The Final Ends of Practical Philosophy

Abstract

In this chapter I wish to address two questions that are of ultimate significance for Kant’s practical philosophy. First, I will discuss the question of how the two halves of the Metaphysics of Morals combine in order to demonstrate the unity of this work. The importance of this is riot merely textual as unless the two halves of the work unite there will be a fundamental failure of relation in the discussion of right by comparison with the discussion of virtue. Such a failure would ensure that Kant’s concluding statement in practical philosophy demonstrated a. failure of scope in this philosophy and an inability to coherently unite discrete treatments. Second, I will address the relationship between Kant’s doctrinal practical philosophy and his critique of morality. This relationship is one scarcely touched on within the commentaries on Kant’s practical philosophy undertaken within the Anglo-American world to date. But the significance of it is crucial in replying to critics of Kant’s practical philosophy. The criticisms of Kant’s practical philosophy that are current, from Hegelian inspired work to the more recent concentration on an ethics of virtue, practically all depend on the view that Kant’s critique of morality is tantamount to the whole of his practical philosophy. Whilst the investigation of Kant’s practical doctrine is itself sufficient to demonstrate the untruth of this widely adopted assumption, a demonstration of the way that the critique of morality actually does relate to the practical doctrine, a demonstration that shows the unity between these two parts of Kant’s programme, will present the nature of Kant’s work in an overall framework that should prove decisive for future response to his practical programme.KeywordsUniversal PrincipleCategorical ImperativeMoral ProgressPractical PhilosophyPure ConceptThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.