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Sarah Kane's Blasted is a harrowing exploration of violence, trauma, and the fragility of human morality in a world ravaged by brutality. Through the characters of Ian and Cate, Kane examines the collapse of societal structures, the abuse of power, and the enduring question of what it means to act ethically under extreme circumstances. The play's graphic depictions of abuse and vulnerability force audiences to confront the raw complexities of morality, particularly in the context of suffering and survival. This paper investigates Ian's transformation in Blasted through the lens of Kant's philosophy of moral actions. According to Kant, the morality of an action is determined not by its outcome but by the intention and adherence to moral duty guiding it. Ian's progression from an unjust aggressor to a helpless dependent raises critical questions about the ethical value of his later actions and whether they signify genuine moral growth. By contrasting Ian's behaviour with Cate's acts of selflessness, this analysis aims to uncover the more profound ethical implications of Kane's work, emphasizing how her play challenges and redefines the boundaries of morality in the face of unimaginable violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical discussion of three recent monographs on Kantian ethics: Jens Timmermann's Kant's Will at the Crossroads, Barbara Herman's The Moral Habitat, and Mark Timmons' Kant's Doctrine of Virtue. I start by laying out some of the main claims of all three works, and then examine some of the main points of contention between them: principally, the issue of moral complexity, the derivation of duties, and the distinction between theoretical and practical reason. I conclude with some remarks on how the insights of all three works might be fruitfully combined to advance the current state of thought on the structure and composition of the Kantian moral system, as well as on the sense in which it might be taken to parallel, or otherwise be related to, Kant's theoretical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We argue that students have moral reasons to refrain from using chatbots such as ChatGPT to write certain papers. We begin by showing why many putative reasons to refrain from using chatbots fail to generate compelling arguments against their use in the construction of these papers. Many of these reasons rest on implausible principles, hollowed out conceptions of education, or impoverished accounts of human agency. They also overextend to cases where it is permissible to rely on a machine for something that once required human cognition. We then give our account: you have a moral obligation to respect your own humanity (i.e., your capacity to set and pursue your own ends), and the process of writing a humanities paper is important for the cultivation of your humanity. We conclude by considering objections and offering replies. In the end, we argue that the moral reasons students have to refrain from using chatbots depend crucially on instructors' ability to make writing assignments worthwhile. This relies on instructors having the right kind of institutional support, which sheds light on implications that this duty has for administrators, legislators, and the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This inquiry explores the potential for Kant's transcendental philosophy to offer a tangible, life-saving reconciliation between Orthodox Christian doctrine and the essence of general Christian humanism with respect to organ donation and transplantation. It questions, and answers affirmatively, whether Kant can serve as more than a symbolic figure, proposing that his framework, particularly in its apophatic elements, might align with Orthodox Christian perspectives on morality and ethics and their revealed essence. By examining the compatibility between Kantian ethics and the doctrines of Christian altruism and self-sacrifice, the study suggests that Kant's philosophy could bridge the gap between traditional religious beliefs and contemporary ethical challenges, such as organ transplantation. This reconciliation could lead to a more holistic understanding of morality that respects both the sanctity of life as emphasized by the Church and the imperatives of modern medical science. Thus, Kant's thought might not only endure as a philosophical legacy but actively contribute to ethical decision-making and the preservation of life today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Beytulhikme: An International Journal of Philosophy is the property of Beytulhikme: An International Journal of Philosophy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Jens Timmermann challenges the prevailing view that Kant held an intellectualist conception of moral failure, instead arguing that there are two distinct types of practical failure within Kantian ethics. The first type belongs to the domain of hypothetical imperatives, the second to the domain of categorical imperatives. The former can be regarded as an epistemological failure, while the latter is a failure of the will and is ultimately inexplicable. On his view, Kant therefore held a hybrid theory of practical failure. I disagree with Timmermann's explanation, and this for two reasons. First, Timmermann follows Socrates in denying the impossibility of incontinence in the prudential realm. In reality, however, there are many situations where the agent knows that an action will contribute to his happiness but fails to do so. In other words, there is such a thing as incontinence with regard to hypothetical imperatives. Second, Timmermann's interpretation is based on the basic assumption that hypothetical imperatives are the embodiment not of freedom but of heteronomy. However, Timmermann sometimes admits that we act freely in the pursuit of happiness. Hypothetical imperatives, in my view, are also the embodiment of human freedom because they are the activity of the human will. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on whether ethics should be "de-moralized" by moving away from traditional moral concepts like duty, right, and wrong, with the author arguing against this in the context of Kantian ethics. Topics include the nuanced understanding of duty in Kantian ethics, the balance between perfect and imperfect duties, and the interplay between Kantian and virtue ethics, ultimately asserting the richness and adaptability of Kantian moral concepts.

This article is a review of Richard Bourke's book, "Hegel's World Revolutions," which focuses on Hegel's political thought and historical method. The book is divided into three parts and covers various topics related to Hegel's engagement with Christianity, his critique of the Roman world and the French Revolution, and his analysis of the modern constitutional state. The reviewer notes that while Bourke's exposition is comprehensive, it lacks critical engagement with the secondary literature. The article also discusses the relationship between Kant's philosophical ideas and the events of the French Revolution, as well as questions about Hegel's interpretation of Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason." The text explores the decline of Hegel's reputation after World War II, attributing it to criticisms from philosophers like Heidegger and the Frankfurt School. However, the author argues that Hegel's influence remained strong in France and Germany, and that the criticisms did not diminish the significance of his political ideas. The text also examines Adorno's criticism of Hegel and Bourke's examination of the historical turn in political thought since 1960. Bourke criticizes the Cambridge School for moving away from contextualist analysis and towards historically based moralism, as well as the denigration of Kant's contribution in the realist turn of political philosophy. While Bourke does not fully develop his own methodology for the history of political thought, he emphasizes the importance of understanding political structures as products of earlier forces without conflating past circumstances with the present [Extracted from the article]

Critics often accuse Kant and Kantians of rigorism: of advocating highly general exceptionless principles of duty that strictly prohibit action kinds like lying or breaking promises. In this article, I draw on arguments from the generalism-particularism debate to show that the way in which Kantians usually understand universality prevents them from solving this problem and leaves them stuck in a trilemma. I then argue that they should abandon this common conception—the "strict conception," on which universal principles don't permit any exceptions—in favor of a "relaxed conception," on which universal principles do permit certain exceptions, namely principled exceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the concept of individuality and its significance in society. It argues that being different from others is inherently valuable and goes beyond autonomy and authenticity. The author uses the example of identical clones to illustrate the importance of individuality. The article also discusses the relationship between individuality and moral status, as well as the value of rarity and diversity. Overall, it emphasizes the need to recognize and appreciate individuality in order to maintain a diverse and meaningful society. [Extracted from the article]

Kantian philosophy describes space as a universal cognitive primitive because all humans contend with attributes of space as they navigate their environments and communicate the location of things or their location in relation to the location of things. These spatial conceptualisations are encoded in human language and their grammars as either prepositions or postpositions, where different cultures and languages conceptualise space differently because of their different environments. It also means that linguistic terms about spatial relations, such as prepositions, contain not only linguistic information but also conceptual information as well as cultural schemas. This paper explores the variations in the use of prepositions in Ghanaian English and argues that such variations, which may contribute to marking off the variety of English spoken in Ghana as a distinct variety, may be motivated by the cultural conceptualisations of relational terms in the primary language(s)/culture(s) of the speakers of Ghanaian English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence-driven technology increasingly shapes work practices and, accordingly, employees' opportunities for meaningful work (MW). In our paper, we identify five dimensions of MW: pursuing a purpose, social relationships, exercising skills and self-development, autonomy, self-esteem and recognition. Because MW is an important good, lacking opportunities for MW is a serious disadvantage. Therefore, we need to know to what extent employers have a duty to provide this good to their employees. We hold that employers have a duty of beneficence to design for opportunities for MW when implementing AI-technology in the workplace. We argue that this duty of beneficence is supported by the three major ethical theories, namely, Kantian ethics, consequentialism, and virtue ethics. We defend this duty against two objections, including the view that it is incompatible with the shareholder theory of the firm. We then employ the five dimensions of MW as our analytical lens to investigate how AI-based technological innovation in logistic warehouses has an impact, both positively and negatively, on MW, and illustrate that design for MW is feasible. We further support this practical feasibility with the help of insights from organizational psychology. We end by discussing how AI-based technology has an impact both on meaningful work (often seen as an aspirational goal) and decent work (generally seen as a matter of justice). Accordingly, ethical reflection on meaningful and decent work should become more integrated to do justice to how AI-technology inevitably shapes both simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suppose COVID-19 is the runaway tram in the famous moral thought experiment, known as the "Bystander at the Switch." Consider the two differentiated responses of governments around the world to this new threat, namely the option of quarantine/lockdown and herd immunity. Can we contrast the hypothetical with the real scenario? What do the institutional decisions and strategies for dealing with the virus, in the beginning of 2020, signify in a normative moral framework? This paper investigates these possibilities in order to highlight the similarities and, more importantly, the differences that exist between utilitarianism and Kantian ethics. Analysis shows that the hypothetical scenario can never be fully compared to the complex multifactorial nature of the real world. But if a comparison is attempted, the most obvious difference between the two governmental strategies is the concept of duty within the Kantian perspective. Ultimately, it is a matter of comparing freedom and life. Attributing a moral "priority ticket" to one or the other can be analysed through interpersonal aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The levels of corruption and unethical conduct among public servants have significantly contributed to the degeneration of good governance, socio-economic development and public confidence in public institutions. Despite its subscription to compliance or rule-based ethics, South Africa's fight against corruption has become a symbolic exercise that has not yielded the intended outcomes. Although the deontological approach has produced meaningful results in countries such as Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and Mauritius, this has not been the case in South Africa due to the obstinate culture of impunity and weakening of law enforcement agencies that have dismally failed to apply the law. Unethical conduct has led to grand corruption scandals such as the arms deal, state capture, Travelgate and the Covid-19 pandemic where there has not been any notable consequence management against the perpetrators. The article is underpinned by unobtrusive research methods and used a desktop analysis by means of an intensive literature review including a documentary analysis to draw the key findings. The key findings of this article reveal that by merely adopting a compliance-based public sector, the results are not guaranteed. The rule-based approach can only bear the intended outcomes in the presence of consequence management through strong institutions that are not dictated to by the political environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the moral evaluation of video games from a virtue ethics perspective. It argues that actions in video games can still be evaluated morally, even if they are not traditionally considered in moral evaluations. The author examines previous attempts to justify the belief that certain video games or playing certain games are morally wrong, pointing out their limitations. The article proposes an identification theory based on Harry G. Frankfurt's theory of volition to explain why abnormal gaming behavior in normal games can be ethically problematic. It concludes by suggesting that virtue ethics can help us understand the ethical aspects of video games, as well as other areas such as simulation, art, and literature. [Extracted from the article]

Faced with a global emissions problem such as climate change, we know that if countries' emissions decisions are made in an independent and self-interested fashion the outcome can be very far from optimal. One proposed solution is to have countries enter international environmental agreements (IEAs) whereby individual countries' emissions decisions are taken in the interests of all the participating countries and so reflect a degree of altruism. However, if the decision to co-operate is made in a self-interested fashion the standard non-cooperative model of IEAs yields the pessimistic conclusion that the more serious the environmental problem the smaller will be the equilibrium membership of an IEA. Our paper examines the implications for emissions, IEA membership and welfare of assuming that countries make both emissions and IEA membership decisions in the alternative moral fashion of acting as imperfect Kantians as defined by Alger and Weibull (Econometrica 81:2269–2302, 2013). We show that (i) the first-best can be achieved when countries either act as Perfect Kantians or by fully cooperating; (ii) in a more imperfect setting, these two forms of moral behaviour are complementary approaches to improving welfare outcomes in the sense that the greater the weights on Kantian behaviour the larger is the equilibrium coalition; (iii) the weights on Kantian behaviour that will induce full cooperation and hence the first-best are significantly less than 1; (iv) for given Kantian weights, our model generates higher equilibrium IEA membership, lower emissions and higher welfare than in the related paper by Eichner and Pethig (International environmental agreements when countries behave morally) which, we argue, does not fully capture the benefits of membership decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the nature, strengths and limitations of Roman, Christian, Kantian and utilitarian ethics and their legacy in some modern theories of educative leadership that are educative in intent and outcome. It is shown that Roman, Christian, Kantian, and utilitarian ethics have profoundly shaped transformational, instructional, distributed, and ethical leadership theories. Roman ethics emphasize civic duty, virtue, and community service, influencing leaders to inspire collective goals and improve educational outcomes. Christian ethics highlight love, compassion, and moral integrity, guiding leaders to act as ethical exemplars and nurture followers. Kantian ethics focus on duty, universal principles, and respect for individuals, promoting ethical consistency and dignity in leadership practices. Utilitarian ethics prioritize maximizing happiness and well-being, driving leaders to achieve positive changes and balance individual needs with the greater good. It concludes that these ethical foundations (a) continue to inform contemporary educative leadership practices and (b) underpin recent scholarship that has shown how Roman, Christian, Kantian, and utilitarian ethics can shape moral school leadership and ethical decision-making, offering school leaders a nuanced approach to promote learning and social justice, fairness, and community well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Sustainable Leadership -- An Ethical Perspective" explores the evolving concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the ethical responsibilities of leaders in government and business. It discusses different ethical perspectives, from immoral to virtuous ethics, and provides examples of leaders who embody each perspective. The article emphasizes the importance of aligning actions with values, fulfilling obligations, and making virtuous choices to achieve sustainable leadership and societal well-being. [Extracted from the article]

The broad adoption of the human-rights based approach to refugee education has not only accentuated the link between education provision and the realization of human rights; it has re-framed refugees as right-bearers. This conceptual shift from 'refugee as victim' to 'refugee as right-bearer' carries with it immense implications also for the way we think of the duty-bearers of refugee education. Once we re-conceptualize refugees as right-bearers, we acknowledge, too, the primacy of duty-bearers and 'global moral obligations'. In this article, I first consider the history of global governance of refugee education, dating back to the ratification of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. In tracing the shifting role of stakeholders in refugee education, I note, in particular, how the burden of responsibility of education policy and provision has oscillated between local host communities and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Next, I look at how rights and responsibilities are conceptualized in forced displacement context, that is, in the absence of a nation-state--traditionally considered the primary duty-bearer of human rights. Finally, I turn to Kant's duty-based ethics, and suggest a Kantian perspective can help expand our understanding of duties and duty-bearers in global refugee education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on evolving scholarly perspectives on the Carnap–Quine debate, particularly regarding the analytic-synthetic distinction's role in philosophy. Topics include reassessment of Quine's critique, the Kantian and Neo-Kantian influences on Carnap's philosophy; and the fundamental incommensurability of their philosophical positions.

Purpose: This research aims to conceptualize online shaming discourse in virtual communities and to serve as a practical guide for online community managers and members. Design/methodology/approach: This conceptual study explores the construction of meanings in human interaction in online communities by presenting a conceptual model, "The Triple-Responsibility Model in Online Communities," that is based on Kantian ethics. Findings: The model includes characterizing the roles of core participants in online communities: writer, reader and group manager; and delineating four ethical principles – truth, necessity, proportionality and caution – that can help society find the golden mean between social change and respecting human dignity and concern for an individual's public image and provide a theoretical contribution and practical guidelines. Research limitations/implications: It addresses shaming in virtual communities by suggesting a balance of several key principles, including truth, necessity, proportionality and caution. This is a new conceptualization of online shaming relevant to today's digital arena. Practical implications: The guidelines can contribute to the ongoing political debate over what constitutes appropriate and justified regulation. Moreover, Facebook community leaders are responsible for formatting the group's identity, the technical facets of group management and for setting group boundaries and determining the rules of participation. The posited rules may affect social media group managers, as they are called upon to leverage their privileged position and channel their media power into influencing online discourse. Social implications: The current study provides insights into how shaming can be used as a legitimate tool in society by implementing an ethical approach, resulting in guidelines that restrict online discourse for participants in virtual communities and affect the work of social media group managers and policymakers. Originality/value: By presenting a new conceptual model, the authors suggest that ethics are a helpful tool and offer insights into how online communities' participants and managers should use their voice and balance between shaming and maintaining the dignity of the individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Metafísica y Persona. Revista Sobre Filosofía, Conocimiento y Vida is the property of Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla A.C. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Biotechnology proponents claim that the public has a duty to trust biotechnology due to its potential for handling significant future food security challenges. This article uses Kant's moral and political philosophy as basis for constructing a framework for analyzing trust as a moral duty, both in personal relationships and in institutional settings. This includes trust in technology that is of societal significance. A discussion of key concepts of trust leads to an argument that there is a conditional duty of reflexive trust in fundamental social institutions, including technology. However, reflexive trust in, for example, food biotechnology cannot be conceived of as an individual task. A duty of reflexive trust in technology can only be achieved within a publicly controlled institution of trust-building systematic distrust. This system should ideally clarify which instances and to what extent a technology is ethically justifiable and of benefit to society in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Article begins with the introduction of two competing schools in private law. One school claims that private law is to achieve efficient resource allocation or wealth maximization. The other school follows the bipolar structure of corrective justice with the assistance of the Kantian theory. While each side is very strong and elegant, neither is able to claim the totality of private law. Naturally, scholarship reconciling the two schools is urgently needed. Although there is a thin body of literature, trying to reconcile the two competing schools, the outcome has been far from satisfactory. This Article tries to fill an important gap in the literature by developing the communitarian version of Kantian right while taking into consideration the efficient resource allocation within the bipolar structure of corrective justice. After articulating such a theory, this Article has made an effort in analyzing empirical evidence from United States judicial practice to test whether the communitarian version of Kantian right can be supported. The Article then examines the failure of judicial analyses when the utilization of the communitarian version of Kantian right ignores the bipolar structure of corrective justice and keeps an inappropriate balance on the interaction of the relationship between private parties in private law and the relationship between the government and individuals under public law [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the basic elements of Immanuel Kant's ethics, stand out the categorical imperative as the main reason of ethical determination, its appeal to the capacity to judge, and the possibility of considering Kantian ethics of duty also as a model for the formation of character and therefore also as virtue ethics. Kant's approach is productive even in ethical proposals that differ from him in what could be called his "material ethics". Finally, it is shown how contemporary ethical discussion cannot do without the insights offered by the philosopher of Königsberg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper corrects a historical injustice that has been perpetrated against Kant for some time now. Mostly on good grounds, Kantian ethics has been accused of neglecting the role played by the emotions in moral deliberation and in morally informed action. However, the contemporary moral philosophers who have put forth such a claim tend to bypass textual sources, on the one hand, and to downplay the role played by the anthropological writings on Kant's practical philosophy as a whole, on the other. Relying on highly relevant pre-critical texts in which Kant sketches future argumentative patterns and discusses the role of a negative emotion like shame on the improvement of the human species, I address a mistaken conclusion about Kantian ethics as a whole that is common in contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. I also raise paradoxical conclusions that follow from Kant's argument, once its implicit premises have been brought to light. I conclude that Kant did indeed think seriously about a so-called 'shame-instinct', however much his central ideas diverge from contemporary readings of the emotion, and fall short of fulfilling the ultimate target one can assume his insights would be drawing at. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing group of institutional investors use divestment strategically to deter misconducts that are harmful for the climate and society. Based on Kantian ethics, we propose that divestment represents investors' universal and absolute moral commitment to socially responsible investing (SRI). Following categorical and hypothetical imperatives and reciprocity as a norm, we hypothesize how institutional investors' commit to SRI through a divestment strategy against ethically reprehensible behaviour of banks, especially when these investors represent banks themselves. Using a hand-collected database of the revelation dates of enforcement actions on banks, we find evidence that banks are less likely to divest equity holding on banks with misconduct (fined banks) than their non-bank institutional investors peers. Banks that commit to invest responsibly by signing for the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) are not significantly more likely to divest on fined banks stocks than non-signatory banks. Moreover, divestment of fined banks whose own legitimacy to operate is in question is not significantly different from non-fined banks divestment. We find that European banks are more inclined to sell their holdings permanently on fined banks than their United States peers. Therefore, bank's moral commitment to SRI via divestments is influenced more by cultural and reciprocity norms than their moral commitment to participate in the PRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Overdemandingness Objection maintains that an ethical theory or principle that demands too much should be rejected, or at least moderated. Traditionally, overdemandingness is considered primarily a problem for consequentialist ethical theories. Recently, Kant and Kantian ethics have also become part of the debate. This development helps us better understand both overdemandingness and problems with Kant's ethics. In this, the first of a pair of papers, we introduce the distinction between perfect and imperfect duties as well as a framework for understanding the overdemandingness objection that allows us to discuss overdemandingness across different ethical theories. We then consider two ways that Kantians have sought to avoid the implication that imperfect duties may be overly demanding: (1) via the latitude of imperfect duties, and (2) by the suggestion that the wider system of duties is self‐moderating. We conclude that it is unclear whether the two most prominent ways of addressing the overdemandingness objection work, challenging them on their own terms, and observing that they are inapplicable to potential demandingness concerns pertaining to perfect duties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Con-textos Kantianos: International Journal of Philosophy is the property of Con-Textos Kantianos (CTK) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper mobilises the idea of impossible worlds to conceptualise and explore inconsistent and illogical visions and ways of living sustainably. Specifically, the paper focuses on an understanding of sustainability based on classic Kantian universalistic ethics (suppose everyone did the same) and relative feelings of responsibility and guilt for the environment. By mobilising three vignettes, the paper argues that impossibility is present in current environmental thinking, and narratives of impossibility have an emotional and political role in shaping popular discourses concerning environmentalism and responsibility. It suggests that exploring glitches, impossibilities, contradictions and inconsistencies may contribute to understanding the role of personal guilt in sustainability narratives, and potentially trigger change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kant-Studien is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, I argue for a nuanced, context-sensitive approach to the question of trash talk, based on the Kantian principle of respect for persons and an emphasis on first-person action-guidance. I also suggest that we understand trash talk to have several varieties. On my proposed approach, there is no simple answer to the question of whether trash talk is morally permissible; rather, context-sensitive judgment can help us to determine what we ought to do when the possibility of various forms of trash talk arises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the Kantian and Rousseauvian solutions to the conflict between autonomy and authority. First, I discuss how the categorical imperatives (CI) are the supreme source of the legitimate authority of a limited number of political laws. By extending the synthetic a priori nature of the CI, I demonstrate how Rousseau's General Will (GW) can justify political laws in a broader sense. I also refer to the theory of H.L.A. Hart and John Rawls to show that all political laws are binding if they are within the limits of injustice and have some moral foundation. I discussed the limits of authority of on debatable laws such as banning abortion. I analyzed the possibility of GW by using Condorcet's theorem. I conclude that GW cannot fully justify political laws based on majoritarian direct democracy, owing to problematic assumptions, although it may be an improvement to the current legislative procedure of the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zionism aimed to establish a national home for Jews in Palestine. It involved settlement of Zionist Jews in the region, despite facing resistance from many local Arabs. Was the unilateral Zionist settlement morally permissible, or was it an instance of wrongful colonialism? Three objections will be discussed here and they all stem from the Kantian ethics of state-building and the minimalistic conception of statehood that follows from it. According to the 'neutralist objection', the establishment of a national home is not a just cause for a state building project. The 'cosmopolitan' objection argues that unilateral settlement is permissible only in extreme circumstances and that typically, it violates the locals' right to self-rule. Finally, the imperialist objection argues that Zionist unilateralism exploited the wrongful colonial rule to which Arab Palestinians were subject. I will show that no Kantian objection to Zionism is decisive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anales del Seminario de Historia de la Filosofía is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The implementation of Video Assistant Referees (VARs) in 2018 has had a significant impact on the multi-billion-dollar soccer industry. As the most popular and watched sport globally, soccer's financial stakes are high, with clubs, leagues, broadcasters, sponsors, and fans heavily invested in the game. The ongoing debate surrounding the VAR system brings to light the intricate balance between preserving the authenticity of football (soccer) and harnessing technology to improve accuracy. It is crucial to strike the right equilibrium in order to uphold football's metaphorical power and sustain the timeless joy it has brought to fans throughout generations. In this context, Immanuel Kant's philosophy can offer valuable insights into the utilization of VARs in soccer. According to Kantian ethics, using VARs can be justified if it serves to enhance fairness and accuracy, aligning with the moral duties of referees. Nevertheless, it is important to consider the potential dehumanizing effects and the necessity of preserving the value of human judgment in the game. Therefore, this paper aims to explore in-depth the intricate dynamics that arise when technology is integrated into traditional practices, emphasizing the significance of critical reflection on the implications of such advancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper poses a puzzle for contemporary Kantian political philosophy. Kantian political philosophers hold that the state's purpose is to secure the conditions for people's innate right to equal freedom, while at the same time claiming that innate right does not give a determinate set of conditions that the state is to bring about. Officials, then, have to make decisions in cases where the considerations of innate right provide no further guidance. I argue that, intuitively, in such cases there are (i) some further considerations that officials may appeal to and (ii) some further considerations that officials may not appeal to in order to decide among the options consistent with people's innate right and then raise difficulties for the ability of current Kantian accounts to explain how they can accept both (i) and (ii). I conclude by suggesting one potential path forward for Kantians to address this puzzle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental tension exists between Rawls's ideal Kantian conception of justice as fairness (JAF), which requires respecting people as ends, and his realistic non‐Kantian consequentialist conception of a supreme emergency in a just war. By justifying the targeting of objectively innocent noncombatants during a supreme emergency exception, Rawls allows for treating them as means only. Hence, his appeal to a supreme emergency is insufficient to avoid this tension. First, since for him JAF is ideal but also practical, one might argue that his fictional people in the original position must reflect on the justification for using force on behalf of JAF. And second, since Rawls justifies targeting objectively innocent people during a supreme emergency exemption, he justifies what one might conceive of as emergency terrorism. Emergency terrorism, however, treats people as means only. Therefore, Rawls's Kantian conception of JAF is in tension with his consequentialist justification of a supreme emergency in a just war and hence with emergency terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Parfit's Mixed Maxim Objection against the Formula of Universal Law Reconsidered" examines Derek Parfit's criticism of Kant's Formula of Universal Law (FUL) and its implications for Kantian ethics. Parfit argues that FUL should be revised and that the concept of a maxim should be abandoned. However, contemporary Kantians have not taken Parfit's criticism seriously and believe that his project is too different from Kant's to engage in fruitful dialogue. The article explores Parfit's "Mixed Maxims Objection" and proposes a response to it, arguing that a notion of maxims as policies can still be ethically evaluated. The author distinguishes different versions of the objection and focuses on the version that poses a fundamental challenge to Kant's ethics. They argue that Kantians can respond to some versions of the objection but must address the version that questions the bridge between evaluating maxims and evaluating actions. The article concludes that it is possible to evaluate maxims as policies while making plausible judgments about the morality of actions. [Extracted from the article]

It seems to be impossible to draw metaphysical conclusions about the world merely from our concepts or our language alone. After all, our concepts alone only concern how we aim to represent the world, not how the world in fact is. In this paper I argue that this is mistaken. We can sometimes draw substantial metaphysical conclusions simply from thinking about how we represent the world. But by themselves such conclusions can be flawed if the concepts from which they are drawn are themselves flawed. I propose that we can overcome these limitations by focusing on a special class of concepts: inescapable concepts. Combining arguments about what the world is like from considerations about our concepts alone, together with an argument that the relevant concepts are inescapable, leads to a novel method for metaphysics, which is broadly neo-Kantian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the positive duties objection, it is not possible to derive positive duties from Kant’s Formula of Universal Law (FUL). However, in his recent “Deriving Positive Duties from Kant’s Formula of Universal Law”, Guus Duindam tries to answer this objection. More specifically, Duindam tries to show how both a duty of benevolence and a duty of self-perfection can be derived from the FUL. I critically examine Duindam’s arguments. I maintain that Duindam’s argument for the positive duty of benevolence is ambiguous and that this ambiguity exposes him to a fatal dilemma: on one horn, Duindam faces the same objection that he concedes to be effective against other attempts to answer the positive duties objection; on the other horn, the procedure he recommends cannot be based on the FUL (because it does not evaluate actions on the basis of their corresponding maxims). In addition, I maintain that Duindam’s benevolence argument rests on a procedure that is, in general, intractable and, in this particular case, foredoomed (because it can be shown that there are no positive duties of the kind he tries to derive). From there, I turn to Duindam’s argument for the positive duty of self-perfection. I explain that Duindam’s derivation of the duty of self-perfection, even if successful, does not answer the positive duties objection. This is because Duindam never appeals to the FUL in his derivation of the duty of self-perfection (the derivation is based, rather, on instrumental reasoning from the second-order end to accomplish our first-order ends). I elaborate on this by comparing and contrasting Duindam’s argument with Oliver Sensen’s interpretation of how to apply the FUL in the latter’s recent “Universal Law and Poverty Relief”.

Sociology of philosophy is the name of a theory-based, empirical sociological subdivision, whose basic approach is praxeological: doing philosophy involves a variety of socially situated practices that in some cases result in philosophical arguments and doctrines fixed in text. Constellation research is an approach developed by the German philosopher Dieter Henrich (1927–2022) for investigations into the history of philosophy. It combines a historical and a systematic intent and interest. Constellation research has primarily been tried out on the rapid development of post-Kantian idealism in Germany in the 1790s. The approach has some obvious similarities with different approaches within the sociology of philosophy. The article first gives a condensed presentation of constellation research as a research program. In a second step, it tries to sort out similarities and dissimilarities with key concepts, topics and approaches within the sociology of philosophy. The argument put forward is that constellation research can provide the sociology of philosophy with some novel ideas and that the sociology of philosophy may prove to be a useful resource to constellation research. In short, there is a potential for cross-fertilization between the two approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question that concerns us here is whether the inferentional resources available today allow us unequivocally demonstrate the existence of God. During Kant’s lifetime there were no such inferences that would allow such a goal reaching of such a goal to be reached. The logic situation has changed. We distinguish two periods of logic: the Kantian period and the post-kantian period. In this second period, is such a valid reasoning with true premisses posible, that allows deducing of the conclusion “God exists” as a true conclusion? We suppose the negative answer. The conclusion could have a separate status. This is due to the incompletnesss of our our knowlwdge. That means we cluod be dealing with an unprovable truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]