Published in 1785, the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals is one of the most powerful texts in the history of ethical thought. In this book, Immanuel Kant formulates and justifies a supreme principle of morality that issues universal and unconditional moral commands. These commands receive their normative force from the fact that rational agents autonomously impose the moral law upon themselves. As such, they are laws of freedom. This volume contains the first facing-page German-English edition of Kant's Groundwork. It presents an authentic edition of the German text and a carefully revised version of Mary Gregor's acclaimed English translation, as well as editorial notes and a full bilingual index. It will be the edition of choice for any student or scholar who is not content with reading this central contribution to modern moral philosophy through the veil of English translation.

Acknowledgements page viii

Introductory note: text and translation ix

Kant: Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals 1

Vorrede / Preface 2/3

Erster Abschnitt / First Section 14/15

Zweyter Abschnitt / Second Section 40/41

Dritter Abschnitt / Third Section 120/121

Editorial notes

Emendations 157

Differences between the second and fi rst editions 158

Notes on the translation 161

Index of names 174

Index of words 174

Index of key terms 192

Jens Timmermann is Senior Lecturer in Moral Philosophy at the University of St Andrews. He is the author of Kant's 'Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals': A Commentary (Cambridge University Press, 2007) and of Kant's 'Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals': A Critical Guide (Cambridge University Press, 2010).

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