The Metaphysical Elements of Ethics

Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals is the first inquiry of Immanuel Kant's mature period in the field of moral philosophy, and remains one of the most influential in the field.

Kant conceives his inquiry as a work of fundamental ethics, which clears the ground for further research by explaining the basic concepts and principles of moral theory and demonstrating that they are normative for rational agents. Kant aspires to nothing less than this: to lay bare the fundamental principle of morality and show that it applies to us.

In the text, Kant offers an innovative argument that the rightness of an action is determined by the character of the principle by which a person chooses to act.

The Critique of Practical Reason was published in 1788 and is Kant's second critique, being a continuation of the Critique of Pure Reason. It deals with moral philosophy and had a great influence on its development and also on the development of the field of ethics, becoming, during the 20th century, the main point of reference of deontological moral philosophy.

According to Immanuel Kant, the second Critique was more accessible than the first, and to the readers who accused him of writing incomprehensible jargon, he challenged them to find a more adequate language for his ideas or to demonstrate that his writings were really meaningless.

Moreover, the German philosopher claimed that many of the flaws critics found in his arguments were actually in their own brains, since they were too lazy to understand his ethical system as a whole.

The Critique of Practical Reason II consists of book II of Kant's second critique. This book is called Dialectic of Pure Practical Reason; it is composed of two chapters, the first one Of a Dialectic of Pure Practical Reason Generally and the second one Of the Dialectic of Pure Reason in defining the Conception of the "Summum Bonum".

Its first paragraph already presents serious difficulties of interpretation for any reader familiar with the Critique of Pure Reason. The statement that pure reason "always has its dialectic", not only in its theoretical use, but also in its practical use, directly contradicts the first Critique.

If you are an enthusiast of philosophy, ethics and moral sciences and wish to enrich your knowledge of the concepts of right and wrong behavior, you cannot miss this work by Immanuel Kant.

The Science of Right is the first part of Immanuel Kant's work of political and moral philosophy, The Metaphysics of Morals. It presents a lucid and straightforward discussion of society, dealing specifically with the rights that people have or can acquire.

Published separately in February 1797, it is one of the last examples of classical republicanism in political philosophy. It also contains the most mature of Kant's statements on the project of peace and a system of law guaranteeing individual rights.

This work was also translated into English as Doctrine of Right or the Metaphysical Elements of Justice. As can be the case with other works by Kant, the text can be difficult to read and understand to some people - even in German - but it is worth giving it a chance if one wishes to broaden one's knowledge of political and moral philosophy.