Kant on Conscience, “Indirect” Duty, and Moral Error

International Philosophical Quarterly 46 (3):293-308 (2006)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Kant’s concept of conscience has been largely neglected by scholars and contemporary moral philosophers alike, as has his concept of “indirect” duty. Admittedly, neither of them is foundational within his ethical theory, but a correct account of both in their own right and in combination can shed some new light on Kant’s moral philosophy as a whole. In this paper, I first examine a key passage in which Kant systematically discusses the role of conscience, then give a systematic account of “indirect” duties and the function of hypothetical imperatives in the course of their generation. I then turn to the possibility of moral error and the part “indirect” duty can play in its prevention. In conclusion, I try to show how clarifying the concept of “indirect” duty can help us to shed light on the nature of Kantian ethics as a whole.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,593

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

Undermining Indirect Duty Theories.Robert Bass - 2006 - Between the Species (6):1.
The Duty of Self-Knowledge.Owen Ware - 2009 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 79 (3):671-698.
Kant on the Perfection of Others.Lara Denis - 1999 - Southern Journal of Philosophy 37 (1):25-41.
For Community's Sake: A (Self-Respecting) Kantian Account of Forgiveness.Kate A. Moran - forthcoming - Proceedings of the XI International Kant-Kongress.
On the value of acting from the motive of duty.Barbara Herman - 1981 - Philosophical Review 90 (3):359-382.
The alleged moral repugnance of acting from duty.Marcia Baron - 1984 - Journal of Philosophy 81 (4):197-220.
Kant’s Cosmopolitan Patriotism.Pauline Kleingeld - 2003 - Kant Studien 94 (3):299-316.

Analytics

Added to PP
2011-01-09

Downloads
260 (#71,109)

6 months
13 (#118,494)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Jens Timmermann
University of St. Andrews

Citations of this work

Deriving Positive Duties from Kant's Formula of Universal Law.Guus Duindam - 2023 - History of Philosophy Quarterly 40 (3):191-201.
Kant and Moral Demandingness.Marcel van Ackeren & Martin Sticker - 2015 - Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 18 (1):75-89.
Kant's Criticism of Common Moral Rational Cognition.Martin Sticker - 2016 - European Journal of Philosophy 25 (1):85-108.
The role of vulnerability in Kantian ethics.Paul Formosa - 2014 - In Catriona Mackenzie, Wendy Rogers & Susan Dodds (eds.), Vulnerability: New Essays in Ethics and Feminist Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 88-109.
The Role of Feelings in Kant's Account of Moral Education.Alix Cohen - 2016 - Journal of Philosophy of Education 50 (4):511-523.

View all 13 citations / Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references