University of Groningen. The subjective conditions of human morality Vujosevic, Marijana

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1 University of Groningen The subjective conditions of human morality Vujosevic, Marijana IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from it. Please check the document version below. Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Publication date: 2017 Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Vujosevic, M. (2017). The subjective conditions of human morality: The relevance of Kant s moral psychology. [Groningen]: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. Download date:

2 The Subjective Conditions of Human Morality The Relevance of Kant s Moral Psychology

3 THE SUBJECTIVE CONDITIONS OF HUMAN MORALITY: The Relevance of Kant s Moral Psychology Copyright 2017 by Marijana Vujošević ISBN printed version: ISBN digital version: Research for this book was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Cover image by Ivana Brnada Typesetting by *studio Michal Slawiński, thesisprint.eu Printed by Proefschriftenprinten.nl

4 The Subjective Conditions of Human Morality The Relevance of Kant s Moral Psychology PhD thesis to obtain the degree of PhD at the University of Groningen on the authority of the Rector Magnificus Prof. E. Sterken and in accordance with the decision by the College of Deans. This thesis will be defended in public on Thursday 22 June 2017 at 9:00 hours by Marijana Vujošević born on 17 March 1979 in Novi Sad, Serbia

5 Supervisor Prof. P. Kleingeld Assessment Committee Prof. C. Bagnoli Prof. K. Bauer Prof. M. Lenz

6 For my parents

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8 Table of Contents References to Kant s Writings 9 Acknowledgements Introduction The Relevance of Moral Psychology in Kant s Moral Theory The Relevance of Kant s Conception of Conscience to Contemporary Moral Psychology The Kantian Capacity for Moral Self Control: Abstraction at Two Levels Introduction Self-Control as Autocracy Self-Control as Abstraction Voluntary Distraction: The Rudimentary Level of Self Control Abstraction in the Narrow Sense and its Multiple Functions Conclusion Kant s Conception of Moral Strength Introduction Kantian Moral Strength Thus Far A Twofold Account of Moral Strength Strength in Acting Acquired via Cultivation Virtue as the Strength of Intention Conclusion Kant s Account of Moral Weakness as Lack of Moral Strength Introduction A Critical Look at Paradigmatic Solutions An Attempt at a Novel Solution Preliminary Clarifications Is Weakness a Mere Lack of Moral Strength at the Level of Maxim Following? Moral Weakness at the Level of Maxim Adoption Conclusion 98

9 5. The Judge in the Mirror: Kant on Conscience Introduction Why is Kant s Account of Conscience a Puzzle? Kantian Conscience, Special Moral Sense, Guilt and Relief Conscience: Felt Clue or Special Moral Sense? Conscience and the Self-Evaluative Sentiments Conscience as One of the Conditions of Moral Receptivity Conscience as Practical Reason and its Multiple Functions Conclusion Conscience as the Rational Deficit of Psychopaths Introduction A Kantian Conception of Conscience: Conscience as Moral Self-Appraisal Psychopaths and Moral Self-Assessment Unrealistic Self-Assessment and Self Evaluative Feelings Incompetence in Judging Moral Issues Insensitivity to Moral Considerations Failure to Accept Responsibility The Specific Rational Deficit of Psychopaths and its Implications for the Rationalism Sentimentalism Debate 143 Concluding Considerations 147 Summary 153 Samenvatting 161 About the author 169 References 171

10 References to Kant s Writings References are to: Kants gesammelte Schriften. Ausgabe der Preussischen (later Deutschen) Akademie der Wissenschaften (Berlin: Georg Reimer, subsequently Walter de Gruyter, 1900 ). Except where indicated otherwise, translations are based on the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant, eds. Paul Guyer and Allen Wood (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992 ). References to Kant s works are given using the following abbreviation scheme: A C C1 C2 C3 G ID LA LE LM MM MPTT NF NMM P R Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View Conflict of the Faculties Critique of Pure Reason Critique of Practical Reason Critique of the Power of Judgment Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals Inaugural Dissertation Lectures on Anthropology Lectures on Ethics Lectures on Metaphysics The Metaphysics of Morals On the Miscarriage of all Philosophical Trials in Theodicy Notes and Fragments Kant s Notes to the Metaphysics of Morals What Real Progress Has Metaphysics Made in Germany Since the Time of Leibniz and Wolff? Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason 9

11 Acknowledgements Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 of this dissertation are slightly modified versions of the following articles: Vujošević, Marijana (2014) The Judge in the Mirror: Kant on Conscience. Kantian Review, 19, DOI: Vujošević, Marijana (2015) Conscience as the Rational Deficit of Psychopaths. Philosophical Psychology 28, DOI: I would first like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Pauline Kleingeld. Thank you, Pauline, for giving me the opportunity to do what I always wanted to do. Thank you also for your helpful and thoughtful comments on numerous drafts of my papers. Finally, thank you for teaching me how to prepare work for publication and for encouraging me to improve my public speaking skills. Additionally, I would like to thank the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) for funding Pauline s project, Kant on Morality and Empirical Knowledge of Human Agency, to which my own research contributed. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend interesting conferences and to present my work in different countries; conferences in Toronto, Leuven and Oslo were particularly productive and enjoyable. The same holds for my research visit at Macquarie University (Sydney); Professor Jeannette Kennett, whose work inspired me to write on conscience dysfunction in individuals with psychopathy, has greatly helped me to develop my own view. Working in Groningen has been a pleasure, and I have been lucky to have wonderful officemates. Thank you Franziska for your warm hospitality and for making my days in Groningen special. Thank you Marc for your caring advice and for making me feel so welcome in our office. And thank you Paolo for your continual concern about my falling downstairs (again) when I was pregnant. Not only were my officemates great, but my other colleagues were wonderful as well. Thank you Paulien (Snellen) for your sincerity, for your comments on my papers, and for making me see how Kant looks when viewed from an Aristotelian perspective. Thank you Frank, Jochen and Markus for your valuable help with my papers. There are so many others I would like to acknowledge, including (but not limited to): Anita Willems-Veenstra, Daan Evers, Karolina Krzyżanowska, Leon Geerdink, Matthé Scholten, Nikki Hausen, Nynke Kathelyne Boef, Peter Timmerman, Sander Verhaegh, Stefan Sleeuw, Titus Stahl and Tom Bates. 10

12 I would also like to thank Sanne Stuur for her great friendship and wise advice, Carolyn Benson for invaluable help with my dissertation, and Ljiljana Bogičević for endless corrections to my Dutch. To Branka, Ivana, Sandra, Svetlana and Timea: it is a privilege to have you as friends (even though we are often far apart). I would like to thank my perfect mother for always being there for me and my father for encouraging me to study philosophy. I am also grateful to my sister and thrilled to have her here in the Netherlands. Special thanks go to Đura, who has always understood my passion for philosophy and is always ready to readjust his busy schedule. Special thanks also to Filip, who has completely changed my perspective on life. You amaze me every day, and, incredibly, you ve even cured me of my extreme fear of public speaking. Although I ve not slept for over three years, I wouldn t have it any other way. 11

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