Step 1: Evaluate the act using Kant's categorical imperative
1. State your proposed act as a maxim:
"van Dijk will take ZAR 1.9 billion (A) when he's done a year's work (C) in order to get really,
really rich (E)."
2. Restate this maxim as a universal law;
"All people (7 billion of them) will take ZAR 1.9 billion when they've done a year's work in order to
get really, really rich."
3. Ask whether your maxim is conceivable in a world ruled by the universal law; and finally
No, this Maxim Is not conceivable in the real world ruled by universal Law.
If we all earns R1.9 million for a years’ worth of work there are bound to be huge increase of
spending going around. People will be greedy and buy things they do not really need and this will
cause shortage of goods supply and services in our country. Economy is going to be affected because
the market and supply will cease to exist. People will not be encouraging to develop their skills
because they will be earning lot of money. And there will not be any need to improve our skills since
you can just earn this kind of money after a year regardless of the kind of job you will be doing. Who
will do service to another since we will all have enough money?
4. Ask whether you would rationally act on your maxim in such a world.
And this stuff......
No, I would not act on my maxim if I were to earn R1.9 billion. Since I will be able to afford everything
that will cause me to be careless and never look after my health or to even rest, I will always be
travelling and over-spending on unnecessary material things that I do not really need and therefore I
will not act rationally is such world.
Step 2: Form an opinion
1. What would Kant probably have said about van Dijk earning ZAR 1.9 billion? (You might want
to do a bit of research into the nature of van Dijk's 2018/2019 earnings).
According to Kant Theory, Bob Earnings would be seen as something he worked hard for and well
deserving and Kant would therefore accept the earnings for Bob has not stolen from anyone or
broken any rules, they are legitimate
2. What do you think about van Dijk earning ZAR 1.9 billion?
It is morally wrong for one person to earn so much, while there are other people who work
hard labor jobs and earn less money, they can’t even make the ends meet. I think there is a
lot we can do with R1.9 billion as a country rather than giving it to one person. Regarding
the unemployment rate and health facilities which is more important Bob earnings are unfair.
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