DUTY AS THE FOUNDATION OF KANTIAN MORALITY: REFLECTIONS ON HUMAN SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Abstract

This article analyzes the centrality of the concept of Duty in Immanuel Kant's moral philosophy and its implications for the moral and social improvement of humanity. Based on previous investigations conducted by the author on Kantian ethics, the study examines how deontological principles, expressed through the good will, the categorical imperatives, and the autonomy of reason, provide robust responses to diagnoses of moral crises, conflicts, and the instrumentalization of human beings. It investigates the relationship between virtue and duty, respect for human dignity as an end in itself, and the role of freedom and Enlightenment (Aufklärung) in overcoming civilizational decline. The study concludes that the unconditional fulfillment of rational Duty does not constitute heteronomy or oppression, but rather the necessary condition for the achievement of moral freedom and peaceful coexistence in society.