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Living Honestly and Killing Honorably. Ehre and Ehrbarkeit in the Metaphysics of Morals

Alessandro Pinzani

Resumo

This paper aims to call attention to some interpretative questions concerning a semantic constellation running through the entire Metaphysics of Morals. This semantic constellation has to do with the German root ehr- and refers to such concepts as ehrlich, Ehre, Ehrbarkeit, and Ehrlichkeit, which – although they have different meanings – share a connection to the central idea of the coincidence of honesty and honor, as shown by the Latin terms Kant often uses in the same context (honestas, honeste, etc.). It discusses how Kant uses the concepts of honesty and honor. It tries to answer the question of whether, according to Kant, it is acceptable to die for honor’s sake by analyzing some passages from the Metaphysics of Morals. Based on this analysis, it finally presents some conclusions on the concepts of dignity and agency and on their reciprocal relationship.

Palavras-chave

Kant; Metaphysics of Morals; Honor; Honesty; Dignity; Agency

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5380/sk.v21i1.91537