Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- Abbreviations for Kant's works
- PART ONE KANT'S MORAL PHILOSOPHY
- 1 An introduction to the ethical, political, and religious thought of Kant
- 2 Kant's analysis of obligation: The argument of Groundwork I
- 3 Kant's Formula of Universal Law
- 4 Kant's Formula of Humanity
- 5 The right to lie: Kant on dealing with evil
- 6 Morality as freedom
- 7 Creating the Kingdom of Ends: Reciprocity and responsibility in personal relations
- PART TWO COMPARATIVE ESSAYS
- Bibliography
- Sources
- Other publications by the author
- Index
- Index of citations
2 - Kant's analysis of obligation: The argument of Groundwork I
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- Abbreviations for Kant's works
- PART ONE KANT'S MORAL PHILOSOPHY
- 1 An introduction to the ethical, political, and religious thought of Kant
- 2 Kant's analysis of obligation: The argument of Groundwork I
- 3 Kant's Formula of Universal Law
- 4 Kant's Formula of Humanity
- 5 The right to lie: Kant on dealing with evil
- 6 Morality as freedom
- 7 Creating the Kingdom of Ends: Reciprocity and responsibility in personal relations
- PART TWO COMPARATIVE ESSAYS
- Bibliography
- Sources
- Other publications by the author
- Index
- Index of citations
Summary
THE NORMATIVITY OF MORALITY
One of the debates of recent moral philosophy concerns the question whether moral judgments express “internal” or “external” reasons. According to internalists, if someone knows or accepts a moral judgment then she must have a motive for acting on it. The motive is part of the content of the judgment: the reason why the action is right is a reason for doing it. According to externalists, this is not necessarily so: there could be a case in which I understand both that and why it is right for me to do something, and yet have no motive for doing it. Since most of us believe that an action's being right is a reason for doing it, internalism seems more plausible. It captures one element of our sense that moral judgments have normative force: they are motivating. But some philosophers believe that internalism, if correct, would also impose a restriction on moral reasons. If moral reasons are to motivate, they must spring from an agent's personal desires and commitments. This is unappealing, for unless the desires and commitments that motivate moral conduct are universal and inescapable, it cannot be required of everyone. And this leaves out the other element of our sense that moral judgments have normative force: they are binding. Some internalists, however, have argued that the force of internalism cuts the other way. If moral reasons must motivate, and I show you that an action is morally right, I have ipso facto provided you with a motive for doing it.
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- Creating the Kingdom of Ends , pp. 43 - 76Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1996
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