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Humanity as an Idea, as an Ideal, and as an End in Itself

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 June 2013

Richard Dean
Richard Dean*
Affiliation:
California State University Los Angeles Email: rdean@calstatela.edu
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Abstract

Kant emphasizes that moral philosophy must be divided into two parts, a ‘purely rational’ metaphysics of morals, and an empirical application to individuals, which Kant calls ‘moral anthropology’. But Kant gives humanity (die Menschheit) a prominent role even in the purely rational part of ethics – for example, one formulation of the categorical imperative is a demand to treat humanity as an end in itself. This paper argues that the only concepts of humanity suited to play such a role are the rational idea of humanity, and the rational ideal derived from this idea, which Kant discusses in Critique of Practical Reason and other texts.

Keywords

end in itselfhumanityideaidealKantmetaphysics of morals

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Type
Articles
Information
Kantian Review , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , July 2013 , pp. 171 - 195
Copyright
Copyright © Kantian Review 2013 

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