The Metaphysical Elements of Ethics

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"Excerpt from the book..."If there exists on any subject a philosophy (that is, a system ofrational knowledge based on concepts), then there must also be forthis philosophy a system of pure rational concepts, independent of anycondition of intuition, in other words, a metaphysic. It may beasked whether metaphysical elements are required also for everypractical philosophy, which is the doctrine of duties, and thereforealso for Ethics, in order to be able to present it as a true science(systematically), not merely as an aggregate of separate doctrines(fragmentarily). As regards pure jurisprudence, no one will questionthis requirement; for it concerns only what is formal in theelective will, which has to be limited in its external relationsaccording to laws of freedom; without regarding any end which is thematter of this will. Here, therefore, deontology is a merescientific doctrine (doctrina scientiae).