Freedom is necessary for moral responsibility from "summary" of Immanuel Kant: Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics by Immanuel Kant
According to Kant, the concept of freedom is essential for moral responsibility. He argues that in order for individuals to be held accountable for their actions, they must possess the freedom to choose between right and wrong. Without freedom, moral responsibility becomes meaningless, as individuals would simply be acting in accordance with predetermined laws of nature. Kant distinguishes between two types of freedom: empirical freedom, which is the ability to act according to one's desires, and transcendental freedom, which is the ability to act according to moral law. While empirical freedom is limited by external factors such as physical constraints, transcendental freedom is the true source of moral responsibility. It is the ability to act autonomously, in accordance with moral principles, that allows individuals to be held accountable for their actions. For Kant, moral responsibility is not determined by the consequences of one's actions, but by the intention behind those actions. An individual is morally responsible when they act out of a sense of duty, rather than self-interest or external pressures. This requires the freedom to choose between different courses of action and to follow the dictates of reason rather than inclination. In Kant's view, moral responsibility is closely linked to the concept of autonomy. Autonomy is the ability to legislate moral laws for oneself, rather than having them imposed from external sources. This requires the freedom to act in accordance with one's own rational principles, rather than being driven by external forces or natural inclinations.- Kant believes that freedom is necessary for moral responsibility because it is only through the exercise of freedom that individuals can act in accordance with moral law. Without freedom, individuals would be mere puppets of nature, acting in accordance with predetermined laws rather than moral principles. It is freedom that allows individuals to make moral choices and to be held accountable for their actions.
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