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.
What makes a life virtuous? The answer might seem simple: virtuous actions – actions that align with morality. We observe and spectate; meditate and contemplate. Life often unfolds in our heads.
As a philosopher specializing in Immanuel Kant, I find it fascinating that he believed people can think virtuously, and should. In his 1790 book, "Critique of the Power of Judgment," Kant identified three simple rules:
- Think for yourself.
- Think in the position of everyone else.
- Think in harmony with yourself.
If followed, Kant thought a "sensus communis," or "communal sense," could result, improving mutual understanding by helping people appreciate how their ideas relate to others' ideas.
Think for yourself. Think in the position of everyone else. And, finally, think in harmony with yourself.
Author's summary: Kant's rules offer a guide to virtuous thinking.