An Analysis Of "Achtung" In Kant's Ethics

In Kant's ethics,"Achtung" refers to the respect,compliance and conviction of moral law".According to Kant,the only emotion of the limited rational being in the face of the inevitable moral law is "Achtunng".The object of"Achtung"in Kantian ethics is"moral law".The specific content of the moral law is:"act in such a way that the criterion of your will may at all times be regarded as a general legislative principle".Moral law is a priori and the highest condition of all moral principles.Kant first used the word"reverence"in his work in the first chapter of the foundation of the metaphysics of morals.Kant gives three principles of duty.The first principle says,"value comes from duty,not from duty."The second principle says,?ACTS of duty'depend not on actuality,but on the principle of will."The third principle says,"duty is the necessity of action out of respect for the law.""Achtung"appears neither in the first principle nor in the second principle,but is introduced as a conclusion in the third principle,leaving the reader much confusion and perplexity.The direct introduction of"Achtung"makes it difficult to explain the relationship between these three principles.It has also become a difficult problem for Kant scholars at home and abroad to reach a consensus.On the basis of summarizing the solutions to this problem by Kant scholars at home and abroad,this paper puts forward its own interpretation.The author thinks that we should break through the two terms of Kant's"hypothetical imperative"and"categorical imperative".Kant distinguishes between possible"and "realistic"hypothetical commands and "inevitable”categorical commands.The"possible"and"realistic"hypothetical commands are homogeneous,but they are heterogeneous with the"inevitable"categorical commands.Because the words"possible"and"realistic"represent generation and transformation;"Inevitable"means always so and only to itself.There is a fundamental difference between"possible"and"realistic"hypothetical commands and"inevitable"categorical commands.Kant thinks that"moral law is the only categorical command",while hypothetical command belongs to the limited rational being.This constitutes the fundamental difference between the finite"moral law"and the finite rational being.It is because there is a fundamental difference between the inevitable and infinite"moral law"and the actual and limited rational being as an individual.Therefore,only the respect for the"moral law"is the expression of the relationship between the limited rational being and the universal"moral law".The combing of"Achtung"in Kant's ethics is of great significance to the cultivation of moral concepts in modern and contemporary Chinese social life.This concept of elevating"moral law"to the highest status is generally lacking in Chinese society.This idea of valuing morality and even regarding morality as the highest evaluation standard among all evaluation standards is of positive significance to the sound operation of the whole society.