Kant's Groundwork for the metaphysics of morals: a critical guide

Ethics and anthropology in the development of Kant's moral philosophy / Manfred Kuehn -- Happiness in the Groundwork / Alison Hills -- Acting from duty : inclination, reason and moral worth / Jens Timmermann -- Making the law visible : the role of examples in Kant's ethics / Robert B. Louden -- The moral law as causal law / Robert N. Johnson -- Dignity and the formula of humanity / Oliver Sensen -- Kant's kingdom of ends : metaphysical, not political / Katrin Flikschuh -- Kant against the 'spurious principles of morality' / J.B. Schneewind -- Autonomy and impartiality : Groundwork III / John Skorupski -- Problems with freedom : Kant's argument in Groundwork III and its subsequent emendations / Paul Guyer -- Freedom and reason in Groundwork III / Frederick Rauscher.

In his Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant portrays the supreme moral principle as an unconditional imperative that applies to all of us because we freely choose to impose upon ourselves a law of pure practical reason. Morality is revealed to be a matter of autonomy. Today, this approach to ethical theory is as perplexing, controversial and inspiring as it was in 1785, when the Groundwork was first published. The essays in this volume, by international Kant scholars and moral philosophers, discuss Kant's philosophical development and his rejection of earlier moral theories, the role of happiness and inclination in the Groundwork, Kant's moral metaphysics and theory of value, and his attempt to justify the categorical imperative as a principle of freedom. They reflect the approach of several schools of interpretation and illustrate the lively diversity of Kantian ethics today

Introduction -- Note on quotations from Kant's works -- Kant's groundwork : synopsis of the argument -- Commentary -- Preface -- Transition from common to philosophic moral -- Cognition of reason -- Transition from popular moral philosophy to the metaphysics of morals -- Transition from the metaphysics of morals to the critique of pure practical reason -- Appendices A-F

Cover; Half-title; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgements; Note on quotations from Kant's works; Introduction; Kant's Groundwork: synopsis of the argument; Commentary; Appendix A: Schiller's scruples of conscience; Appendix B: The pervasiveness of morality; Appendix C: Universal legislation, ends and puzzle maxims; Appendix D: 'Indirect duty': Kantian consequentialism; Appendix E: Freedom and moral failure: Reinhold and Sidgwick; Appendix F: The project of a 'metaphysics of morals'; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals is Kant's central contribution to moral philosophy, and has inspired controversy ever since it was first published in 1785. Kant champions the insights of 'common human understanding' against what he sees as the dangerous perversions of ethical theory. Morality is revealed to be a matter of human autonomy: Kant locates the source of the 'categorical imperative' within each and every human will. However, he also portrays everyday morality in a way that many readers find difficult to accept. The Groundwork is a short book, but its argument is dense, intricate and at times treacherous. This commentary explains Kant's arguments paragraph by paragraph, and also contains an introduction, a synopsis of the argument, six short interpretative essays on key topics of the Groundwork, and a glossary of key terms. It will be an indispensable tool for anyone wishing to study the Groundwork in detail