Immanuel Kant's Metaphysics Of Morals Summary

Jena Gao

PHIL 301

Dr. Tullius

May 8, 2018

Final Paper Immanuel Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals argues about a priori basis of morality. He proposes the idea that morality can be derived from the principle of the categorical imperative and argues about the difference between actions in accordance with duty and actions in accordance from duty. Kant first draws a distinction between empirical and “a priori” concepts. Empirical concepts are ideas we learn from our experience whereas “a priori” concepts are ideas we learn from an end point of reasoning prior to or apart from our experience. He claims that moral actions should be done for the sake of morality. This leads to the conclusion that the understanding of morality is supported by “a prior”

Good will is the only thing in the world that is unambiguously good. He claims that an action is moral only if itself is good. Actions that have external purposes or goals cannot be considered as morally good. A “good will” is good because of the good intent. Kant provides two implications for the idea of the “good will”. The first implication is moral actions do not have impure motivations. There are different impure motivations but Kant focuses on the motives of the pursuit of happiness and conservation. He says that, “for all the actions which the creature has to perform with a view to this purpose, and the whole rule of its conduct, would be far more surely prescribed to it by instinct, and that end would have been attained thereby much more certainly than it ever can be by reason” (Kant, 19). Second, moral actions cannot be based on the conjecture of the possible consequences. The action itself is not good but is considered as good because of the more desirable outcome it has brought. Then Kant concludes that in order to consider an action to be morally good, the motive must follow the moral

First, people have a duty not to commit suicide because it clearly violates the moral law if people choose to kill themselves. Second, people only have the duty to borrow money if they have the ability to pay back. Third, people have the duty to cultivate and improve themselves if they are willing to do something beneficial. Fourth, people have the duty to help the ones who are in need because if we all choose not to help others then none of us would find assistance when needed. In all cases that Kant provides, people have neglected their duties and failed to follow the moral law which claims that we must be able to will that a maxim of our action should be a universal