A Kantian Theory of Moral Character

Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-1-009-62031-4
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 210 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 462 g

What is moral character, and how does it unfold over time? This book offers a fresh Kantian alternative to the dominant Aristotelian paradigm, which defines character as a stable set of virtues and vices. Drawing on Kant's moral philosophy, A Kantian Theory of Moral Character reframes character as a first-person commitment to moral principles - not a fixed trait, but a freely chosen, evolving practical orientation that shapes and is shaped by an agent's life as a whole. Central to this view is Kant's notion of Gesinnung: a person's fundamental moral disposition, constituted through free choice and the continuous reaffirmation of moral commitment. Bridging contemporary debates in ethics with historical insights from Kant, this study offers a compelling account of how freedom, moral commitment, temporality, and moral identity intertwine. It will interest scholars and students of philosophy, ethics, and moral psychology seeking a deeper understanding of character and moral agency.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Peters, Julia

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction; 1. The significance of character; 2. Setting the stage: Kant and the puzzle of moral character; 3. Intelligible character, empirical character, and moral character; 4. Kant's gesinnung: from groundwork to religion; 5. Against foundationalism about moral character; 6. Incomplete and complete virtue; 7. Kant on hard moral choices; 8. Kant and aristotelian neo-kantianism; Bibliography.

Über Autor(innen)

Peters, Julia
Julia Peters is Professor of Philosophy at Heidelberg University. She is the author of Hegel on Beauty (2015) and numerous articles in journals including Journal of the History of Philosophy, European Journal of Philosophy, Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie, and British Journal for the History of Philosophy.