Ethics

Kantianism is false

Kantianism is false

To the extent that universalisability is a nice idea, it works well for the classic social dilemma: the prisoners' dilemma (or its multi-player equivalent, the tragedy of the commons). In such cases, there is one "cooperative" action which, if everyone performed it, would be best for the collective. But it is always better for each individual to abstain from cooperating. In such cases, we cannot rationally will that everyone abstain: that would defeat our rational aims. So there is a duty to cooperate.