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Immanuel Kant's Grounding For The Metaphysics Of

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In the late 18th century, German philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote extensively on the basis of morals. In his Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals¸ Kant describes the dichotomy present in humans which is a result of humans being both a rational and a natural creature. The rational portion of human pulls them towards acting morally through use of reason. At the same time, the natural aspect of human beings acts as a counterweight, pulling people towards their natural inclinations, especially self-interest. The strength of this counterweight seems massive when a look is taken at human history. In the past, human beings have appeared to participate in wars and immorality more so than they have in using reason to act morally. Kant examines the …show more content…

Kant believes that the key to a good life is the use of reason and that one can look at history and see that it is pushing people towards a cosmopolitan state which will solve the issue of the dichotomy and allow people to maximize their use of …show more content…

The ultimate goal of nature in terms of human beings is for a cosmopolitan to be formed. A cosmopolitan consists of nations interacting as a society. The society of nations ensures the individual freedoms of all of the nations and all of the citizens within those nations. It is the perfect atmosphere to allow people to be ruled by their own reason. With everyone having their individual freedoms guaranteed, they are encouraged to live autonomously. Human beings will be more likely to determine the moral law for themselves and recognize that they cannot act as an exception to that moral law. People are more likely to act autonomously when they no longer have to fear that their freedom will be take away from an outside force. People can develop their natural capacities for reason in this amiable and peaceful environment. Kant argues that history is preparing people to live in this

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