Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Assistant Professor of Philosophy Department, University of Ilam
Abstract
The aim of this paper is examining the issue that whether Kant's ethical thought, as Scheler has claimed, is formalistic. Here, after explaining the meaning of forlmalism and history of this kind of critique of Kant, we try to show his formalistic view in ethics, through considering some of basic concepts of his ethical thought, such as absolute good, duty, categorical imperative and autonomy of the will. It has been said that Kant's focusing on universal form of moral law and neglecting material aspects, contents, objects and ends of the actions mean his formalism in ethics. Furthermore, it has been mentioned the relationship between formalism and teleology in Kant' ethics and it has been said that according to some commentators through regarding human being as the end itself, he somewhat modifies his formalistic view; but since his teleology cannot be interpreted as in usual sense, which is a form of consequentialism, his ethical thinking remains formalistic. Finally, we explain Scheler's approach to Kant's ethics and their similarities and differences. Scheler agrees with Kant that the foundation of morality must be universal, unconditional and a priori, and that morality or immorality of action cannot depend on its consequence; but he disagrees with Kant's conclusion that the material contents of the moral experience plays no role in morality or immorality of action. Indeed, this disagreement depends on the difference between Scheler's phenomenological approach and Kant's rationalism in ethics.
Keywords
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