Kingston Philosophy Café

At first sight, the two famous formulations of Kant's Categorical Imperative look like plausible and useful meta-ethical theories - but they have been widely criticised and it is not too difficult to think of situations where applying Kantian principles would permit or encourage actions that are intuitively, or according to other meta-ethical theories, plainly wrong. We will discuss the flaws in the theory and also whether even a flawed theory can be useful. This is a free-standing follow-up, led by Marilyn Mason, to July's discussion on goodness and religion, when Kant was one of the philosophers who came up.  

Quotations from Kant will be available on the evening, and you do not need to be an expert on Kant or ethics to participate in the discussion.

Bridges Café is at the back of Milletts store on Thames Street, Kingston – but only its riverside door, set back between two pubs, the Bishop out of Residence and the Gazebo, is open from 5.30pm just for us on Kingston Philosophy Café evenings. Come between 5.30 and 6.00 to meet up and buy refreshments, before a prompt start at 6.00. Discussions usually carry on at a nearby pub afterwards.