Project Gutenberg 2004-05-01 Public domain in the USA. 319 Kant, Immanuel 1724 1804 Kant, Emmanuel Kant, I. (Immanuil) Abbott, Thomas Kingsmill 1829 1913 Abbott, T. K. (Thomas Kingsmill) The Metaphysical Elements of Ethics Etext produced by Matthew Stapleton. HTML file produced by David Widger "The Metaphysical Elements of Ethics" by Immanuel Kant is a philosophical treatise written in the late 18th century. This work falls under the category of ethical philosophy and delves into the intricate principles of moral duty and virtue. Through a systematic exploration, Kant seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for understanding ethical obligations that arise from pure reason, independent of subjective feelings or external conditions. In the text, Kant argues that genuine moral action stem from the awareness of duty guided by rational principles, rather than mere emotional inclinations. He emphasizes the importance of the "categorical imperative," a central ethical tenet that dictates one must act according to maxims that can be universally applied. This principle elevates ethical considerations above the pursuit of happiness, urging individuals to cultivate their moral capacities while promoting the welfare of others. Kant distinguishes between duties of virtue—such as self-perfection and the well-being of others—and legal duties, framing ethics as a domain of self-constraint and rational will, emphasizing that moral freedom lies in the ability to act according to duty rather than inclination. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 44.0 (College-level). Difficult to read. en Ethics Philosophy, German B Text Category: Philosophy & Ethics 121478 2025-08-03T05:08:57.799166 text/html 120645 2021-01-27T03:40:07 text/html 119162 2025-08-03T05:09:03.887587 application/epub+zip 118916 2025-08-03T05:09:00.975635 application/epub+zip 109533 2025-08-03T05:08:59.600661 application/epub+zip 261853 2025-08-03T05:09:05.974618 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 241588 2025-08-03T05:09:03.117624 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 213482 2022-09-03T08:24:43.773234 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 99586 2025-08-03T05:08:57.454155 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 99399 2013-08-04T16:30:16 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19213 2025-08-03T05:09:06.117574 application/rdf+xml 14485 2025-08-03T05:09:00.116607 image/jpeg 3307 2025-08-03T05:08:59.846640 image/jpeg 36906 2021-01-27T03:40:07 application/octet-stream application/zip 33800 2013-08-04T16:30:40 application/octet-stream application/zip 114844 2025-08-03T05:08:57.811104 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia de.wikipedia en.wikipedia