*Thisholdsnotwithstandingthefactthatthetermmorals,\"inLatinmores,andinGermansitten,signifiesoriginallyonlymannersormodeoflife。
Metaphysicsdesignatesanysystemofknowledgeapriorithatconsistsofpureconceptions。Accordingly,apracticalphilosophynothavingnature,butthefreedomofthewillforitsobject,willpresupposeandrequireametaphysicofmorals。Itisevenadutytohavesuchametaphysic;andeverymandoes,indeed,possessitinhimself,althoughcommonlybutinanobscureway。Forhowcouldanyonebelievethathehasasourceofuniversallawinhimself,withoutprinciplesapriori?Andjustasinametaphysicsofnaturetheremustbeprinciplesregulatingtheapplicationoftheuniversalsupremeprinciplesofnaturetoobjectsofexperience,sotherecannotbutbesuchprinciplesinthemetaphysicofmorals;andwewilloftenhavetodealobjectivelywiththeparticularnatureofmanasknownonlybyexperience,inordertoshowinittheconsequencesoftheseuniversalmoralprinciples。Butthismodeofdealingwiththeseprinciplesintheirparticularapplicationswillinnowaydetractfromtheirrationalpurity,orthrowdoubtontheiraprioriorigin。Inotherwords,thisamountstosayingthatametaphysicofmoralscannotbefoundedonanthropologyastheempiricalscienceofman,butmaybeappliedtoit。
Thecounterpartofametaphysicofmorals,andtheothermemberofthedivisionofpracticalphilosophy,wouldbeamoralanthropology,astheempiricalscienceofthemoralnatureofman。Thissciencewouldcontainonlythesubjectiveconditionsthathinderorfavortherealizationinpracticeoftheuniversalmorallawsinhumannature,withthemeansofpropagating,spreading,andstrengtheningthemoralprinciples—asbytheeducationoftheyoungandtheinstructionofthepeople—andallothersuchdoctrinesandpreceptsfoundeduponexperienceandindispensableinthemselves,althoughtheymustneitherprecedethemetaphysicalinvestigationoftheprinciplesofreason,norbemixedupwithit。For,bydoingso,therewouldbeagreatdangeroflayingdownfalse,oratleastveryflexiblemorallaws,whichwouldholdforthasunattainablewhatisnotattachedonlybecausethelawhasnotbeencomprehendedandpresentedinitspurity,inwhichalsoitsstrengthconsists。Or,otherwise,spuriousandmixedmotivesmightbeadoptedinsteadofwhatisdutifulandgoodinitself;andthesewouldfurnishnocertainmoralprincipleseitherfortheguidanceofthejudgementorforthedisciplineoftheheartinthepracticeofduty。Itisonlybypurereason,therefore,thatdutycanandmustbeprescribed。
Thehigherdivisionofphilosophy,underwhichthedivisionjustmentionedstands,isintotheoreticalphilosophyandpracticalphilosophy。Practicalphilosophyisjustmoralphilosophyinitswidestsense,ashasbeenexplainedelsewhere。*Allthatispracticableandpossible,accordingtonaturallaws,isthespecialsubjectoftheactivityofart,anditspreceptsandrulesentirelydependonthetheoryofnature。Itisonlywhatispracticableaccordingtolawsoffreedomthatcanhaveprinciplesindependentoftheory,forthereisnotheoryinrelationtowhatpassesbeyondthedeterminationsofnature。Philosophythereforecannotembraceunderitspracticaldivisionatechnicaltheory,butonlyamorallypracticaldoctrine。Butifthedexterityofthewillinactingaccordingtolawsoffreedom,incontradistinctiontonature,weretobealsocalledanart,itwouldnecessarilyindicateanartwhichwouldmakeasystemoffreedompossiblelikethesystemofnature。
ThiswouldtrulybeaDivineart,ifwewereinapositionbymeansofittorealizecompletelywhatreasonprescribestous,andtoputtheideaintopractice。
*IntheCritiqueofJudgement(1790)。
III。THEDIVISIONOFAMETAPHYSICOFMORALS。
Alllegislation,whetherrelatingtointernalorexternalaction,andwhetherprescribedaprioribymerereasonorlaiddownbythewillofanother,involvestwoelements:First,alawwhichrepresentstheactionthatoughttohappenasnecessaryobjectively,thusmakingtheactionaduty;second,amotivewhichconnectstheprincipledeterminingthewilltothisactionwiththementalrepresentationofthelawsubjectively,sothatthelawmakesdutythemotiveoftheaction。Bythefirstelement,theactionisrepresentedasaduty,inaccordancewiththemeretheoreticalknowledgeofthepossibilityofdeterminingtheactivityofthewillbypracticalrules。Bythesecondelement,theobligationsotoactisconnectedinthesubjectwithadeterminingprincipleofthewillassuch。Alllegislation,therefore,maybedifferentiatedbyreferencetoitsmotive—principle。*Thelegislationwhichmakesanactionaduty,andthisdutyatthesametimeamotive,isethical。Thatlegislationwhichdoesnotincludethemotive—principleinthelaw,andconsequentlyadmitsanothermotivethantheideaofdutyitself,isjuridical。Inrespectofthelatter,itisevidentthatthemotivesdistinctfromtheideaofduty,towhichitmayrefer,mustbedrawnfromthesubjective(pathological)influencesofinclinationandofaversion,determiningthevoluntaryactivity,andespeciallyfromthelatter;becauseitisalegislationwhichhastobecompulsory,andnotmerelyamodeofattractingorpersuading。Theagreementornon—agreementofanactionwiththelaw,withoutreferencetoitsmotive,isitslegality;andthatcharacteroftheactioninwhichtheideaofdutyarisingfromthelawatthesametimeformsthemotiveoftheaction,isitsmorality。
*Thisgroundofdivisionwillapply,althoughtheactionwhichitmakesadutymaycoincidewithanotheractionthatmaybeotherwiselookedatfromanotherpointofview。Forinstance,actionsmayinallcasesbeclassifiedasexternal。
Dutiesspeciallyinaccordwithajuridicallegislationcanonlybeexternalduties。Forthismodeoflegislationdoesnotrequirethattheideaoftheduty,whichisinternal,shallbeofitselfthedeterminingprincipleoftheactofwill;andasitrequiresamotivesuitabletothenatureofitslaws,itcanonlyconnectwhatisexternalwiththelaw。Ethicallegislation,ontheotherhand,makesinternalactionsalsoduties,butnottotheexclusionoftheexternal,foritembraceseverythingwhichisofthenatureofduty。
Andjustbecausejustbecauseethicallegislationincludeswithinitslawtheinternalmotiveoftheactionascontainedintheideaofduty,itinvolvesacharacteristicwhichcannotatallenterintothelegislationthatisexternal。Hence,ethicallegislationcannotassuchbeexternal,notevenwhenproceedingfromaDivinewill,althoughitmayreceivedutieswhichrestonanexternallegislationasduties,intothepositionofmotives,withinitsownlegislation。
Fromwhathasbeensaid,itisevidentthatallduties,merelybecausetheyareduties,belongtoethics;andyetthelegislationuponwhichtheyarefoundedisnotonthataccountinallcasescontainedinethics。Onthecontrary,thelawofmanyofthemliesoutsideofethics。ThusethicscommandsthatImustfulfilapromiseenteredintobycontract,althoughtheotherpartymightnotbeabletocompelmetodoso。Itadoptsthelaw(pactasuntservanda)andthedutycorrespondingtoit,fromjurisprudenceorthescienceofright,bywhichtheyareestablished。Itisnotinethics,therefore,butinjurisprudence,thattheprincipleofthelegislationlies,that\"promisesmadeandacceptedmustbekept。\"Accordingly,ethicsspeciallyteachesthatifthemotive—principleofexternalcompulsionwhichjuridicallegislationconnectswithadutyisevenletgo,theideaofdutyaloneissufficientofitselfasamotive。
Forwereitnotso,andwerethelegislationitselfnotjuridical,andconsequentlythedutyarisingfromitnotspeciallyadutyofrightasdistinguishedfromadutyofvirtue,thenfidelityintheperformanceofacts,towhichtheindividualmaybeboundbythetermsofacontract,wouldhavetobeclassifiedwithactsofbenevolenceandtheobligationthatunderliesthem,whichcannotbecorrect。Tokeepone\'spromiseisnotproperlyadutyofvirtue,butadutyofright,andtheperformanceofitcanbeenforcedbyexternalcompulsion。Buttokeepone\'spromise,evenwhennocompulsioncanbeappliedtoenforceit,is,atthesametime,avirtuousaction,andaproofofvirtue。jurisprudenceasthescienceofright,andethicsasthescienceofvirtue,arethereforedistinguishednotsomuchbytheirdifferentduties,asratherbythedifferenceOfthelegislationwhichconnectstheoneortheotherkindofmotivewiththeirlaws。