Agent

Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant views human agents as unique "hybrid" beings who exist simultaneously in the physical world of cause-and-effect (phenomena) and an intelligible, rational world (noumena). Because humans possess reason and free will, they are not merely driven by instinct like animals, but are capable of autonomy = the ability to legislate moral laws for themselves and act according to rational principles. Here is what Kant tells us about human agents:

1. Agents are Autonomous and Rational
   1. Freedom and Reason: Human agency is defined by the capacity for freedom of the will. While we are influenced by desires and "inclinations" (appetites, emotions), we have the rational capacity to act independently of these, choosing to act out of duty.
   2. Self-Legislation: True freedom (autonomy) is not doing whatever you want, but living by a law you give yourself through reason, which Kant calls the Categorical Imperative.
   3. Rationality as the Source of Value: Human beings have "dignity" and "absolute worth" because they are rational, autonomous agents capable of moral action, not just because they are human.
2. Agents are "Ends in Themselves"
   1. Never Merely a Means: Because rational agents have absolute value, they must never be treated merely as a means to an end, but always as an end in themselves.
   2. Respect for Dignity: We have a duty to respect the humanity and capacity for rational choice in ourselves and others.
   3. Consent: Treating someone as an end means respecting their ability to consent or withhold consent, which is why deception and coercion are forbidden.
3. Agents are Bound by Duty
   1. Moral Law: Human agents are bound by the Categorical Imperative, a universal moral law requiring that one's actions (maxims) be able to become a universal law for everyone.
   2. Duty vs. Inclination: An action has true moral worth only when it is done from duty, not from inclination, self-interest, or sympathy.
   3. "Ought" Implies "Can": Because we are free, we are morally responsible for our actions and must hold ourselves accountable.
4. Agents are "Hybrid" Beings
   1. Rational and Animal: Kant calls humans "animals endowed with reason". We are Susceptible to natural drives (animalistic desires for survival and pleasure) but are also guided by rational norms.
   2. Radical Evil: Because of this mix, humans have an innate propensity to prioritize self-love (inclinations) over moral duty, which Kant terms ## "radical evil".
   3. Moral Struggle: The human condition is a perpetual, "incessant laboring" to overcome this propensity and align our will with the moral law.
5. Agents Belong to a "Kingdom of Ends"
   1. Universal Legislators: In an ideal, moral society, every person acts as both a sovereign legislator and a subject to the moral laws they create.
   2. Shared Rationality: We must act as if our actions are providing a law for a hypothetical "Kingdom of Ends" composed of all rational agents.

In summary, Kant presents an empowering, if demanding, view of human agency: we are, or can become, the authors of our own moral lives, creating value in the world through our rational choices.

References

• See a;so wiki on Intelligent Agent