Abstract
In his ethics, Kant points out that our ability to follow the moral law as rational beings, i.e., our capacity to act freely without being determined by natural inclinations, puts us under the obligation to act out of respect for the moral law according to which we should act so that the maxim of the will could be a universal law. Our own happiness, as a natural end, can never be a moral motive; we may only hope to be rewarded for our efforts in eternal life. Nevertheless, we ought to take care of our own well-being because this makes it easier for us to act morally, and in his treatment of different virtues and vices, Kant puts a great deal of emphasis on self-respect. Politics, according to Kant, has always to be under the rule of law. Although Kant admits that the aim of politics is the happiness of the people, he insists that this must never be contrary to the principles of law which he defines as the compatibility of one person's outer freedom with the freedom of all others. In international politics Kant postulates a federation of free states that—he hopes—will move slowly toward eternal peace.
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