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After reading some works, mainly by Kosgaard, I was wondering if there were any other in-depth contemporary literature looking into Kantian ethics and, more precisely, into its problems (and their potential solutions), mainly those concerning the formulation of the categorical imperative, the proper formulation of maxims, and of the possibility of false positives or false negatives.

Also, I'd like to know, if possible, if there are authors, who although not Kantian themselves, develop ideas close to Kantian deontology, or close to deontology in general.

Thanks.

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  • This is not quite deontology, but I've heard it said that Sartre's project was essentially Kantian---you could meaningfully compare living authentically with using yourself as not-just-a-means. And they're both interested in living towards freedom.
    – Canyon
    Aug 18, 2017 at 16:14
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    I'm not sure if this will be helpful to you, but James P. Sterba at Notre Dame Phil. Dept. Has done some interesting work on ethics.
    – Gordon
    Aug 19, 2017 at 9:57
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    Eg Sterba, "Morality, the Why and the What of It" 2012. I don't know if he is specifically Kantian, but you might want to look into it.
    – Gordon
    Aug 19, 2017 at 10:06

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There is a huge literature by contemporary Kantians, nearly all of whom reject specific parts of Kant's program.

I think Philippa Foot's "Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives" offers a nice revised understanding of how one might orient Ethics around the Categorical Imperatives Kant describes. But it rejects core ideas of Kant's about categorical imperatives, like that they all have the same meaning and that they have the force of necessity Kant seemingly thought they have (Kant's thinking about this being a matter of some debate).

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    Thanks! I'll read up on this. Any other contemporary Kantians you know of? I don't mind if they reject core elements of Kant's ethics, as long as they develop coherent ideas that can be proven.
    – Scanderbek
    Aug 19, 2017 at 8:28
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    @Scanderbek: Korsgaard, Allison, Wood, Guyer, Förster are some of the names leading further. Förster's (and others') work on the Opus Postumum may be of particular interest for people interested in positions closer to Kant's own (late) thinking.
    – Philip Klöcking ♦
    Aug 22, 2017 at 22:28

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