This volume investigates the intellectual relationship between Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten and Immanuel Kant, specifically focusing on how Baumgarten’s practical philosophy provided a foundational framework for Kant’s moral theory. The editors, Courtney D. Fugate and John Hymers, assemble a collection of scholarly essays that analyze the transition from Wolffian rationalism to the critical philosophy of Kant. By examining specific texts and concepts, the contributors argue that Kant’s ethical development is deeply indebted to the systematic structure established by his predecessor.

Scholars and students of Kantian ethics frequently cite this collection as a significant contribution to understanding the pre-critical influences on Kant’s moral thought. The prose is highly academic and assumes a strong familiarity with 18th-century German philosophical terminology.