The significance of respect in the Critique of Practical Reason

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/sk.v22i2.96292

Keywords:

Kant, respect, moral feeling, moral law, rational creatures.

Abstract

Kant distinguishes between will, which legislates, and choice, which executes what is prescribed as law. He also distinguishes between the principle of appraisal of obligation, whereby we judge the goodness of maxims and actions, and the principle of execution of obligation, which consists in the motive to act on the basis of what is represented as obligation. Since respect is the main character of a chapter on the motives of pure practical reason, Kantian interpreters naturally take it to be related to choice and execution. By contrast, I interpret the feeling of respect as related to the will and legislation, more exactly, as a motive to make the moral law the supreme principle of appraisal and to take an interest in it. Besides, I show that something analogous to the feeling of respect must be present in the relation of the moral law to the will of every rational creature.

Author Biography

Julio Cesar Ramos Esteves, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes

Possui graduação em Filosofia pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1988), mestrado em Filosofia pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1992) e doutorado em Filosofia pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, com bolsa de doutorado-sandwich na Wilhelms-Universität Münster (Alemanha)) (1998). Atualmente é professor associado iv da Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro. Tem experiência na área de Filosofia, com ênfase em Ética e Filosofia política e Filosofia da Linguagem, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: liberdade, natureza, lei moral, fundamentação do Estado moderno e o problema da possibilidade da linguagem privada. Professor do Programa de Pós-graduação em Cognição e Linguagem e do programa de Pós-graduação em Sociologia Política da Universidade estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro. Coordenador da disciplina Seminário de Práticas Educativas I do Consórcio CEDERJ/CECIERJ para os polos de Itaperuna, São Francisco de Itabapoana, São Fidélis, Itaocara, Natividade, Miracema, Macaé e Bom Jesus do Itabapoana. (Texto informado pelo autor)


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Published

2025-01-31

How to Cite

Esteves, J. C. R. (2025). The significance of respect in the Critique of Practical Reason. Studia Kantiana, 22(2), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.5380/sk.v22i2.96292

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 2 (2024)

Section

Papers

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