SUS1501
Assignment 2
Semester 1
Due 16 March 2026
, 3. EVALUATING THE CONCEIVABILITY OF A MAXIM IN A WORLD RULED BY
UNIVERSAL LAW
In this step, the Formula of Universal Law must be applied to determine whether the
maxim underlying the accumulation of wealth is logically conceivable if it were to
become a universal law. The maxim under consideration may be formulated as follows:
“I will accumulate as much wealth as possible through legitimate means, prioritising my
own financial gain.”
According to Kant, one must ask whether such a maxim can be universalised without
contradiction in conception. In other words, can one imagine a world in which everyone
acts according to this principle, and would such a world remain logically coherent? If
every rational agent pursued maximum wealth as their primary aim, even through lawful
channels, the broader implications must be considered carefully.
If “legitimate means” include actions such as aggressive competition, suppressing
wages within legal limits, or externalising environmental costs where regulations permit
it, then universalising this conduct may undermine the very conditions that make wealth
accumulation possible. For example, if every employer aimed to reduce labour costs to
the lowest legal level in order to maximise profit, workers might struggle to meet basic
needs. This could weaken consumer participation in the economy, reduce productivity,
and destabilise the market itself. In such a case, the system required for wealth
generation would be gradually eroded.
Furthermore, the idea that all individuals could simultaneously achieve extreme wealth
presents a conceptual difficulty. Wealth, particularly at the level of billions of dollars,
presupposes economic differentiation. If everyone sought unlimited accumulation
without restraint, scarcity of resources and intensified competition could generate social
instability. A contradiction in conception may arise if the universalised maxim destroys
the cooperative structures necessary for its success.
Therefore, the conceivability of this maxim depends on whether the methods of wealth
acquisition respect duties and preserve the social framework on which economic activity
Assignment 2
Semester 1
Due 16 March 2026
, 3. EVALUATING THE CONCEIVABILITY OF A MAXIM IN A WORLD RULED BY
UNIVERSAL LAW
In this step, the Formula of Universal Law must be applied to determine whether the
maxim underlying the accumulation of wealth is logically conceivable if it were to
become a universal law. The maxim under consideration may be formulated as follows:
“I will accumulate as much wealth as possible through legitimate means, prioritising my
own financial gain.”
According to Kant, one must ask whether such a maxim can be universalised without
contradiction in conception. In other words, can one imagine a world in which everyone
acts according to this principle, and would such a world remain logically coherent? If
every rational agent pursued maximum wealth as their primary aim, even through lawful
channels, the broader implications must be considered carefully.
If “legitimate means” include actions such as aggressive competition, suppressing
wages within legal limits, or externalising environmental costs where regulations permit
it, then universalising this conduct may undermine the very conditions that make wealth
accumulation possible. For example, if every employer aimed to reduce labour costs to
the lowest legal level in order to maximise profit, workers might struggle to meet basic
needs. This could weaken consumer participation in the economy, reduce productivity,
and destabilise the market itself. In such a case, the system required for wealth
generation would be gradually eroded.
Furthermore, the idea that all individuals could simultaneously achieve extreme wealth
presents a conceptual difficulty. Wealth, particularly at the level of billions of dollars,
presupposes economic differentiation. If everyone sought unlimited accumulation
without restraint, scarcity of resources and intensified competition could generate social
instability. A contradiction in conception may arise if the universalised maxim destroys
the cooperative structures necessary for its success.
Therefore, the conceivability of this maxim depends on whether the methods of wealth
acquisition respect duties and preserve the social framework on which economic activity
