Friday, March 2, 2012

Will, Supererogation, Idionomy

For Kant, corresponding to Spinoza's Active-Passive contrast is Autonomy-Heteronomy. Now, one of Kant's concepts of 'autonomy' is 'the performance of duty for duty's sake'. Hence, on that basis, Supererogation, i. e. performance beyond the call of duty, is not 'autonomous', yet it seems to entail self-motivation. So, because of Kant's influential appropriation of the term 'autonomy', the synonymous alternative 'idionomy' has been introduced here. Thus, Will, i. e. self-activation, is an idionomic principle, and, insofar as Supererogation is conceived as self-motivated, it, too, entails Idionomy.

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