Kant's Doctrine of Virtue

Immanuel Kant's final publication in ethics was The Doctrine of Virtue, Part II of the 1797 The Metaphysics of Morals. This text presents Kant's normative ethical theory. This guide is meant to be read alongside Kant's text, combining accessible explanations and novel interpretations of this difficult text. It is the first book in English devoted to The Doctrine of Virtue, one of Kant's most significant works.

Timmons divides the guide into five parts. Part I reviews Kant's life, the history and significance of The Doctrine of Virtue, and situates Kant's ethics within his general metaphysical and epistemological views. Part II is devoted to the General Introduction to The Metaphysics of Morals, which is essential for understanding Kant's ethics. Part III and Part IV turn to The Doctrine of Virtue itself, exploring Kant's defense of a system of duties and corresponding virtues. Part V examines Kant's conception of moral education, the practice of virtue, and the conclusion to the book where Kant explains why the discipline of ethics does not include religion as a doctrine of duties to God. Timmons concludes the book highlighting key aspects of The Doctrine of Virtue, situating Kant's ethical theory in relation to other normative ethical theories. This guide is a vital resource for both students and scholars interested in ethics and the history of philosophy.

Mark Timmons is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Arizona. He specializes in metaethics, Kant's ethics, and normative moral theory. He is author of Morality without Foundations (1999) and Moral Theory: An Introduction, 2nd edition (2013). A collection of his previously published articles on Kant's ethics are included in Significance and System: Essays on Kant's Ethics (2017). He is editor of Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics, and editor or co-editor of many volumes.

Preface and acknowledgements
Abbreviations for Kant's works and note on translations

Part I: Background
1. Life and Work
2. Philosophical Background

Part II: General Introduction to the Metaphysics of Morals
3. On the Idea of and Necessity for a Metaphysics of Morals
4. Mental Faculties, the Moral Law, and Human Motivation
5. Preliminary Concepts and Division of the Metaphysics of Morals

Part III: Introduction to the Doctrine of Virtue
6. The Doctrine of Virtue as a Doctrine of Ends
7. General Ends that are Also Duties
8. Radical Evil and the Nature of Virtue
9. The Science of Ethics

Part IV: The Doctrine of Elements
10. Perfect Duties to Oneself as an Animal Being
11. Perfect Duties to Oneself Merely as a Moral Being
12. Imperfect Duties to Oneself
13. Duties of Love to Other Human Beings
14. The Vices of Hatred and of Disrespect
15. Friendship

Part V: The Doctrine of Methods of Ethics and Conclusion
16. Moral Education and Practice

Concluding Reflections on Kant's Doctrine of Virtue

Guide to Terminology
Bibliography
Index