Final answer:
The term you're referring to is the moral philosophy of treating humanity as an end in itself, a key principle in Kantian ethics. It emphasizes the inherent value of every person as a rational being and asserts our moral duty to respect each person's autonomy and dignity, never using them merely as a means to achieve our own ends.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept you’re asking about is known as treating humanity as an end in itself, which is a central tenet of Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy. According to Kant, you should act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means. This is encapsulated in one of Kant’s formulations of the Categorical Imperative, specifically the Formula of the End Itself.
Kant’s ethical theory asserts that all humans possess inherent value as rational beings with the capacity for free thought and action. Consequently, we are morally obligated to treat people not merely as instruments to achieve our objectives, but as individuals with their own goals and intrinsic worth. The imperative guides our interactions with others, ensuring that we respect their autonomy and do not exploit them, even when cooperation is part of achieving mutual goals.
This moral imperative is crucial in fields such as law and medicine, especially when considering ethical research practices and the treatment of individuals within these domains. We are duty-bound to ensure that people's rights, choices, and autonomy are upheld and that they are never treated solely as means to an end, regardless of the potential benefits that may result from using them in such a manner.