Building a Stable 'Abode of Thought': Kant's Rules for Virtuous Thinking
Kant's 3 rules can offer a helpful check as to whether we are not only living well but thinking well.
The answer to what makes a life virtuous might seem simple: virtuous actions – actions that align with morality. However, life often unfolds in our heads, and as a philosopher specializing in Immanuel Kant, I find it fascinating that he believed people can think virtuously, and should.
Kant identified three simple rules in his 1790 book, "Critique of the Power of Judgment":
- Think for yourself.
- Think in the position of everyone else.
- Think in harmony with yourself.
If followed, he thought a "sensus communis," or "communal sense," could result, improving mutual understanding by helping people appreciate how their ideas relate to others' ideas.
Author's summary: Kant's rules for virtuous thinking promote mutual understanding.
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- Building a stable ‘abode of thought’: Kant’s rules for virtuous thinking