Objective Imperatives: An Exploration of Kant's Moral Philosophy
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Author Description
Kant Held The Moral Law To Be An Objective Imperative, An Entity In Its Own Right. It Carries With It Prescriptive Force, In Parallel To Other Principles Of Pure Reason, Like Those Of Logic And Mathematics. Objective Imperatives Therefore Do Not Derive Their Authority From Any Other Source, Such As Common Consensus Or The Will Of God. In This Book, Ralph C.s. Walker Seeks To Show That This Is A Highly Defensible View: Kant's Categorical Imperative, Properly Understood, Is Broadly Right. The Key To It Is Rationality, And Not Universality, Which Functions Only As An Approximate Test. Often, Kant Sets The Matter Out Badly, And Most Of The Common Objections To Him Can Be Shown To Be Due To Misunderstandings. A Morality That Gives Us An Objective Imperative Does Appear Incompatible With The Determinism To Which Kant Commits Himself, But Walker Argues That This Appearance Is Misleading. Ralph C.s. Walker. This Edition Also Issued In Print: 2022. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates whether Immanuel Kant's conception of the moral law as an objective imperative remains a defensible and coherent philosophical position. Ralph C.S. Walker, a scholar of Kantian thought, examines the prescriptive force of moral laws by comparing them to the principles of logic and mathematics. He argues that the authority of these imperatives is intrinsic rather than derived from external sources like divine will or social consensus, ultimately proposing that rationality serves as the foundational element of Kant's moral framework.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- An analysis of the Categorical Imperative as a rational rather than purely universal principle.
- A defense of Kantian ethics against common historical and contemporary objections.
- A reconciliation of moral objective imperatives with Kantian determinism.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a general introduction to Kant's entire philosophical system.
- It does not focus on the political or aesthetic dimensions of Kant's work.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students of moral philosophy frequently note the analytical rigor Walker applies to Kant's dense arguments. Experts highlight this text as a focused contribution to the ongoing debate regarding the compatibility of Kantian ethics and determinism.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
1900-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press,
ISBN-10:
0191947865
ISBN-13:
9780191947865
Philosophy
Moral Philosophy
Philosophy history
Kant
Ethics
Rationalism