Research On Kant’s Thought Of Moral Feelings From The Perspective Of Anthropology

For a long time,Kant’s ethics has been criticised for lacking an empirical element and for being merely empty formalism and individualism rather than realism,but when we return to the entire text of Kant’s moral philosophy and other related works,we find that these criticisms are untenable and reflect a misreading of Kant’s thought.In fact,Kant attached great importance to the elements of perceptual experience,but before that,he had to lay a reliable foundation for morality.Having accomplished this goal,Kant turned to exploring the implementation of the moral law in the empirical world.In order to make the moral law is no longer a moral delusion for limited rational being,Kant builded a bridge of moral feelings between the moral law and the sensual elements.On the one hand,moral feelings are homogeneous with reason,being themselves made by reason,and on the other hand,they are homogeneous with sensibility,being necessarily perceived by human;it is this dual property and structure of moral feelings that gives them their mediating role.In fact,moral feelings are addressed only to the unique situation of a limited rational being such as human.The moral law is real for the pure rational being because he is not bound by sensual desires,but it is contingent for the limited rational being.Moral feelings aim to address the question of what human,as a limited rational being,"can and should do" in order to observe and practise the moral law,stimulated by the sensual element.This is in line with the aim of Kantian ethics,which is to point to the order of humanity as a whole and the height of civilization,and ultimately to reach the ideal ethical community and perfect the moral condition of humanity as a whole.This is where the anthropological implications of moral feelings lie.However,Kant did not have a complete theory of moral feelings,his studies of moral feelings emerged gradually as his thought changed.In the pre-critical period,Kant had grounded morality in feeling due to the influence of the moral sense school,and then turned under the influence of rationalism.In the foundational period,in order didn’t to compromise the purity of the moral foundation,Kant acknowledged only one moral feelings,a feeling of respect for moral law,which was merely an awareness of the direct prescription of the law for the will.In Moral Metaphysics,some feelings that had been rejected were re-admitted to Kant,including conscience,love,friendship,and respect for personality,but they are no longer feelings in the ordinary sense of the word,and Kant gives them a moral reading.In addition to these there are feelings which,although Kant didn’t see them directly as moral feelings,are linked to the ultimate perfection of morality,including aesthetic feelings and some feelings with antagonism,and which are therefore included in the analysis of moral feelings for reasons of moral teleology.It essentially follows the transformative course of Kant’s thought,dividing them form an anthropological perspective,and analysing their role in the implementation of the moral law according to this logic,and combining with the final realization of the ethical community.It will help us to more fully understand Kant’s concept of moral feelings and explore its value and significance in contemporary society.