Grounding For The Metaphysics Of Morals Summary

In the world of moral philosophy, few other philosophers take such a prominent position as Immanuel Kant. He was a German professor in the 18th century who challenged many notions of ancient philosophy and put ethics over a new foundation, separate from nature. Kant rejects the belief that moral principles are derived from nature. In his book “Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals,” he aims at discovering what is good and bad without thinking of nature. Kant believes that ethical principles must be grounded in rationality and universality, which go beyond simply individual preferences or circumstances. He focused greatly on the importance of being rational, and also on the difference between hypothetical imperatives and categorical imperatives.

In the second section, he mentions that philosophers before him have spoken of the “frailty and impurity” of human nature. Kant goes on to say how reason should legislate for human nature, but at that time it was only used to look after the interest of inclinations. He expresses how he wishes that reason, instead of human nature, had a more vital role when discussing morality. Furthermore, he explains that “moral law is of such widespread significance that it must hold not merely for men but for all rational beings generally, and it must hold not merely under contingent conditions and with exceptions, but it should be absolutely necessary.” In this quote, Kant emphasizes the absolute and universal nature of moral law, and how moral principles are not limited to specific people or circumstances but apply to all rational beings equally. Kant believes that moral laws are not contingent on characteristics or inclinations, but must apply to anyone with rational thought. By saying that it should be “absolutely necessary” he implies that moral principles are strict and not flexible. This reinforces his belief in the obedience needed for moral principles, which are not compatible with the subjectiveness of human nature. Further on, Kant argues that experiences, which are subject to change, cannot be the basis of moral principles, which he calls “apodictic laws.” He thinks that if moral laws were based solely on empirical observations of humanity, they would not be universally applicable to all rational beings. Kant advocates for moral laws to be grounded in pure practical reason instead of empirical observations. According to him, moral laws should be based on a priori principles of reason instead of contingent facts about human nature. By grounding moral laws in pure practical reason, Kant wishes to