Kant's Moral, Political, and Aesthetic Philosophy

Kant extended his critical project from theoretical to practical philosophy, beginning with the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785), whose opening sentence declares that "it is impossible to think of anything at all in the world, or indeed even beyond it, that could be considered good without limitation, except a good will." For Kant, moral worth attaches not to the consequences of an action, nor even to conformity with duty as such, but specifically to acting from duty, that is, out of respect for the moral law itself rather than from inclination, self-interest, or any other contingent motive; an action merely in accordance with duty but performed from some other motive, however beneficial its results, lacks genuine moral worth.