Kant's Search For The Supreme Principle Of Morality (paperback Or Softback)

At the core of Kant's ethics lies the claim that if there is a supreme principle of morality, then it is not a utilitarian or Aristotelian perfectionist principle, or even a principle resembling the Ten Commandments. The only viable candidate for the supreme principle of morality is the Categorial Imperative. This book is the most detailed investigation of thie claim. It constructs a new, criterial reading of Kant's derivation of one version of the Categorial Imperative: The Formula of Universal Law. This reading shows this derivation to be far more compelling than contemporary philosophers tend to believe. It also reveals a novel approach to deriving another version of the Categorial Imperative, the Formula of Humanity, a principle widely considered to be the most attractive Kantian candidate for the supreme principle of morality. Lucidly written and dealing with a foundational topic in the history of ethics, this book will be important not just for Kant scholars but for a broad swath of students of philosophy. Samuel Kerstein is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Maryland, College Park Title Page 1 Contents 1 Acknowledgments 1 Key to Abbreviations and Translations 1 Introduction: Derivation, Deduction, and the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 I.1 No Modest Claim 1 I.2 The Basic Concept of the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 I.3 Derivation and Deduction of the Categorical Imperative 1 I.4 The (Alleged) Gap in the Derivation of the Formula of Universal Law 1 I.5 Terminological and Thematic Clarifications 1 I.6 Outline of the Book 1 1: Fundamental Concepts in Kant's Theory of Agency 1 1.1 Aims and Limits of the Discussion 1 1.2 Maxims: A Basic Account 1 1.3 Maxims and Other Rules of the Same Form 1 1.4 The Will 1 1.5 Determining Grounds of the Will 1 1.6 Acting from Inclination: Three Interpretations and Their Importance 1 1.7 Acting from Inclination in the Groundwork and in the Metaphysics of Morals 1 1.8 Material Practical Principles: Acting from Inclination in the Critique of Practical Reason 1 2: Transcendental Freedom and the Derivation of the Formula of Universal Law 1 2.1 Derivation in the Critique of Practical Reason: Allison's Reconstruction 1 2.2 A Thick Account of Kantian Rational Agency 1 2.3 Desire and Justification of Action 1 2.4 Practical Law and Justification of Action 1 2.5 Practical Law and the Formula of Universal Law 1 3: The Derivation of the Formula of Humanity 1 3.1 Outline of the Derivation 1 3.2 The Supreme Principle of Morality and Unconditional Value 1 3.3 The Unconditional Value of Humanity: Kant's Argument 1 3.4 Korsgaard's Reconstruction: Preliminaries 1 3.5 The Supreme Principle of Morality and Good Ends 1 3.6 From Good Ends to the Unconditional Value of Humanity: The Regressive Argument 1 3.7 The Failure of the Regressive Argument 1 3.8 Shortcomings in the Derivation of the Formula of Humanity 1 4: The Derivation of the Formula of Universal Law: A Criterial Reading 1 4.1 Main Steps of the Derivation on the Criterial Reading 1 4.2 Korsgaard's Reading of the Derivation 1 4.3 The Structure of Groundwork I 1 4.4 The Failure of One Version of the Traditional Reading of the Derivation 1 4.5 The Challenge Posed by Aune's Version of the Traditional Reading 1 4.6 From Duty and Moral Worth to Two Criteria for the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 4.7 Law as Motive: A Third Criterion for the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 4.8 The Criterial Reading and Groundwork II 1 4.9 Coherence with Ordinary Moral Reason: A Fourth Criterion 1 4.10 The Apriority of the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 4.11 Rejecting the Traditional Interpretation of the Groundwork II Derivation 1 4.12 Summary 1 5: Criteria for the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 5.1 Plan of Discussion: Focus on First Criterion 1 5.2 Moral Worth and Actions Contrary to Duty 1 5.3 Two Conditions on Acting from Duty 1 5.4 All Actions from Duty Have Moral Worth 1 5.5 Only Actions from Duty Have Moral Worth 1 5.6 The Second Criterion and Its Grounds 1 5.7 The Third Criterion and Its Grounds 1 5.8 Relations Between the Criteria 1 6: Duty and Moral Worth 1 6.1 Aims of the Discussion 1 6.2 Moral Worth and Helping a Friend from Duty 1 6.3 One Thought Too Many? 1 6.4 The Moral Worth of Actions Contrary to Duty 1 6.5 A Disturbing Asymmetry in Kant's View of Moral Worth 1 6.6 Failure of Will or Unfortunate Event? 1 6.7 Moral Permissibility and Moral Worth in the Metaphysics of Morals 1 6.8 The (Alleged) Transparency of Moral Requirements 1 6.9 Odious Actions and Moral Worth 1 6.10 Sympathy and Moral Worth 1 6.11 Summary 1 7: Eliminating Rivals to the Categorical Imperative 1 7.1 Aims of the Discussion 1 7.2 A Sweeping Argument Against All Rivals 1 7.3 The Structure of Act Utilitarianism 1 7.4 Against Act Utilitarianism 1 7.5 Against Expectabilist Utilitarianism 1 7.6 Against Perfectionism 1 7.7 Kantian Consequentialism? 1 7.8 Against a Principle Akin to the Ten Commandments 1 7.9 Further Nonconsequentialist Rivals 1 7.10 Summary 1 8: Conclusion: Kant's Candidates for the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 8.1 Kant's Candidates and Criteria for the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 8.2 Two Formulas and the Basic Concept of the Supreme Principle of Morality 1 8.3 Two Formulas and Further Criteria 1 8.4 Two Formulas and Ordinary Moral Consciousness 1 8.5 Formula of Universal Law: Practical Contradiction Interpretation 1 8.6 Formula of Universal Law: Universal Availability Interpretation 1 8.7 Fundamentals of the Formula of Humanity 1 8.8 Deriving Duties from the Formula of Humanity 1 8.9 Formula of Humanity: Further Challenges 1 8.10 Where We End Up 1 Notes 1 Index 1 At the core of Kant's ethics lies the claim that if there is a supreme principle of morality then it cannot be a principle based on utilitarianism or Aristotelian perfectionism or the Ten Commandments. The only viable candidate for such a principle is the categorical imperative. This book is the most detailed investigation of this claim. It constructs a new, criterial reading of Kant's derivation of one version of the categorical imperative: the Formula of Universal Law. This reading shows this derivation to be far more compelling than contemporary philosophers tend to believe. It also reveals a novel approach to deriving another version of the categorical imperative, the Formula of Humanity, a principle widely considered to be the most attractive Kantian candidate for the supreme principle of morality. This book will be important not just for Kant scholars but for a broad swathe of students of philosophy. This book investigates the claim that there can only be one principle of morality, the categorical imperative. It constructs a criterial reading of Kant's derivation of one version of that imperative, the Formula of Universal Law, and reveals a novel approach to deriving another version, the Formula of Humanity. Investigates the claim that there can only be one principle of morality, the categorical imperative. The author constructs a new, criterial reading of Kant's derivation of one version of the categorical imperative: the formula of universal law Samuel J. Kerstein. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 193-220) And Index.