Kant's Metaphysics of Morals: A Critical Guide

by Lara Denis (Editor)

Overview

Immanuel Kant's Metaphysics of Morals (1797), containing the Doctrine of Right and Doctrine of Virtue, is his final major work of practical philosophy. Its focus is not rational beings in general but human beings in particular, and it presupposes and deepens Kant's earlier accounts of morality, freedom and moral psychology. In this volume of newly-commissioned essays, a distinguished team of contributors explores the Metaphysics of Morals in relation to Kant's earlier works, as well as examining themes which emerge from the text itself. Topics include the relation between right and virtue, property, punishment, and moral feeling. Their diversity of questions, perspectives and approaches will provide new insights into the work for scholars in Kant's moral and political theory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780511861925
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/28/2010
Series:	Cambridge Critical Guides
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	408 KB

About the Author

Lara Denis is Professor of Philosophy at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, USA. She is author of Moral Self-Regard: Duties to Oneself in Kant's Moral Theory (2001) and editor of a supplemented edition of Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals (2005).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; List of contributors; Citation method; Introduction; 1. Kant's Metaphysics of Morals: the history and significance of its deferral Manfred Kuehn; 2. Reason, desire, and the will Steven Engstrom; 3. Justice without virtue Katrin Flikschuh; 4. Kant's innate right as a rational criterion for human rights Otfried Höffe; 5. Intelligible possession of objects of choice B. Sharon Byrd; 6. Punishment, retribution, and the coercive enforcement of right Allen W. Wood; 7. Moral feelings in the Metaphysics of Morals Paul Guyer; 8. What is the enemy of virtue? Jeanine Grenberg; 9. Freedom, primacy, and perfect duties to oneself Lara Denis; 10. Duties to and regarding others Robert N. Johnson; 11. Duties regarding animals Patrick Kain; 12. Kant's Tugendlehre as normative ethics Thomas E. Hill, Jr; Bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

"Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals is full of insightful textual analysis and penetrating philosophical discussion, and the roster of contributors is impressive. Many of the papers raise important issues and will provoke further useful debate."
George Lăzăroiu, Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, New York

"Lara Denis’ anthology on Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals brings together a number of critical essays by well-established and respected Kant scholars. This collection is not only an important contribution to Kant scholarship; it can also serve as an excellent companion piece to upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses that feature Kant’s practical philosophy … There is certainly enough here to satisfy Kant readers of all types and stripes. Denis has assembled an outstanding collection of essays that are dedicated to critically exploring Kant’s Metaphysics of Morals. This is an invaluable guide for reading a crucial text within the Kantian corpus."
Chris Henry McTavish, Philosophy in Review

"The book attempts to bridge the gap between German and English-language scholarship. Flikschuh, Wood, and Byrd in particular incorporate German secondary literature."
Georg Cavallar, The European Legacy

From the Publisher