Question

In the Kantian CI, who is meant to be included in the words, "everyone," "others," and "community?" (See point #1 in the section titled "The process of forming environmental Maxims," and also the sections titled, "Perfect and Imperfect Duties for business' Environmental Impacts," and "Imperfect Environmental duty and Its Practical Limitations.")

Answer 1

German Philospher Immanuel Kant 1724-1804 was an Opponent of utilitarianism.

He belived that certain type of actions were absolutely prohibited even in the cases where these actions would brought about more goodwill than alternative. For Kantians there are two questions that we must ask ourselves whenever we deceide to act :

1. Can i rationally will that everyone act as i propose to act ? - If the answer is NO, we must not perform the act.

2. Does my actions appreciate the goals of Human Beings rather than merely using that for my own purpose ?- Again if the answer is NO, we must not perform that.

Kant's theory is an example of a Deontological moral theory - according to these theories the rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend on their consequences but on whether they fullfil our duty.

His Maxim - In order to advacne my own interests, i will not do anything to help others in need unlessi have something to gain from doing so - As per him the first part is fine but for the second part, he could not choose the PSW because a will which resolved itself in this way would contradict itself as in many cases where one would need love and sympathy of others and in which he would deprive himself, by such a law of nature arising from his own doing.

Perfect Duties and Imperfect Duties

Duties	Perfect	Imperfect
To Others	Tell truth, don't break promises, don't steal, murder, etc.	assist others in need, help others in acheive the goals.
To self	No suicide, or other forms of destructions

According to Kant, perfect duties can appropriately be enforced by the means of public, judicial use of coercion and the remainder are imperfect duties ( Duties of Virtue), which are fit subjects for moral assessment but not coercion.

EVERYONE/OTHERS/COMMUNITY

Kantian philosophy is an expression of the enlightenment era, i.e. Morality is centered on what Humanity after reflection and open social discourse, logically decides. it is not based on scriptural or other authorisation decrees that might be imposed as a subsitutute for democratic discourse.

The Human will must be seen as universally legislative. Each of us has a will that makes laws for itself as if for everyone. Since human beings together legislate the moral laws, we form a moral commuinty - Kingdom of Ends.

Each citizen takes his own perfection and the happiness of others as an end and treats every other as an end in itself. It is commuinity engaged in the harmonious and cooperative persuit of the Good.

This vision of Ethical motivation can be used as an expression of an ideal norm for a business commuinty and this concept of treating all as an end is shown below to form a basis for the environmental ethics where the interpretation of all is of paramount Importance.