Final answer:
Immanuel Kant distinguished between rational beings and things based on the capability for rationality and morality; humans possess inherent value and must always be treated with dignity due to their ability to reason. While we can have knowledge, it's within the bounds of our cognitive limitations. Kant's moral philosophy enforces the duty of goodwill and rational agency, respecting each individual's intrinsic value.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kant's Distinction Between Rational Beings and Things:
Immanuel Kant, a profoundly influential philosopher, made a clear distinction between rational beings and things based on the capability for rationality and moral action. According to Kant, rational beings, namely humans, have the unique ability to act according to the principles determined by their reason. This is in contrast to things, which include animals and other non-rational entities, that are driven by mere impulse or instinct without moral consideration. He argued that this capacity for rationality endows humans with inherent worth and dignity, and thus they should always be treated as ends in themselves, never solely as means to an end. Kant's philosophy centers on the idea that our ability to act rationally and morally is what differentiates us from other entities and establishes our special value.
Rationality also plays a key role in how we acquire knowledge according to Kant. He combines the ideas of the rationalists and the empiricists to explain that while we can never know the universe as it truly is due to our perceptual limitations, we can still have knowledge within the bounds set by our cognitive faculties. To Kant, humans can never experience things directly but only through the filter of our understanding.
Furthermore, Kant's moral theory emphasizes the duty to act out of goodwill and to exercise agency above base impulses. This is demonstrated through the humanity formulation, which insists that actions must respect the intrinsic value of rational beings. For example, lying to receive a benefit is considered immoral, as it helps neither respect the humanity of the person being deceived, nor does it support treating people as ends in themselves. Kant believed that acting rationally and morally affirms our freedom and dignity, and hence our actions must reflect respect for the rational agency of others.