Duty and Morality in Kant’s Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals :: Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals

This selection is only the first section of Immanuel Kants Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals. I am only way break through to discuss duty and chasteity. Kant gives three propositions regarding duty (p.107). Kant argues that the will that acts from reason is the will guided by duty.The first proposition helps us distinguish which actions have moral worth by differentiating acts that are motivated because of duty and acts that are not. Kant shows the differences using a few examples, the first is a salesman who does not overcharge a node even if he knows they are raw, but the salesmans reasoning rat this is that he doesnt want to tarnish his reputation if he were to get caught overcharging an inexperienced customer. Kant says this is not because of morals, because the salesman was not motivated by duty to treat the customer fairly.The second proposition is an action done from duty has its moral worth, not in the purpose that is to be attained by it, but in the maxim accordi ng to which the action is determined.(p.107). This meaning that an action is morally good if the motivating forces behind the decision to make that action are good.The third proposition is a combination of the first two, stated, as Duty is the necessity of an action done out of respect for the law.(p.107). Kant thinks you must respect the law. The law is the only thing which can determine the will except objectively the law.(p.108). So because the law can be objective, even if you are inclined to break it, you should not.Duty and reason often conflict for an individual. An example that Kant uses is lying. When you lie, you expect that other people will entrust your lie, you believe this because the universal law is that you should be truthful. In this situation you have expected that the universal law you should live by is to be truthful, but you have as well as decided that you are going to allow yourself to make an exception to this universal law and lie.