Kant, Duty and Moral Worth is a fascinating and original examination of Kant's account of moral worth. The complex debate at the heart of Kant's philosophy is over whether Kant said moral actions have worth only if they are carried out from duty, or whether actions carried out from mixed motives can be good. Philip Stratton-Lake offers a unique account of acting from duty, which utilizes the distinction between primary and secondary motives. He maintains that the moral law should not be understood as a normative moral reason but as playing a transcendental role. Thus a Kantian account of moral worth is one where the virtuous agent may be responsive to concrete particular considerations, whilst preserving an essential role for universal moral principles.Kant, Duty and Moral Worth is a lucid examination of Kant's moral thought that will appeal to Kant scholars and anyone interested in moral theory.
Author(s): P Stratton-Lake
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 166
BOOK COVER......Page 1
TITLE......Page 4
COPYRIGHT......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 8
Introduction......Page 14
1 Doing the right thing just because it is right......Page 24
2 Respect and moral motivation......Page 42
3 Acting from respect for the moral law......Page 58
4 An alternative account of acting from duty......Page 73
5 Filling out the details: Ross’s theory of prima facie duties......Page 91
6 On the value of acting from duty......Page 105
7 Constructivism, autonomy and side-constraints......Page 124
8 Conclusion......Page 139
Notes......Page 144
Bibliography......Page 159
Index......Page 164
