Maxsims: Normative feature of Kant's moral philosophy

In this study, the moral philosophy of Kant, i.e., duty ethics, which has the dominant place among the other moral theories, has been examined and tried to reveal that Kant's morality is not formal, but normative. Kant uses some examples in order to explain duties his moral philosophy which may be seen as controversial when viewed from today's moral perspectives. Especially the first example for the duty "Not to Commit Suicide" and the third one the duty "To Accomplish One's Potential" are highly problematical. While Kant tries to posit the duties that forms the moral law, he begins with some subjective principles, namely maxims. By showing that these maxims contradict themselves, he concludes that the opposites of maxims are duties. Kant claims that his moral philosophy is purely a formal morality. According to him, moral philosophy should not contain any contentual element and morality should only be derived from the mind and the ideals of the mind. In the study, it has been claimed that these moral maxim examples given by Kant are contextual and normative as opposed to what Kant has claimed about his moral philosophy which ought to be purely formal. His discussion of maxims and duties in detail, and his use of the same examples in both the Critique of Practical Reason and the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals demonstrate that Kant uses these examples to make explicit these duties as moral laws. Therefore, Kant's morality is not a formal, as Kant himself claims; on the contrary it is a normative moral philosophy. Key Words: Kant, Morality, Duty, Maxims, Formal Ethics, Normative Ethics.