The Conditionality of Hypothetical Imperatives

Kantian Review 18 (3):439-460 (2013)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Kant famously distinguishes between the categorical imperative (CI) and hypothetical imperatives (HIs), which are instrumental norms. On the standard reading, Kant subscribes to the of HIs, which takes HIs to be consistency requirements that bind agents in exactly the same way whether or not agents are subject to CI and whether or not they conform their choices to CI. I argue that this reading cannot be squared with Kant's account of an agent's disposition, in particular his claim that cognition of CI is a necessary condition of willing a maxim. I further argue that Kant could not accept an account of HIs as consistency requirements. Finally, I outline Kant's conception of HIs as non-disjunctive requirements that arise when and only when agents will permissible ends. This account can help recapture Kant's conception of the unity of rational norms

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

The Normative Source of Kantian Hypothetical Imperatives.Camillia Kong - 2012 - International Journal of Philosophical Studies 20 (5):661-690.
Allison on rational agency.Stephen Engstrom - 1993 - Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 36 (4):405 – 418.
Hypothetical imperatives: Scope and jurisdiction.Mark Schroeder - forthcoming - In Robert Johnson & Mark Timmons (eds.), (unknown). Oxford University Press.
The hypothetical imperative?Mark Schroeder - 2005 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 83 (3):357 – 372.
Are methodological rules hypothetical imperatives?David B. Resnik - 1992 - Philosophy of Science 59 (3):498-507.
Kant's moral philosophy.Robert N. Johnson - 2008 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Practical reason and 'companions in guilt'.James Harold - 2003 - Philosophical Investigations 26 (4):311–331.

Analytics

Added to PP
2013-10-07

Downloads
60 (#241,099)

6 months
6 (#202,901)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Jamsheed Siyar
University of Pittsburgh

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Normative requirements.John Broome - 1999 - Ratio 12 (4):398–419.
Means-end coherence, stringency, and subjective reasons.Mark Schroeder - 2009 - Philosophical Studies 143 (2):223 - 248.
The Normativity of Instrumental Reason.Christine M. Korsgaard - 1997 - In Garrett Cullity & Berys Gaut (eds.), Ethics and Practical Reason. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
The scope of instrumental reason.Mark Schroeder - 2004 - Philosophical Perspectives 18 (1):337–364.

View all 14 references / Add more references