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Formalism and Heteronomy qua Logonomy—On Max Scheler’s Critique and Development of Kant’s Ethics

  • ZHANG Wei
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  • Department of Philosophy, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China

Published date: 15 Sep 2020

Copyright

2020 Higher Education Press and Brill

Abstract

How should Scheler’s critique of Kant’s ethics be interpreted? This paper focuses on two aspects of Scheler’s critique of Kant’s ethics: 1) the problem of “formalism” in Kant’s ethics, and 2) the problem of the “ethics of autonomy” and “ethics of heteronomy.” Generally speaking, Scheler’s project has a “modern” starting point; that is to say, his work starts with the rejection or critique of Kant and Aristotle. Most essentially, Scheler’s “material ethics of values” (ethics of person) must stay autonomous. Following Kant, Scheler takes Aristotle’s theory as an “ethics of heteronomy,” and then competes with Kant within the “ethics of autonomy” and further develops his own “ethics of personal autonomy.”

Cite this article

ZHANG Wei . Formalism and Heteronomy qua Logonomy—On Max Scheler’s Critique and Development of Kant’s Ethics[J]. Frontiers of Philosophy in China, 2020 , 15(3) : 380 -394 . DOI: 10.3868/s030-009-020-0022-8

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