ABSTRACT
Immanuel Kant is a preeminent figure in the history of modern philosophy. Born and raised in the Prussian town of Konigsberg, he attended its university and was eventually appointed to its chair of logic and metaphysics. Beginning in his early years with works in physics and astronomy, he eventually made numerous groundbreaking contributions to all the major fields of philosophy. His ethical system has been extraordinarily influential. According to Kant, the only correct ones are those that can serve as universal laws, because they are applicable to every person at any time without exception. In other words, one should act only on a maxim that can be universalized without contradiction. By the "metaphysics of morals" Kant means the philosophical study of moral principles, to be distinguished from an anthropological survey of moral practices. The excellent translation from the German is by the renowned Kant scholar Lewis White Beck, who was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Rochester.
