Before the lecture

First lecture, orientation
―Kantian responses to students' typical questions―
1.
Humans are animals!?
2.
Humans are selfish beings!?
3.
Where does the persuasiveness of Kantian ethics come from?

Lecture 2: What is the 'Copernican Shift'?
―Revolutionary Ideas in Kant's Epistemology―
1.
The meaning of the 'Copernican shift'
2.
'Things in themselves' cannot be known - the skepticism of Hume and Wittgenstein
3.
How is nature itself possible? - Kant's Transcendental Philosophy

Lecture 3: Beyond Mathematics and Natural Sciences to Metaphysics
Beyond the category of intellect, toward the ideal of reason
1.
Characteristics of metaphysical cognition
2.
How is pure mathematics possible?
3.
How is pure natural science possible?
4.
How is metaphysics in general possible?
5.
From traditional metaphysics to new metaphysics

Lecture Four: Can humans recognize themselves?
―False Reasoning of Pure Reason―
1.
Soulistic Ideologies: The "False Reasoning" of Pure Reason
2.
Kant's 'transcendental idealism' and 'empirical realism'
3.
Beyond the denial of the phenomenal self, into the world of the noumenal self

Lecture 5: The Moral World and How Is Freedom Possible?
―The Compatibility of 'Natural Determinism' and 'Free Will'―
1.
Cosmological Ideologies: The "Contradictions" of Pure Reason
2.
mathematical contradiction
3.
Mechanical contradiction
4.
Freedom of will and the idea of ​​a moral world

Lecture Six: What is ‘Metaphysics of Morals’?
The Essence of Ethics
1.
The necessity and significance of moral metaphysics
2.
The Essence of Ethics Through Wittgenstein

Lecture Seven: What is ‘Good Will’?
―The meaning of good and good will―
1.
Goodwill and Duty
2.
What is good? - The concept of good and evil
3.
The inherent goodness in humans

Lecture 8: What is the 'Moral Law'?
―Moral Law and Categorical Imperative―
1.
Rules and laws
2.
Moral Law and Freedom
3.
What is a categorical imperative?

Lecture 9: How can moral laws be applied?
―Application examples of the formalities of the categorical imperative―
1.
Universal law formulation (universalism)
2.
The formality of the purpose itself (personalism)
3.
Autonomy and Human Dignity
4.
How is a categorical imperative possible?

Lecture Ten: What Are Moral Emotions?
―The problem of moral motivation―
1.
Moral emotions in Kantian ethics
2.
Respect for the moral law
3.
Moral emotions as moral well-being

Lecture Eleven: How Should Moral Education Be Done?
―Methodology of Moral Education―
1.
Moral Education Theory as Seen Through 『Education Theory』
2.
A Methodology of Moral Education as Seen Through the Critique of Practical Reason
3.
Moral Education Methodology as Seen Through the Metaphysics of Morals

Lecture 12, Issues from the "On Virtue" section of "Metaphysics of Morals"
―Duty to Oneself―
1.
Virtue and Virtuous Duties
2.
About human love
3.
On one's duty to oneself
4.
Complete duty to oneself
5.
imperfect duty to oneself

Lecture 13, Issues from the "On Virtue" section of "Metaphysics of Morals" Part 2
―Duty to Others―
1.
The duty of love and the duty of respect
2.
The duty of love toward others
3.
Duty of respect for others
4.
A union of love and respect - friendship

Final lecture: Can a moral life guarantee happiness?
―The call for the immortality of the soul and the presence of God―
1.
Are morality and happiness the same? ―Plato
2.
Distinction between moral principles and happiness principles
3.
The highest good and the highest good
4.
The call of pure practical reason
5.
Do Morality and Happiness Concur? ―Wittgenstein's Case

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These days, when I watch the news, I only hear bad news rather than good news.
We've been hearing things like 'the end of the world' and 'the world is dangerous' for a long time, but it seems like we've reached a point where those words are becoming heavy and tangible.
Even someone's death has become a laughing stock for someone else, and people increasingly value profit over ethics, the individual over the community, and themselves over others.
These days, even the outdated thinker's question, "Why do we talk about profit?" and the hero's last words, which stem from that outdated thought, "When you see profit, think about whether it is righteous," are becoming unbearably light.
So, in today's world where ethics have collapsed, we have no choice but to 'request' Kant's ethics.

But why Kant, of all people? Kant wasn't the only one to discuss ethics; modern philosophers have also posed the question, "What is justice?" So why call for Kant's ethics? The author of this book argues that Kant's ethics is similar to our traditional ethics, making it easier for us to understand and accept.
What we mean by our traditional ethics here is Confucianism, which is often referred to together with the word Taliban.
But is it really true that Kant's ethics is similar to Confucianism? While they may seem like an unlikely pair, Kant's ethics and Confucian morality actually share many similarities.
These similarities can also be seen in the original texts of the two ethics.

First of all, the basic principles are like that.
As we all know, Kant said this:
“Act so that the maxim of your will can always become at the same time a principle of universal legislation.” Confucianism says this a little differently.
“Do not do to others what you do not want done to you.” We often hold others to a stricter moral standard than we do ourselves.
As if it's okay for us to break some moral codes, but not for others.
But if I don't want it, the other person will do the same, and if I don't try to protect it, the other person will do the same.
Such moral laws are bound to eventually collapse.
So the moral law must be fair to everyone.

But isn't it too difficult to hold others and ourselves to a fair moral standard and live by it? According to Kant, it isn't.
Kant says this:
“In moral matters, ordinary reason is sufficient.” Confucianism is the same.
Confucius said:
“Is the person far away? No.
“If I want to be moral, then humanity will follow me.” However, living morally is not easy, and there can be no such thing as a perfectly moral person.
However, we have no choice but to continue to strive to live morally.
We are always shaken in the process.
So we need a pillar to hold on to and live on.

To put it another way, that is why we have no choice but to 'request' Kant's ethics.
The combination of the three words 'original text', 'Kant', and 'ethics' gives off the impression that it will contain quite difficult content at first glance.
This book is the result of a painstaking effort to help readers properly and easily understand Kant's "ethics" contained in the seemingly difficult "original text."
While teaching ethics at Seoul National University, the author wanted to help students properly understand Kant's ethics, and the original text was the way to do so.
Now we can follow that lecture through this book.
It's always difficult to take the first step.
But we must take the step.
Because you can.