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Chapter V - Ethical Conclusions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Thomas Baldwin
Affiliation:
University of York
Consuelo Preti
Affiliation:
College of New Jersey
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Summary

Kant's ethical theory as a whole may be best characterised as a fusion of two wholly distinct doctrines. On the one hand his work contains an elaborate investigation into the nature and relations of the concept ‘ought’ – an investigation covering the ground of what may be called ‘Metaphysics of Ethics’. And on the other hand, it contains a peculiar and exclusive doctrine of Practical Ethics. Kant himself seems never to have perceived how distinct these two parts of his work were, and how completely the former is independent of the latter.

To the metaphysical department belongs Kant's recognition of the independence of moral law from natural law. What ought to be is something which perhaps never has been and never will be; and never, by considering what has been or what is, will you discover it. In his own language: the moral law is something a priori and no induction from experience. This doctrine at once distinguishes his system from any so-called naturalistic ethics; from the ethics based on psychological hedonism, or from modern evolutionistic systems.

And to the same department belongs his recognition that ethics must be based on law. Any ethical principle must be universal in the sense that if it is valid for you now, it must be valid for [everyone] else under the same circumstances.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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  • Ethical Conclusions
  • Edited by Thomas Baldwin, University of York, Consuelo Preti, College of New Jersey
  • Book: G. E. Moore: Early Philosophical Writings
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511921285.017
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  • Ethical Conclusions
  • Edited by Thomas Baldwin, University of York, Consuelo Preti, College of New Jersey
  • Book: G. E. Moore: Early Philosophical Writings
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511921285.017
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Ethical Conclusions
  • Edited by Thomas Baldwin, University of York, Consuelo Preti, College of New Jersey
  • Book: G. E. Moore: Early Philosophical Writings
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511921285.017
Available formats
×