SUS1501 ASSIGNMENT 2 SEMESTER 1 2025

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1. BACKGROUND FACTS
In assignment 1, one of the questions was:
“In the first 6 months of 2024, the six wealthiest men in South Africa gained on average R77
million per day each.” My personal opinion on this statement is most closely described by:
a. Good for them – they worked hard to earn this.
b. The only problem I have with this is that it wasn’t me earning R77 million a day.
c. No problem with this. I’m sure all of these billionaires donate huge amounts to charities
d. I think that it is morally wrong for anyone to earn that much money.
e. I think that active steps should be taken to correct such immoral earnings.”
Do you remember which option you chose?
In this assignment we are going to zoom in on option “a” specifically: “Good for them – they
worked hard to earn this”. What this option is basically saying is, that the earnings of these
billionaires are completely reasonable and justifiable?
What we want you to do in this assignment is to examine this option (i.e. someone, perhaps
even you, taking R 77 million a day for 6 months) from the perspective of Kant’s formula of
universal law version of the categorical imperative.
2. EVALUATE USING KANT’S CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE (We’ve done the first two stages for
you)
1. State your proposed act as a maxim:
“The richest South African men will take R 77 million (A) every day for six months (C) in
order to get really, really rich (E).”
2. Restate this maxim as a universal law:
“All people (8.1 billion of them) will take R77 million every day for six months in order
to get really, really rich.”
3. Is the maxim above conceivable in a world ruled by the universal law;
4. Would you rationally act on the maxim above in such a world.
3. FORM AN OPINION
On the basis of your analysis above, answer the following questions:
1. What would Kant probably have said about the earnings of the 6 wealthiest South
Africans?
2. Why do you think this?
You MUST state your premises (reasons) explicitly as we taught you in the section on
arguments (A DARN GOOD ARGUMENT – INFORMAL LOGIC). If you do not do this you
will not pass this assignment.
3. What do you think about the earnings of the 6 wealthiest South Africans?
4. Why do you think this?
You MUST state your premises explicitly as we taught you in the section on arguments
(A DARN GOOD ARGUMENT – INFORMAL LOGIC)