Immanuel Kant's moral theory / Roger J. Sullivan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sullivan, Roger J., 1928-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kant, Immanuel, 1724-1804--Ethics.

Kant, Immanuel.

Kant, Immanuel, 1724-1804.

Ethics--History--18th century.

Ethics.

History.

Physical Description:

xvii, 413 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Summary:

This book, sure to become a standard reference work, is a comprehensive, lucid, and systematic commentary on Kant's practical (or moral) philosophy. Kant is arguably the most important moral philosopher of the modern period; yet, prior to this detailed study, there were no attempts to treat all of Kant's work in this area in a single volume.

Using as nontechnical a language as possible, Professor Sullivan offers a detailed, authoritative account of Kant's moral philosophy -- including his ethical theory, his philosophy of history, his political philosophy, his philosophy of religion, and his philosophy of education -- and demonstrates the historical, Kantian origins of such important notions as "autonomy," "respect for persons," "rights," and "duties."

An invaluable resource, this book will be extremely useful to advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professional philosophers alike.

Contents:

Immanuel Kant's life 1

Kant's audiences 3

Kant's respect for ordinary moral thinking 4

Kant's debt to Pietism 6

Kant and the Enlightenment 7

2 The context for Kant's moral philosophy 11

Kant's response to skepticism 12

A priori and a posteriori knowledge claims 14

Can there be synthetic a priori judgments? 15

Ideas of reason 17

Questions of methodology 19

Part I The nature of morality

3 The nature of human action 23

The exercise of causal power 24

Always goal directed 24

The presence of desires 26

Practical rules 28

The task ahead 29

4 Prudence: taking care of our own interests 31

Desires, inclinations, and self-interest 31

Prudential reasoning 32

Technical imperatives 34

Prudential imperatives 35

The amorality of prudence 37

Past errors 39

What can be learned 41

5 Morality: living autonomously 44

Freedom 44

Autonomy 46

Moral rules 47

The Categorical Imperative 49

Obligatory, forbidden, or permissible 50

Narrow and wide duties 51

Moral judgment 54

Erroneous moral judgments 57

The infallibility of conscience 60

6 Morally obligatory ends 63

Objective ends 64

Right actions 66

A "good will" 68

Kinds of practical goods 68

A system of obligatory ends 70

Conflicts between moral rules 72

7 The defense of morality 76

How is morality possible? 77

Why this is a problem 79

Kant's first argument: Part I 81

Kant's first argument: Part II 85

Kant's second argument 88

Relating the two viewpoints 90

Metaphysical questions 93

8 The primacy of morality 95

A brief history 96

The grounds for primacy 97

The limitations of theoretical reasoning 98

Superior cognitive power 102

Superior conative power 103

What primacy means 104

Unity under a common principle 109

Another quest 112

Part II The moral norm for persons

9 Moral character: Part I 117

Merely pathological desires 118

Conflicts between reason and desire 119

Duty 121

Virtue 122

Mixed motivation 122

The "radical evil" in human nature 124

The nature of moral character 126

Kinds of moral character 129

10 Moral character: Part II 131

Moral interest 131

Moral sentiments 132

Respect for the moral law 133

The range of moral emotions 135

The spirit of virtue 136

Moral fanaticism 137

Morally indifferent and permissible actions 138

Holiness an obligatory end 139

The postulate of immortality 141

The postulates of God and of grace 142

Metaphysical questions 144

Part III The norm for moral judgment

11 The Categorical Imperative 149

Ease of use 150

The problem 151

The principle of noncontradiction 151

The derivation 153

Problematic texts 157

Empirical content 159

Problems with maxims 160

The necessary and sufficient norm 163

Not a prudential norm 163

12 The Formula of Autonomy or of Universal Law: Part I 165

Self-constraint 165

Practical lawfulness 166

Testing the maxim of a lying promise 167

Kant's doctrine concerning lies 170

Kant's infamous reply to Constant 173

Consistency with other maxims 178

13 The Formula of Autonomy or of Universal Law: Part II 180

The principle of physicoteleology 181

Kant's transformation of the tradition 182

Obligatory natural ends 184

Kant's examples 186

Problems with such ends 190

Culture and morality 191

14 The Formula of Respect for the Dignity of Persons 193

Persons and things 195

Respect for persons 198

Self-respect 200

Our own happiness 202

Respect for others 203

Problems 209

15 The Formula of Legislation for a Moral Community 212

A moral community 214

The ethical community: a church 216

The supreme good and the complete good 218

Not a norm of moral judgment 222

The postulates of God and immortality 223

A problem 226

Part IV Kant on history, polities, and religion

16 Autonomy and the state 233

Problems confronting Kant's political theory 234

Kant's philosophy of history 235

The genesis of the state 239

Autonomy and political coercion 241

Crime and punishment 243

No right to revolution 244

17 Civil justice and republicanism 246

The Principle of Right (Recht) 247

Kinds of laws 248

The Principle of Publicity 249

"Private morality" 250

Morality and politics 251

The ideal state: a republic 252

Principles of a republican government 254

Perpetual peace and a league of nations 256

Kant's moral and political theories 258

The value of the political life 259

18 Kant's philosophy of religion 261

"The philosopher of Protestantism" 262

The church 265

Original Sin 268

Grace and justification 270

1 Kant's two-viewpoints doctrine 279

"Morally indifferent" freedom 279

Autonomous freedom 281

Heteronomous freedom 284

2 Kant's philosophy of moral education 287

A Moral catechism 289

Developing moral judgment 291

Practice in moral discipline 292.

Notes:

Includes indexes.

Bibliography: pages 384-396.

ISBN:

0521360110

0521369088

OCLC:

17872018