Kantian Ethics

by Allen W. Wood

Allen Wood investigates Kant's conception of ethical theory, using it to develop a viable approach to the rights and moral duties of human beings. By remaining closer to Kant's own view of the aims of ethics, Wood's understanding of Kantian ethics differs from the received 'constructivist' interpretation, especially on such matters as the ground and function of ethical principles, the nature of ethical reasoning and autonomy as the ground of ethics. Wood does not hesitate to criticize and modify Kant's conclusions when they seem inconsistent with his basic principles or fail to make the best use of the resources Kantian principles make available. Of special interest are the book's treatment of such topics as freedom of the will, the state's role in securing economic justice, sexual morality, the justification of punishment, and the prohibition on lying.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

360 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Allen Wood's interests are in the history of modern philosophy, especially Kant and German idealism, and in ethics and social philosophy. He was born and grew up in Seattle, Washington. His B. A. is from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, his Ph.D. at Yale University. Wood has held regular professorships at Cornell University, Yale University, and Stanford University, where he is Ward W. and Priscilla B. Woods Professor emeritus. He has also held visiting appointments at the University of Michigan, University of California at San Diego and Oxford University, where he was Isaiah Berlin Visiting Professor in 2005. During year-long periods of research, he has been affiliated with the Freie Universität Berlin in 1983-84 and the Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn in 1991-1992. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Allen Wood is author of many articles and chapters in philosophical journals and anthologies. The book-length publications he has authored include: Kant's Moral Religion (1970, reissued 2009), Kant's Rational Theology (1978, reissued 2009), Karl Marx (1981, second expanded edition 2004), Hegel's Ethical Thought (1990), Kant's Ethical Thought (1999), Unsettling Obligations (2002), Kant (2004) and Kantian Ethics (2008), The Free Development of Each: (2014), and co-authored with Dieter Schönecker, Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals: A Commentary (Harvard University Press, 2015). (A German language version of this commentary has gone through four editions since 2002.) His most recent book is Fichte's Ethical Thought (Oxford University Press, 2016).

Books by Wood have appeared in Hebrew, Turkish, Portuguese, Iranian and Chinese translation. With Paul Guyer, Wood is co-general editor of the Cambridge Edition of Kant's Writings, for which he has edited, translated or otherwise contributed to six volumes. Among the other books Wood has edited are Self and Nature in Kant's Philosophy (1984), Hegel: Elements of the Philosophy of Right (1991), Kant: Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals (2002), Fichte: Attempt at a Critique of All Revelation (2010), and, with Songsuk Susan Hahn, the Cambridge History of Philosophy in the Nineteenth Century (1790-1870) (2012). He is on the editorial board of eight philosophy journals, six book series and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

At Indiana University Allen Wood has taught courses on the history of modern philosophy, modern political philosophy, Kant, Fichte and existentialism.

Reviews

[Louise Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely informative and sensitive assessment of Kantian Ethics. Wood reveals incredible attention to detail, and displays real affection for the subtlety of Kant's moral writing (sadly often overlooked by dogmatic anti-deontologists). Would highly recommend if you are a Kant lover, or are looking for an in-depth guide to Kant's ethics.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wood, Allen W. Kantian Ethics. Cambridge UP, 2007.
Kant is a philosopher who writes on a higher level of abstraction than most philosophers. Allen Wood does a good job of freeing Kant’s arguments from Kant’s difficult syntax without oversimplifying them. He also elaborates on the definitions of some of Kant’s more gnomic terms. That alone makes the book worth reading for anyone with a nodding acquaintance Kantian thought. He is especially helpful in explaining what Kant meant by “duty,” a crucial term he does not employ in its colloquial sense. Wood is clear that he finds Kantian ethical principles imperfect but less so than the principles of competing systems of ethics. Wood is at pains to defend Kantian principles and reinterpret some of Kant’s more controversial ideas in ways that make more sense than his critics would admit. For example, he explains the rhetorical context in which Kant was led to say one could not lie to a murderer. However, he is also quick to point out instances where Kant does not escape the prejudices of his culture. His defense of marriage, for example, seems firmly rooted in convention. Wood also does a nice job of pointing out similarities as well as differences between Kant and the Utilitarians. In sum, this was a very helpful book. 4 stars.

[Chentong Tian · Rating 5 out of 5]

the author is lovely angry: "For I think that if that Kant’s position is unhealthy, then so is their negative reaction to it, and both should die the same death (like Professor Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls, and without the unpersuasive later return of either character)."

According to Kant, Mengzi's maxim of "lay down my life for a just cause though I aspire to live" has moral worth.

[Zelai Xu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and comprehensive overview, but a little boring…..