Naturalism and Realism in Kant's Ethics

Frederick Rauscher

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781107088801
• eBook ISBN: 9781316455555
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Modern Philosophy

In this comprehensive assessment of Kant's metaethics, Frederick Rauscher shows that Kant is a moral idealist rather than a moral realist and argues that Kant's ethics does not require metaphysical commitments that go beyond nature. Rauscher frames the argument in the context of Kant's non-naturalistic philosophical method and the character of practical reason as action-oriented. Reason operates entirely within nature, and apparently non-natural claims - God, free choice, and value - are shown to be heuristic and to reflect reason's ordering of nature. The book shows how Kant hesitates between a transcendental moral idealism with an empirical moral realism and a complete moral idealism. Examining every aspect of Kant's ethics, from the categorical imperative to freedom and value, this volume argues that Kant's focus on human moral agency explains morality as a part of nature. It will appeal to academic researchers and advanced students of Kant, German idealism and intellectual history.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Title page
• Copyright information
• Table of contents
• Acknowledgments
• Citations of Kant’s writings
• Introduction
• Part I Laying the ground
• Part II Practical reason in nature
• Part III Morality beyond nature?
• Works cited
• Index