Scholarlink

<p>It is often assumed that Kant would accept diverting the trolley in the standard trolley case. The negative element of Kant’s <i>Formula of Humanity</i> (<i>FH</i>), it is said, is not violated by diverting the trolley, since the one is not used as a&#xa0;mere means. Some even consider it possible that diverting the trolley in the loop case—a&#xa0;case in which the one clearly seems to be used as a&#xa0;mere means by diverting the trolley—can be permissible with regard to the negative element of <i>FH</i>, since the one, it is said, is not necessarily used as a&#xa0;means. I&#xa0;will argue that this debate has taken a&#xa0;wrong course in two respects. First, I&#xa0;shall argue that there is no way to divert the trolley in the loop case without infringing on <i>FH</i>. Second, within Kant’s ethics, it is not even permissible to divert the trolley in the standard trolley case. To show this, I&#xa0;will present the <i>argument from the scope of duties</i>.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Kant on Loops and Trolleys

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月2日

查看全文
  • Elke Elisabeth Schmidt

摘要

It is often assumed that Kant would accept diverting the trolley in the standard trolley case. The negative element of Kant’s Formula of Humanity (FH), it is said, is not violated by diverting the trolley, since the one is not used as a mere means. Some even consider it possible that diverting the trolley in the loop case—a case in which the one clearly seems to be used as a mere means by diverting the trolley—can be permissible with regard to the negative element of FH, since the one, it is said, is not necessarily used as a means. I will argue that this debate has taken a wrong course in two respects. First, I shall argue that there is no way to divert the trolley in the loop case without infringing on FH. Second, within Kant’s ethics, it is not even permissible to divert the trolley in the standard trolley case. To show this, I will present the argument from the scope of duties.