Oliver Sensen
Biographic Data
| ID | 4378174 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Oliver Sensen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Oliver |
| FAMILY NAME | Sensen |
| SIGNATURE | SENSEN O |
| AFFILIATIONS | Tulane University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 28 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 5 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
The Moral Law as an A Priori Principle. Kleingeld and Willaschek on Autonomy
According to a common reading of Kant, autonomy refers to the idea that pure reason gives the moral law to itself. Pauline Kleingeld and Marcus Willaschek reject this standard view both on textual as well as philosophical grounds. Instead, they argue that autonomy only selects mid-level principles, such as ‘help others,’ and that the moral law is a priori and not given. – In this paper, I first analyze on textual grounds what Kant means when he s…
How free is prudent behavior
We ordinarily believe that we have the capacity to freely act otherwise. If you have a choice between two desserts, for instance, we believe that in a deep metaphysical sense this decision is up to you. Given the same desires, information, circumstances, biological makeup, and past experiences, you can decide one way or the other. We believe that the decision is not causally pre-determined, and that one could not predict with certainty how an age…
Universal Law and Poverty Relief
Respect: Philosophical Essays
The Emergence of Autonomy in Kant's Moral Philosophy
Autonomy is one of the central concepts of contemporary moral thought, and Kant is often credited with being the inventor of individual moral autonomy. But how and why did Kant develop this notion? The Emergence of Autonomy in Kant's Moral Philosophy is the first essay collection exclusively devoted to this topic. It traces the emergence of autonomy from Kant's earliest writings to the changes that he made to the concept in his mature works. The …
Kant’s Constitutivism
In this paper, I argue that Kant is neither a realist nor an antirealist constructivist, as these two positions are usually understood. I first trace Kant's argument that morality must be grounded in autonomy, or in an a priori law of one's own reason. I then sketch why Kant's morality is not based on a value, and classify Kant's position in terms of contemporary distinctions. Kant's position is not moral realism, according to my view, because mo…
Chapter 7. The Supreme Principle of Morality
Kant's Lectures on Ethics: A Critical Guide
This is the first book devoted to an examination of Kant's lectures on ethics, which provide a unique and revealing perspective on the development of his views. In fifteen newly commissioned essays, leading Kant scholars discuss four sets of student notes reflecting different periods of Kant's career: those taken by Herder (1762–4), Collins (mid-1770s), Mrongovius (1784–5) and Vigilantius (1793–4). The essays cover a diverse range of topics, from…
Constructivism in Ethics
Are there such things as moral truths? How do we know what we should do? And does it matter? Constructivism states that moral truths are neither invented nor discovered, but rather are constructed by rational agents in order to solve practical problems. While constructivism has become the focus of many philosophical debates in normative ethics, meta-ethics and action theory, its importance is still to be fully appreciated. These new essays writte…
"Kant's "Tugendlehre: A Comprehensive Commentary
In recent years there has been renewed interest in the Doctrine of Virtue, the ethical part of Kant's late systematic treatise on moral philosophy, the Metaphysics of Morals. The present volume responds to these demands. Following a series of research workshops, 18 scholars from Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States provide a seamless commentary on the Doctrine of Virtue, discussing topics such as suicide, truthfulness, moral perfection, …
Kant on Moral Autonomy
The concept of autonomy is one of Kant's central legacies for contemporary moral thought. We often invoke autonomy as both a moral ideal and a human right, especially a right to determine oneself independently of foreign determinants; indeed, to violate a person's autonomy is considered to be a serious moral offence. Yet while contemporary philosophy claims Kant as the originator of its notion of autonomy, Kant's own conception of the term seems …
The moral importance of autonomy
A summary is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content.
Kant on Human Dignity
Immanuel Kant is often considered to be the source of the contemporary idea of human dignity, but his conception of human dignity and its relation to human value and to the requirement to respect others have not been widely understood. Kant on Human Dignity offers the first in-depth study in English of this subject. Based on a comprehensive analysis of all the passages in which Kant uses the term 'dignity', as well as an analysis of the most prom…
Human dignity in historical perspective: The contemporary and traditional paradigms
Over the last 60 years the idea of human dignity has become increasingly prominent in the political discourse on human rights. In United Nations documents, for instance, human dignity is currently presented as the justification for human rights. In this paper I shall argue that the contemporary way in which human dignity is thought to ground human rights is very different from the way human dignity has been understood traditionally. My aim is to …
Dignity and the formula of humanity
This chapter gives a reading of the formula of humanity and dignity that can do without a value as a foundation. It shifts the burden of proof to the defenders of the standard reading. The chapter argues that the absolute worth of a morally good will is neither a property all human beings possess, nor is it the reason why one should respect others. The chapter presents the alternative reading of the derivation and justification of the formula of …
Kant's Conception of Inner Value
This article addresses a foundational issue in Kant's moral philosophy, the question of the relation of the Categorical Imperative to value. There is an important movement in current Kant scholarship that argues that there is a value underlying the Categorical Imperative. However, some scholars have raised doubts as to whether Kant has a conception of value that could ground the Categorical Imperative. In this paper I seek to add to these doubts …
Kant's Conception of Human Dignity
In this article I argue that Kant's conception of dignity is commonly misunderstood. On the basis of a few passages in the Grundlegung scholars often attribute to Kant a view of dignity as an absolute inner value all human beings possess. However, a different picture emerges if one takes into account all the passages in which Kant uses 'dignity'. I shall argue that Kant's conception of dignity is a more Stoic one: He conceives of dignity as subli…
Human dignity in historical perspective: The contemporary and traditional paradigms
Over the last 60 years the idea of human dignity has become increasingly prominent in the political discourse on human rights. In United Nations documents, for instance, human dignity is currently presented as the justification for human rights. In this paper I shall argue that the contemporary way in which human dignity is thought to ground human rights is very different from the way human dignity has been understood traditionally. My aim is to …
Kant's Conception of Human Dignity
In this article I argue that Kant's conception of dignity is commonly misunderstood. On the basis of a few passages in the Grundlegung scholars often attribute to Kant a view of dignity as an absolute inner value all human beings possess. However, a different picture emerges if one takes into account all the passages in which Kant uses 'dignity'. I shall argue that Kant's conception of dignity is a more Stoic one: He conceives of dignity as subli…
Kant's Conception of Inner Value
This article addresses a foundational issue in Kant's moral philosophy, the question of the relation of the Categorical Imperative to value. There is an important movement in current Kant scholarship that argues that there is a value underlying the Categorical Imperative. However, some scholars have raised doubts as to whether Kant has a conception of value that could ground the Categorical Imperative. In this paper I seek to add to these doubts …
"Kant's "Tugendlehre: A Comprehensive Commentary
In recent years there has been renewed interest in the Doctrine of Virtue, the ethical part of Kant's late systematic treatise on moral philosophy, the Metaphysics of Morals. The present volume responds to these demands. Following a series of research workshops, 18 scholars from Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States provide a seamless commentary on the Doctrine of Virtue, discussing topics such as suicide, truthfulness, moral perfection, …
Dignity and the formula of humanity
This chapter gives a reading of the formula of humanity and dignity that can do without a value as a foundation. It shifts the burden of proof to the defenders of the standard reading. The chapter argues that the absolute worth of a morally good will is neither a property all human beings possess, nor is it the reason why one should respect others. The chapter presents the alternative reading of the derivation and justification of the formula of …
Kant's Conception of Inner Value
This article addresses a foundational issue in Kant's moral philosophy, the question of the relation of the Categorical Imperative to value. There is an important movement in current Kant scholarship that argues that there is a value underlying the Categorical Imperative. However, some scholars have raised doubts as to whether Kant has a conception of value that could ground the Categorical Imperative. In this paper I seek to add to these doubts …
Kant's Conception of Human Dignity
In this article I argue that Kant's conception of dignity is commonly misunderstood. On the basis of a few passages in the Grundlegung scholars often attribute to Kant a view of dignity as an absolute inner value all human beings possess. However, a different picture emerges if one takes into account all the passages in which Kant uses 'dignity'. I shall argue that Kant's conception of dignity is a more Stoic one: He conceives of dignity as subli…
Kant on Human Dignity
Immanuel Kant is often considered to be the source of the contemporary idea of human dignity, but his conception of human dignity and its relation to human value and to the requirement to respect others have not been widely understood. Kant on Human Dignity offers the first in-depth study in English of this subject. Based on a comprehensive analysis of all the passages in which Kant uses the term 'dignity', as well as an analysis of the most prom…
Human dignity in historical perspective: The contemporary and traditional paradigms
Over the last 60 years the idea of human dignity has become increasingly prominent in the political discourse on human rights. In United Nations documents, for instance, human dignity is currently presented as the justification for human rights. In this paper I shall argue that the contemporary way in which human dignity is thought to ground human rights is very different from the way human dignity has been understood traditionally. My aim is to …
Kant on Moral Autonomy
The concept of autonomy is one of Kant's central legacies for contemporary moral thought. We often invoke autonomy as both a moral ideal and a human right, especially a right to determine oneself independently of foreign determinants; indeed, to violate a person's autonomy is considered to be a serious moral offence. Yet while contemporary philosophy claims Kant as the originator of its notion of autonomy, Kant's own conception of the term seems …
The moral importance of autonomy
A summary is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content.
Constructivism in Ethics
Are there such things as moral truths? How do we know what we should do? And does it matter? Constructivism states that moral truths are neither invented nor discovered, but rather are constructed by rational agents in order to solve practical problems. While constructivism has become the focus of many philosophical debates in normative ethics, meta-ethics and action theory, its importance is still to be fully appreciated. These new essays writte…
"Kant's "Tugendlehre: A Comprehensive Commentary
In recent years there has been renewed interest in the Doctrine of Virtue, the ethical part of Kant's late systematic treatise on moral philosophy, the Metaphysics of Morals. The present volume responds to these demands. Following a series of research workshops, 18 scholars from Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States provide a seamless commentary on the Doctrine of Virtue, discussing topics such as suicide, truthfulness, moral perfection, …
Kant's Lectures on Ethics: A Critical Guide
This is the first book devoted to an examination of Kant's lectures on ethics, which provide a unique and revealing perspective on the development of his views. In fifteen newly commissioned essays, leading Kant scholars discuss four sets of student notes reflecting different periods of Kant's career: those taken by Herder (1762–4), Collins (mid-1770s), Mrongovius (1784–5) and Vigilantius (1793–4). The essays cover a diverse range of topics, from…
Chapter 7. The Supreme Principle of Morality
Kant’s Constitutivism
In this paper, I argue that Kant is neither a realist nor an antirealist constructivist, as these two positions are usually understood. I first trace Kant's argument that morality must be grounded in autonomy, or in an a priori law of one's own reason. I then sketch why Kant's morality is not based on a value, and classify Kant's position in terms of contemporary distinctions. Kant's position is not moral realism, according to my view, because mo…
The Emergence of Autonomy in Kant's Moral Philosophy
Autonomy is one of the central concepts of contemporary moral thought, and Kant is often credited with being the inventor of individual moral autonomy. But how and why did Kant develop this notion? The Emergence of Autonomy in Kant's Moral Philosophy is the first essay collection exclusively devoted to this topic. It traces the emergence of autonomy from Kant's earliest writings to the changes that he made to the concept in his mature works. The …
Respect: Philosophical Essays
How free is prudent behavior
We ordinarily believe that we have the capacity to freely act otherwise. If you have a choice between two desserts, for instance, we believe that in a deep metaphysical sense this decision is up to you. Given the same desires, information, circumstances, biological makeup, and past experiences, you can decide one way or the other. We believe that the decision is not causally pre-determined, and that one could not predict with certainty how an age…
Universal Law and Poverty Relief
The Moral Law as an A Priori Principle. Kleingeld and Willaschek on Autonomy
According to a common reading of Kant, autonomy refers to the idea that pure reason gives the moral law to itself. Pauline Kleingeld and Marcus Willaschek reject this standard view both on textual as well as philosophical grounds. Instead, they argue that autonomy only selects mid-level principles, such as ‘help others,’ and that the moral law is a priori and not given. – In this paper, I first analyze on textual grounds what Kant means when he s…
Epistemology (14 works) · Philosophy (13 works) · Political science (13 works) · Law (12 works) · Philosophical Ethics and Theory (11 works) · Morality (10 works) · Environmental ethics (7 works) · Autonomy (6 works) · Mathematics (6 works) · Political Philosophy and Ethics (6 works)