Cover of Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals

Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals

by Immanuel Kant · first published 1964

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2010–2025first – last mentioned

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Immanuel Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals ranks alongside Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics as one of the most profound and influential works in moral philosophy ever written. In Kant's own words its aim is to search for and establish the supreme principle of morality, the categorical imperative. Kant argues that every human being is an end in himself or herself, never to be used as a means by others, and that moral obligation is an expression of the human capacity for autonomy or self-government. This edition presents the acclaimed translation of the text by Ma

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What Hacker News says

  • mbateman · Jul 10, 2010 · Recommends

    …of Aphrodisias + Problems from Locke, Mackie Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, Spinoza + The Courtier and the Heretic, Stewart (on Spinoza and Leibniz) Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Hume Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Kant Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, Kant On Liberty, Mill "Modern Moral Philosophy", Anscombe "What is Capitalism?", Rand The Bounds of Sense, Strawson + "Rawls on Justice", Nagel "The…

    on “Ask HN: Best Philosophical Books?” ↗
  • void_nill · Sep 9, 2019 · Recommends

    Here a short list - The Edda - Lots of Latvian Dainas[1] - Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, Immanuel Kant, (1785) and Critique of Pure Reason (second edition 1787) - Goethe's Faust, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, (1828–29 edition - Divina Commedia, Dante Alighieri, (1320) [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daina_(Latvia)

    on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?” ↗
  • tiberious726 · Mar 9, 2024 · Recommends

    Deontology is not empirical, there is no looking for effects in others lives. Deontology holds that certain things can be determined to be right or wrong from the sheer logic of action. See Kant's groundwork of the metaphysics of morals for an introduction.

    on “Why Tolkien Hated Dune” ↗
  • h0p3 · Mar 17, 2024 · Recommends

    To my eyes, including for this topic, the most important work: //Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals//.

    on “Tests for consciousness in humans and beyond” ↗
  • aidenn0 · Nov 5, 2023 · Mentions

    I read Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals in my undergraduate ethics class, and that was tough to read 200 years after it was written. He takes it as axiomatic that we cannot use empiricism to determine universal rules, which is something that…

    on “Immanuel Kant–What can we know?” ↗
  • My mistake, a Critique of Practical Reason. Pure Reason handles metaphysics and not ethics. There is also Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, which is similar to Practical Reason but written earlier in Kant's career

    on “Ask HN: Learning about philosophy” ↗
  • Propelloni · May 10, 2025 · Mentions

    To summarize: the author struggles with the question why they should care (mostly about society and social contracts). The author references Plato's Republic, Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, and one of Wolff's blog postings and quotes the bible on stuff. To me there is no clear line of argument visible. I presume the author thinks they are some kind of a Christian punk. Fine by me. The…

    on “Why should I care? Or why punks are correct and old wise philosophers are wrong” ↗
  • woodruffw · Nov 22, 2018 · Mentions

    …one on these formal ethics systems, I'd be curious to read it. J. S. Mill's Utilitarianism is an easy read, and is freely available online. Peter Singer also makes most of his work available. Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals is not an easy read (especially not with free older translations), but he is also available online. Similar for Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, which is probably somewhere between the other two. Together,…

    on “Simplicity (2016)” ↗
  • karljtaylor · Jun 18, 2020 · Mentions

    …discussion or materials I've read this a couple times, I'm curious about what you're saying here, do you mean that your class just reviewed some writing on the categorical imperative on its own, or read Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals?

    on “University of the People: Tuition-Free, Accredited Online Degree Programs” ↗

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