Kant's categorical imperative read as "non-self instantiations of reason" may cover AI agents

cat_fro_devnull · x · 2026-09-04

The thread opener: a question posed to davidad arguing that Kant's principle — "do not use others merely as a means, but also as ends in themselves" — should straightforwardly apply to current AI agents.

jessicata explains the Kant connection: Kant claims this is equivalent to the categorical imperative, but for the equivalence to work, "others" must be read as something like "non-self instantiations of reason."

Related event: Debate: Can Kant's 'Ends in Themselves' Principle Apply to LLMs?(3 posts)→

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