 Kant's Foundations of Ethics. Second Edition. Translated by Leo Rauch. Revised by Lieselata Anderson. Copyright. 2007. By Agra Publications Incorporated. All rights reserved. Editors' Introduction. By Albert A. Anderson. The three works by Emanuel Kant, presented in this volume, focus on important aspects of what it means to live a responsible life. As Kant approaches the subject, ethics differs from morality by seeking a philosophical perspective on issues such as what is right and wrong, good and bad, or just and unjust. Already in what is enlightenment, Kant identifies the philosophical nature of the topic, emphasizing the centrality of learning how to think for oneself. Written in 1784, between the American Revolution and the French Revolution, this work also shows the political importance of thinking ethically. The only way to avoid tyranny, and to establish as well as preserve democracy, is to extend to all citizens the opportunity to think about ethical questions. In the fundamental principles of the metaphysics of morals, this injunction becomes what Kant calls the principle of autonomy, the foundation of the highest principle of morality. The Categorical Imperative. Although there is but one categorical imperative, Kant distinguishes and explains three formulations of that single principle. By analogy, if we think of a triangle, there is only one object, but it necessarily has three sides. The various relationships between and among those sides and the angles they create give rise to a complex branch of mathematics called trigonometry. The categorical imperative is also a single concept, but three formulations are required to explicate the complexity of living responsibly. To continue the analogy, think of the two sides of the triangle as the first two formulations of the categorical imperative. The first formulation presents the principle of universality, and the second formulation displays the intrinsic value of persons. The base of the triangle is the third formulation, the principle of autonomy. In Kant's hands, these basic principles become a full-blown branch of philosophy, ethics, which in turn lays the groundwork for politics. Kant begins toward lasting peace by contrasting the realism of practical politicians with the high-minded theories of philosophers who dream their sweet dreams. But his opening line provides a grim reminder that the only alternative to finding a way to avoid the war of each against all is the lasting peace of the graveyard. The advent of total war and the development of nuclear weapons in the twentieth century give Kant's reflections an urgency he could not have anticipated. Kant published this work in 1795 during the aftermath of the French Revolution. The high hopes of the European Enlightenment had been dampened by the rain of terror in which tens of thousands of people died and the perpetual cycle of war and temporary armistice seemed to be inescapable. Kant's essay is best known as an early articulation of a league of nations that could bring an end to all hostilities. Today the United Nations continues to pursue what Kant called the cosmopolitan idea, but lasting peace still seems to be a sweet dream. Kant was a philosopher, not a practical politician, so it is a mistake to read toward lasting peace as a proposal for political action. Most important is... Sample complete. Ready to continue?