Kant on Freedom, Law, and Happiness

Kant is often portrayed as the author of a rigid system of ethics that suits perfectly rational beings but not human beings. The twelve essays in this collection by one of the world’s preeminent Kant scholars argue for a radically different account of Kant’s ethics. They explore an interpretation of the moral philosophy according to which freedom is the fundamental end of human action, but an end that can only be preserved and promoted by adherence to moral law. Paul Guyer radically revises the traditional interpretation of Kant’s moral and political philosophy and shows how Kant’s coherent liberalism can guide us in current debates.