Synthesis of Kant's Categorical imperative and Aristotle's Phronesis

What would happen, hypothetically, if everyone performs the same course of action under similar conditions in a similar situation? Does it not disregard the very idea of unique identity that every individual beholds? This paper discusses the importance of an agential action which can be moral by taking into account Kant's Categorical Imperative (CI) and Aristotle’s Phronesis as the foundation of this concept. By means of the CI principle, Kant proclaimed the necessity of uniformity and universality in action. But there can be serious repercussions when morally upright behavior is pursued by putting aside personal needs, without giving priority to particular circumstances. This moral precept disregards the idea of self-interest and creates a form of dissociation from one's true self. Conversely, moral behavior is viewed as a subjective phenomenon in Aristotle's Phronesis. For Aristotle, Phronesis is a practical wisdom which can be stated that to know and understand an action is by simply doing it and not the other way around. Phronesis involves reflecting on one’s action and learning from it. Thus, Phronesis encompasses both the emotional and the rational sides of a person's existence. This paper shows the potentiality that when a good will is carried out by a Phronimos, it may result in a practical morality. The paper argues that in situations where trade-offs in virtues are to be made, Kant’s CI provides an aid to the Phronesis and vice versa. Therefore, it can be said that a practically motivated moral doing makes an individual phronetic in nature.