Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals Glossary

Determine

to cause something to appear in a certain way or to have a particular nature

Ethics

Moral philosophy, the branch of thought concerned with responsible moral conduct.

Physics

The science of matter and motion in nature.

Object

Something that is known or perceived by the human mind

Logic

The science of abstract reasoning, which lays down general rules for thought.

Psychology

The study of thoughts and feelings as they appear in the human mind.

Will

A faculty of the mind that matches means to ends in the world of appearances.

Pathological

Of or related to the emotions.

Maxim

A subjective rule or principle that we use to determine our actions, e.g., do a favor for a friend whenever you can.

Law

A universally valid rule for determining one's conduct.

Ground

A logical basis or justification.

Effect

A phenomenon whose character is determined by its following from a cause.

Highest Good

In Kant's definition, to be happy because one has done one's duty out of respect for the law.

Pure

Free of sensory impressions, not derived from experience

Incentive

Something that motivates or encourages us to act one way or another.

Experience

Knowledge that comes from using the categories of the understanding (e.g. causality, quantity) to order sensory impressions.

Condition

A situation that must be the case for something to be possible.

Understanding

The faculty of the mind that connects and orders sensory impressions into a coherent whole.

Motive

A reason for doing something.

A priori

Before experience, originating completely in the mind.

A posteriori

After experience, originating in experience.

Ends

Goals, aims, purposes.

Assertoric

A logical statement that judges whether something is the case or not, e.g. Peter is taller than Paul.

Problematic

A logical proposition that may or may not be true and that therefore needs to be investigated, e.g., Some basketball players play baseball when they retire.

Apodeictic

A logical statement that is universally and necessarily true, e.g. "All bachelors are unmarried."