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The Apple of Kant's Ethics: i‐Maxims as the Locus of Assessment
Author(s) -
Kahn Samuel
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
pacific philosophical quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.914
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1468-0114
pISSN - 0279-0750
DOI - 10.1111/papq.12422
Subject(s) - maxim , philosophy , action (physics) , epistemology , linguistics , quantum mechanics , physics
Abstract I want to distinguish between maxims at three levels of abstraction. At the first level are what I shall call individual maxims, or i‐maxims: maxim tokens as adopted by particular rational beings. At the second level are abstract maxims, or a‐maxims: abstract principles distinct from any individual who adopts them. At the third level are maxim kinds, or k‐maxims: sets of various action‐guiding principles that are grouped on the basis of their content. In this paper, I argue for the thesis that i‐maxims are the locus of assessment in Kant's ethics.