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 going to discuss barter and moralisticity. 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 value by differentiating acts that ar motivated because of duty and acts that argon not. Kant shows the differences using a few instances, the first is a salesman who does not overcharge a client even if he knows they are inexperienced, merely the salesmans reasoning crumb this is that he doesnt want to tarnish his reputation if he were to write down caught overcharging an inexperienced customer. Kant says this is not because of morals, because the salesman was not motivated by duty to accomplish 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 according to which the action is determined.(p.107). This meaning that an action is virtuously 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 certificate of indebtedness is the necessity of an action done out of heed for the law.(p.107). Kant thinks you must respect the law. The law is the only thing which can determine the will shut 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 believe your lie, you believe this because the prevalent law is that you should be truthful. In this situation you have expected that the oecumenic law you should live by is to be truthful, but you have similarly decided that you are going to allow yourself to make an exception t o this popular law and lie.