and third formulations of the

. These help form the basis for Kant's universalizing ethical theory for society. Kant introduced the concept in his ''

Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals ''Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals'' (1785; german: Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten; also known as the ''Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals'', ''Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals'', and the ''Grounding for the Metaphysics o ...

'' (4:439), considering a world in which all human beings are treated as ends (meaning treated as if they and their well-being are the goal), not as mere

means to an end In moral philosophy, instrumental and intrinsic value are the distinction between what is a ''means to an end'' and what is as an ''end in itself''. Things are deemed to have instrumental value if they help one achieve a particular end; intrinsic ...

for other people.

Overview

The Kingdom of Ends is a hypothetical state of existence that is derived from Kant's

. A Kingdom of Ends is composed entirely of rational beings, whom Kant defines as those capable of moral deliberation (though his definition expands in other areas) who must choose to act by laws that imply an absolute necessity. It is from this point of view that they must judge themselves and their actions. Though the term is usually translated as 'Kingdom of Ends', the German word ''

Reich ''Reich'' (; ) is a German language, German noun whose meaning is analogous to the meaning of the English word "realm"; this is not to be confused with the German adjective "reich" which means "rich". The terms ' (literally the "realm of an emp ...

'' is perhaps more appropriately translated as '

realm A realm is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules. The term is commonly used to describe a monarchical or dynastic state. A realm may also be a subdivision within an empire, if it has its own monarch, e.g. the German Empire. Etym ...

'. Kant uses it to mean the "systematic union of different rational beings under common laws." These common laws, established by the

, are the gauge used to evaluate the worthiness of an individual's actions. When all the kingdom's individuals live by the categorical imperative—particularly Kant's second formulation of it—each one will treat all of his fellowmen as ends in themselves, instead of means to achieving one's own selfish goals. This systematic whole is the Kingdom of Ends. People can only belong to the Kingdom of Ends when they become subject to these universal laws. Such rational beings must regard themselves simultaneously as sovereign when making laws, and as subject when obeying them. Morality, therefore, is acting out of reverence for all universal laws which make the Kingdom of Ends possible. In a true Kingdom of Ends, acting virtuously will be rewarded with happiness. In his writings on religion, Kant interprets the Kingdom of God as a religious symbol for the moral reality of the Kingdom of Ends. As such, it is the ultimate goal of both religious and political organization of human society.Stephen Palmquis
"'The Kingdom of God is at Hand!' (Did Kant really say that?)"
''History of Philosophy Quarterly'' 11:4 (October 1994), pp.421-437.

Footnotes

Kantianism

Overview

See also

Footnotes