Post 5

“Act only according to that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it become a universal law” (Kant, 34)

and

“So act as if the maxim of your action were to become by your will a universal law of nature” (Kant, 34)

I chose these two quotes to clarify because I think that they go hand and hand with each other.  In addition, I think that it also relates to what we were talking about in class about the “golden rule” of treating others the way that you want to be treated.  I think that the first quote is trying to say that you should act on something not because it is a universal law, but by you acting on it, you are making it one.  So although you may not want to do something, you should do it for the fact that it is for the better and will lead to good.  The second quote is playing right off of the first one and saying that you should act on something not because it is a law and you feel the obligation to, but by you doing the action it will become a universal law.  I think that Kant is trying to stay with what he said in the first section about it meaning more for someone to do something that is more out of character than for someone who is always doing good to do more good.  I think that he is saying that although in both cases it is good, it means more to will yourself to do something that is not a universal law.  I may have missed the mark completely, but from what I understood from the section, he is further backing up what he said in the first section of the book.