Baumgarten’s Philosophical Ethics

Alexander Baumgarten (1714-1762) was among the first to teach the controversial philosophy of Christian Wolff (1679-1754). By order of the king, he moved to Frankfurt on the Oder in 1739, where he remained until his death in 1762. His most influential philosophical works are Metaphysics (1739), Philosophical Ethics (1740) and Aesthetics (2 Vols, 1750 and 1757). Today Baumgarten is also regarded as a central founder of modern aesthetics. John Hymers is Associate Professor of Philosophy at La Salle University, USA. He is the co-editor and translator of Metaphysics: A Critical Translation (Bloomsbury, 2012), Preparation for Natural Theology (Bloomsbury, 2016) and Baumgarten's Elements of First Practical Philosophy (Bloomsbury, 2020).

Kant was long alone at the University of Königsberg in using Baumgarten’s Philosophical Ethics for teaching. With the first modern translation of this textbook, John Hymers meets the highest editorial standards. His volume will be groundbreaking for further research, as it provides a unique insight into the genesis and context of Kant's moral philosophy.

• Series Editors’ PrefaceAcknowledgments Abbreviations Translator’s Introduction to the BEP This Volume Alexander Baumgarten – A Brief Life The central themes of the Ethica Philosophica 1) The Determining Ground of Perfection 2) Obligation 3) Happiness and religion Notes on this translation 1) The editions of the Ethica Philosophica 2) Vocabulary Baumgarten’s Philosophical EthicsTo the listener of good will [Preface to the first edition]New Preface [Preface to the second edition]Synopsis ProlegomenaPart I. General EthicsI. Religion 2. Duties Towards Yourself3. Duties Towards Other Things Part II. Special Ethics 4. Special Duties with Respect to the Soul5. Special Duties with Respect to the Body6. Special Duties with Respect to the External State Index to the Paragraphs of the Philosophical Ethics Glossaries English to Latin Latin to English Greek – English Works Cited Textual Variants