Kant's orientation to moral philosophy is quite different from the contemporary orientations to it as found in numerous philosophers in the United States and the United Kingdom. The latter tend to speak about morality and the moral agent as phenomena in need of explanation. Kant tends to speak to us as moral agents in the extension and refinement of our ordinary practical deliberation, i.e., the search for practical reasons. 

This course has two purposes. First, it is to explicate the project of Kant's practical philosophy. Second, it is to reveal the disparities between Kant's project and a few of the more robust philosophical alternatives on the contemporary scene.

Regarding the first, we will show (a) why there is value in the world (by virtue of our humanity, we bestow it on the ends of our rational pursuits, i.e., our humanity limits our pursuits to those acceptable from the stance of others and extends our concern to items which others pursue) and (b) why we are agents, i.e., the authors of our thoughts and actions (thoughts and actions are things we do, not things that happen to us).

Regarding the second, we will examine (a) Thomas Nagel's conception of "agent-neutral" value and evaluate it in the light of Kant's idea of humanity as the "unconditioned condition" of all value; (b) Bernard Williams' view that the content of the principles of practical reason is formed and ruled by facts of the world and evaluate it in the light of Kant's idea that practical reason forms and rules the world by showing us how we must form and rule it; and (c) Derek Parfit's view that practical reason is formed by the metaphysics of our personal identity and evaluate it in the light of Kant's idea that practical reason has resources for resolving problems reason has set for us.

If time is available, we will examine how Hegel examines and evaluates Kant's moral philosophy.

Readings:

1) Immanuel Kant, Practical Philosophy, trans. Mary J. Gregor, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). ISBN 978-0-521-65408-1. Price: $36.76. (Can be found used online starting at a price of $23.50.)

2) Immanuel Kant, Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone, trans. T.M. Greene & H.H. Hudson, (New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1960). Price: $15.95. (Can be found used online starting at a price of $3.47.)

3) Articles or Book Chapters by G.W.F. Hegel, Thomas Nagel, Derek Parfit, and Bernard Williams will be either xeroxed for distribution or placed on External Links or ERES on the course's Blackboard site.