Morality and Agency

The authors argue that an understanding of human agency based on Spinoza's views can resolve the apparent conflict between the demands of happiness and the dictates of morality without damaging the unique values associated with the moral form of life espoused by Kant. Because Spinoza's views previously have been isolated from the main stream of moral philosophy in which Kant is the central figure, the insights presented in this text constitute a corrective for philosophical reflection on morality and ethics. Contents: include: Two Kinds of Value; Kant's Shadow Model of Moral Causality; Reflexive Decision-Making; Groundwork for a Transition to Spinoza; Spinoza's Account of Human Agency; Agency in Kant; Explaining Away the Evidence for Morality as a Form of Life; and The Unique Viability of the Moral Form of Life.