In Sara Di Giulio & Alberto Frigo (eds.), Kasuistik und Theorie des Gewissens. Von Pascal bis Kant. Berlino, Germania: pp. 233–287 (2020)
Authors |
|
Abstract |
In juxtaposition with the myth and tragedy of Ovid’s Medea, this paper investigates the possibility within the Kantian conception of agency of understanding moral evil as acting against one’s better judgment. It defends the thesis that in Kant self-deception, i. e. the intentional untruthfulness to oneself, provides the fundamental structure for choosing against the moral law. I argue that, as Kant’s thought progresses, self-deception slowly proceeds to become the paradigmatic case of moral evil. This is discussed with regard to two important topics in his later moral philosophy: the doctrine of radical evil and the crucial role of the duty of truthfulness in ethics. The inquiry into Kant’s theory of conscience unfolds both against this theoretical background and in light of its historical roots in the polemic against casuistry and probabilism. This contribution closes with a brief look at the tools Kant implements to counter this tendency to self-deception in moral judgment and particularly at the role casuistry plays within his conception of moral education.
|
Keywords | Moral Conscience Casuistry Probabilism Moral Judgement Radical Evil Moral Error Theory Self-deception Jesuits Immanuel Kant Blaise Pascal |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
Buy the book |
Find it on Amazon.com
|
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
The Perfect Duty to Oneself Merely as a Moral Being (TL 6:428-437).Stefano Bacin - 2013 - In Andreas Trampota, Oliver Sensen & Jens Timmermann (eds.), Kant’s “Tugendlehre”. A Comprehensive Commentary. DeGruyter. pp. 245-268.
Citations of this work BETA
Who is Rationalising? On an Overlooked Problem for Kant’s Moral Psychology and Method of Ethics.Martin Sicker - 2022 - Kantian Journal 41 (1):7-39.
Similar books and articles
Kasuistik und Theorie des Gewissens. Von Pascal bis Kant.Sara Di Giulio & Alberto Frigo (eds.) - 2020 - Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter.
Vorwort und Einführung.Sara Di Giulio & Alberto Frigo - 2020 - In Sara Di Giulio & Alberto Frigo (eds.), Kasuistik und Theorie des Gewissens. Von Pascal bis Kant. Berlino, Germania: pp. vii–viii; 1–15.
Can Kant’s Theory of Radical Evil Be Saved?Zachary J. Goldberg - 2017 - Kantian Review 22 (3):395-419.
The Good, the Bad, and the Badass: On the Descriptive Adequacy of Kant's Conception of Moral Evil.Mark Timmons - 2017 - In Significance and System: Essays on Kant's Ethics. New York, USA: pp. 293-330.
Unstable Autonomy: Conscience and Judgment in Kant's Moral Philosophy.Dean Moyar - 2008 - Journal of Moral Philosophy 5 (3):327-360.
Evil, Virtue, and Education in Kant.Paul Formosa - 2019 - Educational Philosophy and Theory 51 (13):1325-1334.
Converting the Kantian Self: Radical Evil, Agency, and Conversion in Kant’s Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason.Samuel Loncar - 2013 - Kant-Studien 104 (3):346-366.
The Formation of Kant's Casuistry and Method Problems of Applied Ethics.Soo Bae Kim - 2009 - Kant-Studien 100 (3):332-345.
Irrationality and Self-Deception Within Kant’s Grades of Evil.Matthew S. Rukgaber - 2015 - Kant-Studien 106 (2):234-258.
Remarks on Immanuel Kant’s Assessment of the Use of the Thesis of Innate Evil in Moral Philosophy.Geert Van Eekert - 2017 - International Journal of Philosophy and Theology 78 (4-5):348-360.
Hutcheson and Kant: Moral Sense and Moral Feeling.Michael Walschots - 2017 - In Chris W. Surprenant & Elizabeth Robinson (eds.), Kant and the Scottish Enlightenment. London: Routledge. pp. 36-54.
Kant on Evil, Self-Deception, and Moral Reform, by Laura Papish.Patrick R. Frierson - 2019 - Mind 128 (512):1344-1355.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2020-10-26
Total views
81 ( #141,607 of 2,498,790 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
42 ( #20,381 of 2,498,790 )
2020-10-26
Total views
81 ( #141,607 of 2,498,790 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
42 ( #20,381 of 2,498,790 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads