2025-01-14

I recently discovered that my current morality is more Kantian than Stoic. Last night, I had a chance to dabble into Kant's Deontology and a somehow surface exploration of his categorical imperative. I do think that one must have developed a certain universality of judgement that prioritizes a "common good." This is one of the ways to distance yourself from your ego because you attempt to create a framework where you always start with giving respect and dignity to each individual. Without the intervention of the ego, we ascribe self-agency to each person and at the same time, holding them accountable to their actions.

I have since written about self-agency for the most part but they were heavily influenced by the idea of self-knowledge. The concept of an other is what I needed to create a more comprehensive framework of my own morality where I am done with centering my arguments around an established self.

The morality of the other is a tricky territory. Kant suggests that respect and dignity is an inherent attribute of man. Every person must be treated with respect, recognizing their own autonomy, which means that the world is a thriving sea of autonomous subjects whose freedom is always limited where the autonomy of others begins. But we do not forget about the empowerment of others, where we have a moral obligation to intervene at times where harm is to be brought upon to a person either by others or when they pose a danger to themselves. It is important to deliberate on one's moral judgement regarding the severity of a situation, to act without undermining the autonomy of others.

To always act based on the purity of one's intention and not to reap the fruits of its consequence. This steers us away from acting malicious where we can justify our own actions as a means to an end. In this sense, every action done with a pure intent in mind will not always result to a favorable outcome because there are various external factors beyond our control that will influence the result. These ideas further solidify my claim that it is always good to hold everyone, including ourselves, in the same standards regardless of how it may affect us.

The path towards the kind of person I want to be is becoming more clear. The imagined self is becoming more textured and real. This will be the proof of how I will try to attempt to reinvent myself from my own explorations.