Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals as presented in the notes.

Duty (Kant)

The a priori, universal command of practical reason governing moral action; not derived from experience.

A priori

Known independently of experience; universal and necessary.

Apodictic

Self-evident and necessarily true; describes apodictic moral laws that apply universally.

Categorical Imperative

Act only on maxims you can will to become a universal law; unconditional and universally binding.

Hypothetical Imperative

An imperative that commands a means to an end one desires; conditional on the end.

Maxim

The subjective principle or rule of action behind an act.

Imperatives

Commands issued by reason; include three kinds: skill (technical), prudence (practical), and morality (categorical).

Imperatives of Skill

Technical commands about how to achieve an end; ends are contingent; analytic in terms of means.

Prudence (Practical Reason)

Imperatives aimed at one's own happiness; ends are empirical and uncertain; typically hypothetical.

Imperative of Morality

The categorical imperative; unconditional command directing actions for their own sake.

Law of Nature (Groundwork usage)

Act as if your maxim could become a universal law of nature.

Universal Law

A law that every rational being could will to be universal; a test for maxims.

End in Itself

Rational beings possess intrinsic worth and must not be used merely as means to others’ ends.

Humanity (End in Itself)

Rational beings exist as ends in themselves; ground for universal moral principles.

Means vs. Ends

Ends are goals or purposes; beings with rational agency must not be treated merely as means to others’ ends.

Dignity of Rational Nature

Intrinsic worth of rational beings; consistent with autonomy and universal moral law.

Pure Reason (Morals)

Reason free from empirical influence; the source of a priori moral principles.

Practical Reason

Reason that determines the will and underpins moral law and normative claims.

Popular Philosophy

Empirically oriented moral thought aimed at broader public taste; criticized by Kant for lacking pure reason.

Necessitation

The relation by which objective laws bind a will; when reason imposes necessity on the will.

Ought

A normative claim expressed in imperatives; what one is bound to do by reason.