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H U M A N W E L F A R E A N D M O R A L WORTH
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Human Welfare and
Moral Worth
Kantian Perspectives
C L A R E N D O N PRESS • OXFORD
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ISBN 978-0-19-925262-6
SOURCES AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Although I have no one but myself to blame for the deficiencies of these
essays, I acknowledge gratefully the help that many others have given
me. Some of these are mentioned in the notes within the essays, but my
debt is wider than the notes indicate. The University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill provided more than basic institutional support, and The
Social Philosophy and Policy Center at Bowling Green, Ohio, provided
four stimulating conferences and a summer fellowship that contributed
to four of the essays, A fellowship from the Institute for the Arts and
Humanities at the University of North Carolina gave me time to work
on ideas for other essays. My colleagues at the University of North
Carolina have been generally encouraging and philosophically stimu-
lating, and in a number of cases offered instructive criticism. For this I
especially want to thank Bernard Boxiil, Geoffrey Sayre-McCord, and
Gerald Postema. Graduate students have often been helpful, and 1 have
been especially fortunate to have a group of former students whose
work and correspondence continue to stimulate my thinking about
Kantian ethics and related matters. These include especially Lori
Alward, Samuel Bruton, Richard Dean, Sarah Holtman, Andrew
Johnson, Sean McKeever, Cynthia Stark, and Valerie Tiberius. I have
learned from the work of many other Kantians and critics of Kant.
There are too many to acknowledge properly, but a fuller acknowledg-
ment would highlight Henry Allison, Marcia Baron, Sharon Byrd, David
Cummiskey, Stephen Engstrom, Paul Guyer, Barbara Herman, Christine
Korsgaard, Jeffrie Murphy, Onora O'Neill, John Rawls, Andrews
Reath, J. B. Schneewind, Allen Wood, and no doubt others.
Several people have helped specifically in the process of preparing this
volume for publication. As research assistants, Wendy Nankas, Vicki
Behrens, Clea Rees, Shelby Weitzel at first and Adrienne Martin did
editorial work that saved me from many errors. Their philosophical
Sources and Acknowledgements vii
judgment, meticulous care, and sound advice were very helpful and
much appreciated, Gucki Obler provided quick, reliable office support,
with cheerful encouragement,
As before, family members have been very supportive, My father,
whose dedication to reading and writing philosophy remains undimin-
ished at age 93, continues to be an inspiration. Most of all, I am deeply
grateful to Robin for her unfailing support and encouragement. Among
other things, her practical help and good spirit enable me to write about
theoretical masters and her empathetic understanding of real human
problems helps me to remember the practical matters that, in the end,
moral philosophy is about.
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CONTvENTS
Introduction i
Bibliography 403
Index 413
ABBREVIATIONS FOR
KANT'S WORKS
LE Lectures on Ethics, tr. Louis Infield (New York: Harper and Row,
1963). Translated from Eine Vorlesung Kants fiber Ethik, ed.
Abbreviations for Kant's Works xi
Paul Menzer (Berlin: im Auftrage der Kantgesellschaft, 192.4). A
more recent and thorough translation is Lectures on Ethics, tr.
Peter Heath and J. B. Schneewind (Cambridge: Cambridge Uni-
versity Press, 1997), [17: 3-732.]. LE refers to the infield edition;
references to the Heath and Schneewind edition will be indicated
in the notes,
I. Some Basic Kantian Themes, The aim of the two opening essays is
to distinguish certain core ideas in Kantian ethics from more extreme
associated ideas. Some of the associated ideas, I argue, have been mis-
takenly attributed to Kant. Others are indeed aspects of Kant's more
radical and controversial thought, but, arguably, the core ideas are inde-
pendent of these. For the most part, I suggest, the core ideas represent
familiar assumptions of common moral discourse and practice. At least,
on a proper understanding, they approximate these more closely than
4 Introduction
most have supposed. The third essay of this set surveys Kant's 'con-
structivist' procedures for justifying moral principles.
i. 'Kantian Analysis: From Duty to Autonomy' distinguishes radical
from core interpretations of three important Kantian themes: that fun-
damental questions of moral philosophy require an a priori methodol-
ogy; that duties are conceived as categorical imperatives; and that moral
agents have autonomy of the will. A core idea is that an a priori method
is required to analyze moral concepts and to reflect on whether moral-
ity and prudence are grounded in necessary requirements of practical
reason. This relatively uncontroversial point, however, is often associ-
ated with the implausible idea that substantive moral issues can be
settled in complete independence of empirical evidence. Similarly, the
core idea that duties are conceived as categorical imperatives marks the
familiar assumption that, unlike prudential and pragmatic principles,
moral principles do not bind us simply because they promote our hap-
piness or serve our personal ends. This common thought, however, is
often conflated with Kant's unfortunate claim that various simple, sub-
stantive moral principles (e.g., about lying, revolution, and 'unnatural'
sex) hold in all conditions, without exception. Again, Kant's idea of
autonomy has been interpreted in a bewildering variety of ways, but
arguably the core idea simply refers to certain capacities and disposi-
tions that we must attribute to any agent who is subject to duties under-
stood as categorical imperatives.
z. 'Is a Good Will Overrated?' offers an interpretation of the special
value of a good will, which for Kant is the moral disposition expressed
in morally worthy acts and the indispensable condition of being a good
person. Kant's famous declaration that only a good will can be con-
ceived as good without qualification has often been interpreted as a
radical and distinctively Kantian thesis, but I argue that the core idea
is a common-sense one. In brief, it is not that our decisions should be
dominated by a self-righteous concern for our own moral purity but
rather that we should not pursue any goods by means that we recog-
nize to be morally wrong. The thesis, I suggest, is best understood, not
as a guide to praise and blame, but as an indeterminate practical prin-
ciple that becomes action-guiding only when supplemented by a stan-
dard of right and wrong (e.g. the Categorical Imperative). If Kant's
writings at times encourage readers to stand on rigid principles in foolish
disregard of disastrous consequences, the fault lies with his unwarranted
belief that this rigidity is required by the Categorical Imperative, not
with his initial affirmation that only a good will is unconditionally good.
3. 'Hypothetical Consent in Kantian Constructivism' is about the
Introduction 5
justificatory force of arguments that appeal to actual, possible, and
hypothetical consent. Despite certain popular views of Kantian ethics,
Kant treats actual consent as having only a derivative and limited rele-
vance to how we may be treated, A more fundamental standard for Kant
is that practices are justified only if, as rational agents, we can consent
to them as universal practices. Application of this standard, however,
requires important assumptions about the context of choice and further
standards of rationality that determine what universal practices it is
possible, in the relevant sense, to will. When these are made explicit,
the possible consent standard is essentially equivalent to a hypothetical
consent standard that requires that practices conform to principles that
any rational agent would will in specified conditions. The essay reviews
the role of possible and hypothetical consent in Kant's use of the idea
of an original contract as well as the Categorical Imperative. Finally, the
essay discusses whether several familiar objections to the use of hypo-
thetical consent arguments are applicable to Kant's ethics.
II. Human Welfare: Self-Interest and Regard for Others. The five essays
in this section address questions related to our moral responsibility to
promote human happiness or well-being. Although they are a selective
rather than a comprehensive treatment of these issues, the essays take
up a Kantian perspective on a wide range of issues: the possibility of
altruism, the nature of happiness, the stringency of our duty of benefi-
cence, and the relation between reasons to promote our own good and
reasons to promote the good of others.
4. 'Beneficence and Self-Love' is primarily directed to the question:
(i.) Given the limits of our natural altruistic sentiments, is it possible for
us to act as altruistically as duty seems to require? A Kantian answer
requires attention to two further questions: (2) What are we morally
required to do on behalf of others besides respecting their rights? (3)
Why is this a reasonable requirement? The plausibility of Kant's posi-
tion on the first issue, I suggest, depends on (a) a distinction between a
deliberative point of view and a purely empirical point of view, (b) a
moderate (not maximizing) interpretation of the imperfect duty of
beneficence, and (c) adequate justifying grounds for accepting that duty.
The reconstruction of Kant's position here makes use of a practical, not
metaphysical, interpretation of Kant's controversial 'two perspectives'
on the world.
5. 'Reasonable Self-Interest' contrasts common-sense ideas of what is
reasonable with current philosophical ideas of rational choice: (i) max-
imizing self-interest, (2.) efficiency and coherence in pursuit of one's
6 Introduction
ends, (3) maximizing intrinsic value, and (4) efficiency and coherence
constrained by a Kantian ideal of co-legislation. Contrary to usual
assumptions, the last, I suggest, corresponds more closely to the
common-sense ideas than any of the other models. This is not a proof
of the Kantian ideal, or of common sense, but calls for rethinking
assumptions,
6. 'Happiness and Human Flourishing' reviews the role of happiness
in Kant's ethics and contrasts his ideas of happiness with the idea of
human flourishing prominent in ancient philosophy. It considers pos-
sible reasons why Kant avoided the traditional ideas of human flour-
ishing and instead worked with more subjective ideas of happiness. This
was due, I conjecture, not merely to historical influences or misunder-
standing of ancient philosophy but also to Kant's respect for individual
freedom to choose, within moral limits, the way of life one prefers. The
essay also replies to Michael Slote's charge that Kant requires us to
devalue our own happiness relative to others*.
7. 'Meeting Needs and Doing Favors* addresses the controversial
questions, (i) How demanding, in Kant's view, is the imperfect duty to
promote the happiness of others? and (z) Is there any place or analogue
in Kant's ethics for supererogatory acts—or acts that are, in some sense,
morally good to do but more than is required? Here I suggest that the
general duty to promote others' happiness, especially as presented in
The Metaphysics of Morals, is an important but rather minimal require-
ment. Contrary to recent commentators, however, the fact that the
general principle articulates only a rather minimal requirement does not
mean that helping others in serious need is morally optional. Judgment
in particular cases is not completely determined by the intermediate
principles of The Metaphysics of Morals, Reflection from the moral
framework expressed in the formulas of the Categorical Imperative
can show why helping in many particular cases is morally demanded.
Although Kant admittedly does not include a category of 'supereroga-
tory' acts in his moral system, 1 argue that his position, reasonably con-
strued, supports the common opinion that some acts are, in a sense,
morally good to do but are not required. This discussion is a partial
response to recent work of David Cummiskey and Marcia Baron.
8. 'Personal Values and Setting Oneself Ends' focuses on what indi-
viduals value and pursue when considered apart from moral consider-
ations. These matters are ultimately relevant to our moral decisions
under various Kantian principles, such as beneficence, but my concern
here is with personal, values as such. The essay begins by reviewing the
various kinds of moral evaluation in Kant's theory in order to contrast
Introduction j
these with the sort of personal value judgments and decisions to be dis-
cussed. Then the two main issues are raised. First, in Kant's view, what
value judgments, if any, are implicit when we set ourselves ends and
adopt maxims? Are we necessarily committed to the judgments that
the end is good and that it is good to act on the maxim? If so, 'good'
in what sense? In particular, do these individual choices of ends and
maxims implicitly commit us to the idea that the ends and maxims are
worthy of endorsement from an impartial (and ultimately moral) point
of view? Commentators often suggest that Kant held this view, and pas-
sages in the Critique of Practical Reason might seem to confirm it. If
we assume it as a premiss, it becomes all too easy to deduce Kant's con-
troversial thesis that all rational agents are implicitly committed to the
moral law. The assumption, however, is implausible and examination
of relevant texts raises doubts that Kant relied on it.
The second troublesome issue is whether Kant's idea of 'setting an
end' as an 'act of freedom' implies a radical kind of voluntarism that is
implausible from a present-day perspective. The suspicion is not entirely
unwarranted, but 1 suggest that underlying the idea of freely setting ends
are significant normative points that are separable from implausible
kinds of voluntarism.
III. Moral Worth: Self-Assessment and Desert, The final, four essays turn
from questions of moral deliberation (for example, what should we do?)
to questions of moral assessment (for example, how well have we been
doing?) These are related, but assessment is more concerned with the
moral worth of past acts and motives, whether we deserve esteem or
blame for what we have done, and when it is appropriate to feel guilty.
Kant emphasizes moral assessment of ourselves, and for this the idea of
conscience discussed in Chapters 9 and ri is crucial. The moral assess-
ment of others is involved in judicial punishment, which is discussed in
Chapters 10 and u. I argue that moral judgments about a criminal's
moral deserts have a more limited role in Kant's theory of punishment
than is commonly thought. The third essay of this set, Chapter n,
inquires whether avoiding wrongdoing has any moral worth when it is
motivated by pangs of conscience or fear of punishment. The final essay,
Chapter i, z, presents a Kantian position on the possibility of 'moral
dilemmas' and 'gaps' in moral theory. I include it here because the final
two sections consider whether it is appropriate to feel guilty for causing
harm in a dilemma-like situation.
9. 'Four Conceptions of Conscience' contrasts Kant's view of con-
science, and its merits, with alternative views. The alternatives include
8 Introduction
Joseph Butler's theory of conscience, as well as two conceptions briefly
reviewed in Respect, Pluralism, and justice. Kant's view avoids the epis-
temological problems of the popular religious conception, but Kant's
view shares the latter's assumption that conscience is experienced as an
intuitive voice rather than a deliberative judgment. Kant's view denies
the metaethical skepticism in the cultural relativists' conception, but it
agrees with their claim that conscience expresses a dissonance between
our acts and our moral beliefs rather than a perception of what is truly
right or wrong. Finally, although Kant agrees with Butler that reason,
in due reflection, is our only source of justified beliefs about what we
ought to do, Kant distinguishes the roles of reasonable deliberation
about what is right from conscience as inner judge of innocence or guilt
by the standards of our own moral beliefs.
to. 'Wrongdoing, Desert, and Punishment' is about relations between
wrongdoing and suffering because of our wrongdoing. Kant maintains
that, although wrongdoers are intrinsically liable to suffer self-reproach
and disapproval of others, wrongdoing does not entail 'deserving to
suffer' in a sense providing intrinsic practical reasons to inflict suffer-
ing. Arguably, even Kant's most infamous remarks on punishment fail
to show otherwise. Contrary to common impressions, Kant is best
understood as holding a mixed theory in which retributive policies lack
deep retributive justification. Although other factors are relevant, the
need to preserve justice by credible legal threats plays a crucial role in
justifying the practice of punishment. At the end 1 explore implications
of this interpretation for a contemporary Kantian perspective on
punishment,
L I . 'Punishment, Conscience, and Moral Worth' concerns the moral
worth of acting from certain motives that may seem morally suspect
from a Kantian point of view. The controversial motives of sympathy
and love have been the object of endless discussion, but my focus is on
two relatively neglected motives associated with anticipating punish-
ment and a troubled conscience. Like the anticipation of grief, I suggest,
these can give rise to two importantly different sorts of motive, one of
which is morally worthy from a Kantian perspective and the other is
not. Even 'fear' of just punishment can express respect for other citizens
as sources of moral law.
12. 'Moral Dilemmas, Gaps, and Residues' offers an explanation
of Kant's denial that there can be any genuine moral dilemmas. It also
criticizes Alan Donagan's claim that we can put ourselves in a moral
dilemma through our own prior wrongdoing even though we cannot
innocently fall into one. True moral dilemmas, in which one would be
Introduction 9
wrong no matter what one did, are distinguished from tragic cases in
which 'gaps' in moral theory leave us no resolution. Kant's moral theory,
I suggest, has such 'gaps,' and arguably this is not altogether a bad thing.
Questions then arise about 'residues' of feeling and attitude after we
have been forced to make a choice in such a situation. Are feelings of
guilt and special regard for those we have injured appropriate? How
can Kantians grant that we 'should feel' anything at all? I explore how
plausible answers to these questions can be given from a Kantian per-
spective without appealing to consequentialist reasons for training
people to feel guilty when they are not.
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PART I
Among the most basic ideas in Kant's moral philosophy are these: that
moral philosophers must use an a priori method, that moral duties are
categorical imperatives, and that moral agency presupposes autonomy
of the will. In the second section of his Groundwork of the Metaphysics
of Morals Kant develops each of these ideas in an argument for his
central thesis that the idea that we have moral duties presupposes that
we are rational agents with autonomy. The conclusion and each step of
the argument remain controversial. Kant's admirers usually see here a
great advance in moral theory, but critics often find Kant's contentions
obscure and implausible.
When a philosopher inspires such extremes of admiration and disdain
as Kant does in his ethical writings, we may well ask ourselves whether
Kant's friends and his critics are focusing their attention on the same
ideas. Elementary misunderstandings of Kant's ethics are common, and
serious Kant scholars often disagree about interpretations. Insightful
core ideas may be dismissed or ignored because they are conflated
with more radical, controversial ideas. My aim, then, is to do some
much needed sorting among the doctrines attributed to Kant, What is
central, and what is peripheral? What is commonplace, and what is
radical? Which assertions are preliminary starting points, and which are
the more remote conclusions? Considering these questions is necessary
for a balanced assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Kant's
ethics.
In my remarks below 1 comment in turn on each of the major themes
mentioned above, trying to separate the more widely appealing core
points from the more controversial. The modest version of each basic
theme, 1 suggest, leads naturally to the next. The three themes are the
outline of an argument that the idea that we have moral duties presup-
poses the idea that we are rational agents with autonomy. To preview,
my main suggestions will be these:
( i ) Kant's insistence on an a priori method, in its modest version,
stems in large part from his belief that moral theory should begin with
an analysis of the idea of a moral requirement (duty). Despite his strong
14 Some Basic Kantian Themes
rhetoric about setting aside everything empirical, Kant's main point was
that empirical methods are unsuitable for analysis of moral concepts
and defense of basic principles of rational choice. The reason that Kant
insisted on an a priori method was not that he believed in rational intui-
tion of moral truths, opposed naturalistic explanations, assumed that
duties are imposed by noumenal will, or thought that empirical facts
are irrelevant to moral decisions.
( i ) Kant thought that analysis of the ordinary idea of duty
showed that we regard duties as categorical imperatives. That is, when
we suppose that we have a duty we are thereby supposing that we
have sufficient (overriding) reason to act accordingly and not just
because doing so furthers our (desire based) personal ends. The
modest point here is not that duties must always be experienced
as unwelcome demands that must be fulfilled from a sense of con-
straint. Kant's point is also independent of his dubious view that sub-
stantive principles regarding lying, obedience to law, sexual purity, etc.,
are exceptionless and applicable in the same way across all times and
places.
(3) The analysis of duty is for Kant merely a step on the way to the
conclusion that in thinking of ourselves as having moral duties we must
think of ourselves as rational agents with autonomy of the will. The
bask point is that in order to be a moral agent, with duties, one must
be able to understand and be moved by the sort of reasons that
categorical imperatives claim we have. Categorical imperatives are
addressed to deliberating rational agents presumed able to follow
reasons independent of their concern for happiness and personal ends.
To think that we can guide our decisions by such non-instrumental
reasons, we must conceive ourselves as agents that implicitly acknowl-
edge and respect the noninstrumental rational standards presupposed
by categorical imperatives. As moral agents we might not always live
up to the standards that we acknowledge, but our capacity to follow
them presupposes that we accept them as rational grounds for our deci-
sions and judgments. More controversially, in regarding our duties as
categorical imperatives we presuppose that our disposition to judge our
conduct by these basic standards is a constitutive feature of being moral
agents, and not something we have because of a prior commitment to
following external authorities, tradition, or common sentiments. In a
sense, then, particular duties can be understood as requirements that
rational agents impose on themselves, and following them is a way of
being self-governing.
Kantian Analysis: Frotn Duty to Autonomy 15
I. THE A P R I O R I METHOD IN
MORAL PHILOSOPHY
' G, <f5~6 (4: 387—8], and Kant's Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View, tr,
Mary CJregor (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 19,97).
ZG Some Basic Kantian Themes
distinct from the practical perspective we must take up when we delib-
erate and evaluate acts,8 Each perspective has its legitimate and neces-
sary use, and limits. So, although Kant thinks the basic questions of
moral philosophy cannot be answered by empirical methods, he should
happily encourage naturalists' ambition to understand the phenomena
associated with moral activity so far as possible in naturalistic terms
through empirical investigations.
(3) Again, some critics familiar with Kant's philosophy as a whole
may suppose that Kant's insistence on an a priori method is based on
his controversial idea that we must think of moral agents not only in
empirical terms but also under the idea of free rational agency. This
involves thinking of them as belonging to an 'intelligible world' that
cannot be understood in the terms of empirical science.9 Hence one
might suspect that Kant thought an a priori method of investigation in
ethics is necessary because moral agents, as such, are not beings that we
can comprehend empirically. But 1 think that this is a mistake, and in
fact it gets the order of Kant's thought backwards. As we have seen,
there are simpler and less controversial explanations for Kant's insis-
tence on the a priori method. In fact he introduces the perspective of an
intelligible world into ethics not as an initial assumption but rather as
a point to which he believes his analysis of common moral knowledge
finally drives him. Analysis of the idea of duty shows that it presupposes
the idea of rational agents with autonomy, and this idea, he argues, can
be squared with his earlier conclusions about empirical knowledge only
if we think of these agents as 'intelligible' or noumenal beings,10 Many
philosophers who find Kant convincing at the earlier stages dissent from
this last stage of the argument. There is no doubt that Kant thought it
an important part of his systematic moral theory, but it is not a begin-
ning assumption used to justify his methodology. Rather, it is a final
theoretical point to which (Kant thought) his particular a priori argu-
ment (not the method itself) drives us. In short, his controversial
views about the ultimate Idea' of moral agents to which philosophical
reflection forces us is not presupposed in the modest methodological
procedures with which he begins.
(4) Finally, there is a persistent objection that, I suspect, rests partly
on misunderstanding but partly on, Kant's tendency to overstate his
8
See Henry Allison, Kant's Theory of Freedom (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1990). * G, 118—zi [4: 450—3!.
"! Note, for example, that although Kant is committed to the possibility of noumenal
'causation' in the Critique of Pure Reason, his argument for beginning ethics with art a
priori investigation precedes his conclusion that our conception of morality requires us
to think of moral agents from a nonempirical standpoint. See G, 74-81 [4: 406-14] and
118-2.3 [4: 450-51-
Kantian Analysis: Frotn Duty to Autonomy zi
insights. The objection proceeds as follows. First we note that the
reasons we give for thinking that acts are right or wrong are typically
empirical facts, e.g., 'That will kill him,* 'You intentionally deceived
him,' 'She saved your life and needs help now,' 'No society could survive
if it tolerated that.' Then we also note that most morally sensitive
persons realize that the acts picked out by simple descriptions (e.g.,
'killing', 'deceiving'} may be wrong in one situation but right in another,
depending on the empirical facts of the case. So a method that excluded
empirical information, it seems, will not even consider facts that are
crucial to determining what is right and what is wrong. Moral decisions
must be made in a complex and richly diverse world, and so it seems
foolish to suppose that we can discern what is right without knowing
accurately and in detail (and so empirically) what this world is like and
where we stand in it at the moment.
The objection would be appropriate and (1 think) devastating if
directed against a moral theorist who claimed that pure reason atone
can discern what we ought to do in each situation. But few, if any, today
make such a claim, and certainly Kant did not. Those who agree with
Kant that some fundamental moral principles can be vindicated through
the use of reason are well aware that we need empirical knowledge to
apply these principles to our current circumstances. We need to judge
whether and how moral principles are relevant, and this requires under-
standing based on experience. For example, that we should treat all
persons with respect, Kant thought, is an ideal norm, not something
empirical science or ordinary experience can establish; but, of course,
respect and disrespect are expressed in a wide variety of ways that we
learn only with experience in different cultural contexts.'' Kant does not
deny that we (rightly) cite facts in explaining the reasons why some par-
ticular act is morally required or forbidden; he merely agrees with Hume
that empirical facts alone do not establish any 'ought' claim. Kant was
indeed extremely rigoristic by not allowing that familiar moral princi-
ples (e.g., about lying) need to be qualified, but his rigidity on these
matters cannot be blamed on his rejection of empirical methods for the
basic issues in moral theory. Notoriously, Kant endorses some princi-
ples in an absolute, unqualified form, and most of us will agree that
inflexible adherence to such rules is an over-simple response to complex
moral problems. His extreme stand on lying, revolution, and sexual
practices, however, does not follow from his thesis that moral philoso-
phy should begin with a priori methods, e.g., of analysis.12 The problem,
11
MM, 109-J 3 (6: 462-8].
12
MM, 1.76-7 [6: 42.4-3], 96-7 [6: 3*0], 178-9 [6: 43,4-5], and 'On a Supposed Right
to Lie because of Philanthropic Concerns', in Immanuel Kant, Grounding of the
zz Some Basic Kantian Themes
rather, lies in his thinking that rigid opposition to lying (etc.) is required
by the Categorical Imperative.
There remains serious controversy, however, on two related points,
First, many philosophers would deny that an a priori use of reason can
establish even one basic moral principle. This objection conies not only
from those who think that empirical methods can establish moral prin-
ciples, but also from those who think that moral principles cannot be
established by any method because they have no objective standing. This
is a perennial controversy, but it is about the results that can be estab-
lished by an a priori method rather than about the value of the method
in general. Second, even those who side with Kant on the first point may
reasonably worry that Kant himself tries to make too much of ethics
independent of empirical knowledge. It is one thing, they may say, to
suppose that some quite abstract, formal principles can be discovered
and defended by an a priori method, but quite another (and more
dubious) thing to exclude empirical facts when taking up other tasks of
moral philosophy. For example, if moral philosophers, following Kant
and Alan Oonagan, want to try to work out a system of universally
valid moral principles about substantive matters (such as lying, obedi-
ence to law, punishment, charity), then it seems only reasonable to
expect that the construction must take into account our (limited) empiri-
cal knowledge about the human condition in general and about the
diversity of contexts to which putative universal principles must be
applied. It is still a matter of dispute how much empirical information
Kant intended to exclude when he took up this project in The Meta-
physics of Morals, His arguments often presuppose facts that could only
be known empirically, but they also often raise the suspicion that his
determination not to rely on empirical evidence has led to unwarranted
rigidity and over-generalization. These worries and controversies cannot
be lightly dismissed, but they do not call into question Kant's main
reasons for adopting an a priori method for the basic issues in moral
philosophy.
No
. Cooperation Sought in Conducting A.S. Experiments at Baltimore, by Franks and
1. Hendrick. E.R. V. 71, 1915, pp. 521, 724, and 784. V. 72, 1915, pp. 23, and 640.
2. Sewage Treatment Experiments with Aëration and A.S., by Bartow and Mohlman. E.N. V.
73, 1915, p. 647, and E.R. V. 71, 1915, p. 421.
3. A.S. Experiments at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by Hatton. E.N. V. 74, 1915, p. 134.
4. A.S. in America, An Editorial Survey, by Baker. E.N. V. 74, 1915, p. 164.
5. Choosing Air Compressors for A.S., by Nordell, E.N. V. 74, 1915, p. 904.
6. A Year of A.S. at Milwaukee, by Fuller. E.N. V. 74, 1915, p. 1146.
7. A.S. Experiments at Urbana. E.N. V. 74, 1915, p. 1097.
8. Experiments on the A.S. Process, by Bartow and Mohlman. E.C. V. 44, 1915, p. 433.
9. Milwaukee’s A.S. Plant, the Pioneer Large Scale Installation, by Hatton. E.R. V. 72, 1915, p.
481 and E.C. V. 44, 1915, p. 322.
10. A.S. Experiments at Milwaukee, by Hatton. Journal American Waterworks Association and
Proceedings Illinois Society of Engineers, 1916. Also E.R. V. 73, 1916, p. 255. E.C. V. 45,
1916, p. 104, and E.N. V. 75, 1916, pp. 262 and 306.
11. A.S. Defined. E.N. V. 75, 1916, p. 503, and E.N.R. V. 80, 1918, p. 205.
12. Status of A.S. Sewage Treatment, by Hammond. E.N. V. 75, 1916, p. 798.
13. Trial A.S. Unit at Cleveland, by Pratt. E.N. V. 75, 1916, p. 671.
14. Air Diffuser Experience with A.S. E.N. V. 76, 1916, p. 106.
15. Nitrogen from Sewage Sludge, Plain and Activated, by Copeland, Journal American
Chemical Society, Sept. 28, 1916. E.N. V. 76, 1916, p. 665. E.R. V. 74, 1916, p. 444.
16. Tests Show A.S. Process Adapted to Treatment of Stock Yards Wastes. E.R. V. 74, 1916, p.
137.
17. Aëration Suggestions for Disposal of Sludge, by Hammond. Journal American Chemical
Society, Sept. 25, 1916. E.R. V. 74, 1916, p. 448.
18. Cost Comparison of Sewage Treatment. Imhoff Tank and Sprinkling Filters vs. A.S., by
Eddy. E.R. V. 74, 1916, p. 557.
19. Large A.S. Plant at Milwaukee. E.N. V. 76, 1916, p. 686.
20. A.S. Novelties at Hermosa Beach, Cal. E.N. V. 76, 1916, p. 890.
21. A.S. Experiments at University of Illinois, by Bartow, Mohlman, and Schnellbach. E.N. V.
76, 1916, p. 972.
22. A.S. Results at Cleveland Reviewed, by Pratt and Gascoigne. E.N. V. 76, 1916, pp. 1061 and
1124.
23.
Sewage Treatment by Aëration and Activation, by Hammond. Proceedings American
Society Municipal Improvements, 1916.
24. A.S., by Bartow and Mohlman, Proceedings Illinois Society of Engineers, 1916.
25. The Latest Method of Sewage Treatment, by Bartow. Journal American Waterworks
Association, V. 3, March, 1916, p. 327.
26. Winter Experiences with A.S., by Copeland. Journal American Society of Chemical
Engineers, April 21, 1916. E.C. V. 45, 1916, p. 386.
27. A.S. Process Firmly Established, by Hatton. E.R. V. 75, 1917, p. 16.
28. Operate Continuous Flow A.S. Plant, by Bartow, Mohlman, and Schnellbach. E.R. V. 75,
1917, p. 380.
29. Chicago Stock Yards Sewage and A.S., by Lederer. Journal American Society of Chemical
Engineers, April 21, 1916. E.C. V. 45, 1916, p. 388.
30. The Patent Situation Concerning A.S. E.C. V. 45, 1916, p. 208.
31. “Sewage Disposal” by Kinnicutt, Winslow, and Pratt, published by John Wiley & Sons. 2d
Edition, Chapter 12.
32. A.S. Tests Made by California Cities. E.N.R. V. 79, 1917, p. 1009.
33. Conclusions on the A.S. Process at Milwaukee. Journal American Public Health
Association, 1917. E.N.R. V. 79, 1917, p. 840.
34. Dewatering A.S. at Urbana, by Bartow. Journal American Institute of Chemical Engineers,
1917. E.N.R. V. 79, 1917, p. 269.
35. Milwaukee Air Diffusion Studies in A.S. E.N.R. V. 78, 1917, p. 628.
36. A.S. Bibliography (up to May 1, 1917) by J. E. Porter.
37. Air Diffusion in A.S. E.N.R. V. 78, 1917, p. 255.
38. A.S. Plant at Houston, Texas. E.N. V. 77, 1917, p. 236, E.N.R. 83, 1919, p. 1003, and V. 84,
1920, p. 75.
39. A.S. Power Costs, by Requardt. E.N. V. 77, 1917, p. 18.
40. A.S. at San Marcos, Texas, by Elrod. E.N. V. 77, 1917, p. 249.
41. Filtros Plates Made the Best Showing in Air Diffuser Tests. E.N.R. V. 79, 1917, p. 269.
42. Results of Experiments on A.S., by Ardern and Lockett. Journal Society for Chemical
Research, V. 33, May 30, 1914, p. 523.
43. Final Plans at Milwaukee. E.N.R. V. 84, 1920, p. 990.
44. A.S. Bibliography, published by General Filtration Co., Rochester, N. Y., 1921.
45. A.S. at Manchester, Eng. by Ardern. Journal Society Chemical Industry, 1921. E.C. V. 55,
1921, p. 310.
46. The Des Plaines River A.S. Plant, by Pearse. E.N.R. V. 88, 1920, p. 1134.
47. Sewage Treatment by the Dorr System, by Eagles. Proceedings, Boston Society of
Engineers, 1920. Public Works V. 50, 1920, p. 53.
CHAPTER XIX
ACID PRECIPITATION, LIME AND ELECTRICITY, AND
DISINFECTION
275. The Miles Acid Process.—The Miles Acid Process for the treatment of sewage
was devised and patented by G. W. Miles. It was tried experimentally at the Calf Pasture
sewage pumping station, Boston, Mass., 1911 to 1914. In 1916 it was tried experimentally at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and it has been tested subsequently at other
places, notably at New Haven, Conn., in 1917 and 1918. It is one of the most recent
developments in sewage treatment and no extensive experience has been had with it. The
process consists in the acidification of sewage with sulphuric or sulphurous acid, as the result
of which the suspended matter and grease are precipitated and bacteria are removed. The
equipment required for the process consists of devices for the production of sulphur dioxide
(SO2), and for feeding niter cake or other forms of acid; subsiding basins; sludge-handling
apparatus; sludge driers; grease extractors; grease stills; and tankage driers and grinders.
The first step is the acidification of the sewage. The period of contact with the acid is
about 4 hours. Sulphurous acid seems to give better results than sulphuric because of the
ease in which it can be manufactured on the spot. It seems also to be more virulent in
attacking bacteria than an equal strength of sulphuric acid. In experimental plants the
acidulation has been accomplished in different ways such as: by the addition of compressed
sulphur dioxide from tanks; by the addition of sulphur dioxide made from burning sulphur;
or by the roasting of iron pyrite (FeS2). The acidulation precipitates most of the grease as well
as the suspended matter and results in a sludge which gives some promise of commercial
value. In referring to the process R. S. Weston states:[188]
(1) It disinfects the sewage by reducing the numbers of bacteria from millions to hundreds per c.c.
(2) If the drying of the sludge and the extraction of the grease can be accomplished economically,
it is possible that a large part, if not all, of the cost of the acid treatment may be met by the sale of the
grease and fertilizer recovered from the sewage.
(3) The use of so strong a deodorizer and disinfectant as sulphur dioxide would prevent the usual
nuisances of treatment works.
(4) The addition of sulphur dioxide to the sewage also avoids any fly nuisance, which is a handicap
to the operation of Imhoff tanks and trickling filters.
The amount of acid used varies with the quality of the sewage and the desired character
of the effluent. At Bradford, England,[189] 5,500 pounds of sulphuric acid are used per million
gallons, producing about 2,340 pounds of grease or 0.43 pound of grease per pound of
sulphuric acid. At Boston only 0.215 pound of grease were produced per pound of sulphuric
acid. The difference is probably due to the great difference in the amount of grease in the raw
sewage. In the East Street sewer at New Haven, Conn.,[190] only 700 pounds of acid are used
per million gallons of sewage as the alkalinity is only 50 p.p.m. This amount of acid secures
an acidity of 50 p.p.m. whereas in the Boulevard sewer 1,130 pounds of acid had to be added
to produce the same result. The results obtained by the experiments conducted by the
Massachusetts State Board of Health in 1917 are shown in Table 97. The character of the
sludge from the same tests is shown in Table 98. After acidification[191] the sewage contains
bisulphites and some free sulphurous acid, with some lime and magnesium soaps which are
attacked by the acid liberating the free fatty acids. Part of the bisulphites and sulphurous acid
are oxidized to bisulphates and sulphuric acid. It was found as a result of the New Haven[191]
experiments that the presence of sulphur dioxide in the effluent caused an abnormal oxygen
demand from the diluting water and that this difficulty could be partly overcome by the
aëration of the effluent after acidulation and sedimentation, without prohibitory expense.
The effluent and sludge are both stable for appreciable periods of time and are suitable for
disposal by dilution. The character of the sludge as determined by the New Haven tests[192] is
shown in Table 99.
TABLE 97
Average Analysis of Sewage Entering Boston Harbor, before and after Treatment, July
17 to September 27, 1917
Paddock’s Island
Raw sewage 14.0 3.3 1.8 6.8 3.6 134 23.1 1.86 4.15
Settled Sewage 12.2 1.6 1.1 3.5 2.2 15.4
Acidified and 20.9 5.2 3.9 10.0 7.5 units units
settled sewage 94 91
Deer Island
Raw sewage 23.3 8.2 4.8 16.8 8.9 3100 87.3 2.63 1.50
Settled sewage 21.1 5.6 3.9 10.7 7.3 62.2
Acidified and 20.9 5.2 3.9 10.0 7.5 units units
settled sewage 147 85
Calf Pasture
Raw sewage 18.0 4.5 2.0 9.7 4.1 3254 41.2 1.89 0.98
Settled sewage 19.1 2.3 1.4 4.9 3.3 25.8
Acidified and 17.8 2.4 1.6 4.9 3.3 units units
settled sewage 277 149
The success of the Miles Acid Process in comparison with other processes is dependent
on the commercial value of the sludge produced. The New Haven experiments indicate that
16 to 21 per cent of the grease in the sludge is unsaponifiable and seriously impairs the value
of the process.
TABLE 98
Average Amount of Sludge and Fats Obtained from Sewage Entering Boston Harbor
after Eighteen Hours Sedimentation With and Without Acidification
TABLE 99
TABLE 100
Estimated Cost of Sewage Treatment at New Haven and Boston by Three Different
Processes
276. The Process.—This process has been generally unsuccessful in the treatment of
sewage and has grown into disrepute. In the words of the editor of the Engineering News-
Record:[195]
Thirty years of experiments and demonstrations with only a few small working plants built and
most of them abandoned—such in epitome is the record of the electrolytic process of sewage
treatment.
It is probably true that the process has never received a thorough and exhaustive test on a
large scale, but the small-scale tests have not been promising of good results. Among the
most extensive tests have been those at Elmhurst, Long Island,[196] Decatur, Ill.,[197] and
Easton, Pa.[198]
Whatever degree of popularity the method has possessed has been due possibly to the
mystery and romance of “electricity” and to the personality of its promoters. The process
should, nevertheless, be understood by the engineer in order that it may be explained
satisfactorily to the layman interested in its adoption.
In this process, sometimes called the direct-oxidation process, all grit is removed and
the sewage is passed through fine screens before entering the electrolytic tank. In the
electrolytic tank the sewage passes in thin sheets between electrodes and an electric current
is discharged through it. A recent development has been the addition of lime to the sewage at
some point in its passage through the electrolytic tank. From the electrolytic tank the sewage
flows to a sedimentation tank, where sludge is accumulated, and from which the liquid
effluent is finally disposed of.
It is claimed that the action of the electricity electrolyzes the sewage, releasing chlorine,
which acts as a powerful disinfectant. The constituents of the sewage are oxidized so that the
dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and relative stability are increased and the sludge is rendered
non-putrescible. It is said that the addition of lime increases the efficiency of sedimentation
and enhances the effect of the electric current. The results obtained by tests at Easton, Pa.,
are shown in Table 101. It will be observed from this table that the combination of lime and
electricity does not have a more beneficial effect than either one of them alone. The amount
of sludge produced by the combination is about the same as by chemical precipitation alone,
but the character of the sludge produced with electricity is less putrescible. The cost of the
treatment as estimated at Elmhurst is shown in Table 102.
As a result of the tests at Decatur, comparing lime alone with lime and electricity
together, Dr. Ed. Bartow stated:
The purification by treatment with lime alone was greater than that obtained in several of the
individual samples treated with lime and electricity.
TABLE 101
Comparative Results Obtained from the Treatment of Sewage by Lime Alone, Electricity
Alone, and Lime and Electricity Combined
TABLE 102
No
. Grease and Fertilizer Base for Boston Sewage, by Weston, E.N. V. 75, 1916, p. 913 and
1. Journal American Public Health Association, April, 1916.
2. Getting Grease and Fertilizer from City Sewage, by Allen. E.N. V. 75, 1916, p. 1005.
3. New Haven Tests Five Processes of Sewage Treatment. E.N.R. V. 79, 1917, p. 829.
4. Recovery of Grease and Fertilizer from Sewage Comes to the Front. E.N.R. V. 80, 1916,
p. 319.
5. Miles Acid Process may Require Aëration of Effluent, by Mohlman. E.N.R. V. 81, 1918,
p. 235.
6. Promising Results with Miles Acid Process in New Haven Tests. E.N.R. V. 81, 1918, p.
1034.
7. Baltimore Experiments on Grease from Sewage. E.N. V. 75, 1916, p. 1155.
8. Report on Industrial Wastes from the Stock Yards and Packingtown in Chicago to the
Trustees of the Sanitary District of Chicago, 1914, pp. 187–195.
9. The Separation of Grease from Sewage, by Daniels and Rosenfeld. Cornell Civil
Engineer. V. 24, p. 13.
10. The Separation of Grease from Sewage Sludge with Special Reference to Plants and
Methods Employed at Bradford and Oldham, England, by Allen. E.C. V. 40, 1913, p.
611.
11. Acid Treatment of Sewage, by Dorr and Weston. Journal Boston Society of Civil
Engineers, April, 1919. E.C. V. 51, 1919, p. 510. M.J. V. 46, 1919, p. 365.
12. The Miles Acid Process for Sewage Disposal. Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering,
V. 18, p. 591.
13. Miles Acid Treatment of Sewage, by Winslow and Mohlman. Journal American Society
Municipal Improvements, Oct., 1918. M.J. V. 45, 1918, pp. 280, 297, and 321.
14. New Electrolytic Sewage Treatment. M.J. V. 37, 1914, p. 556.
15. Electrolytic Sewage Treatment. M.J. V. 47, 1919, p. 131.
16. Electrolytic Treatment of Sewage at Durant, Oklahoma, by Benham. E.N. V. 76, 1916, p.
547. Municipal Engineering, V. 49, 1916, p. 141.
17. Electrolytic Treatment of Sewage at Elmhurst, Long Island, by Travis. Report to the
President of the Borough of Queens, Aug. 31, 1914. E.R. V. 70, 1914, pp. 292, 315, and
429. M.J. V. 39, p. 551. Municipal Engineering, V. 47, p. 281.
18. Tests of the Electrolysis of Sewage at Toronto, by Nevitt. E.N. V. 71, 1914, p. 1076.
19. Electrolytic Treatment of Sewage Little Better than Lime Alone, by Bartow. E.R. V. 74,
1916, p. 596.
20. Electrolytic Sewage Treatment Not Yet an Established Process. E.N.R. V. 83, 1919, p.
541.
21. Tests of Electrolytic Sewage Treatment Process at Easton, Pa. Journal of the Franklin
Institute, Aug., 1919. E.N.R. V. 83, 1919, p. 569.
22. The Disinfection of Sewage. U. S. Geological Survey, Water Supply Paper, No. 229.
23. Sewage Disinfection in Actual Practice, by Orchard. E.R. V. 70, 1914, p. 164.
24. Water and Sewage Purification in Ohio. Report of the Ohio State Board of Health, 1908,
pp. 738–762.
25. Water Purification, by Ellms. Published in 1917 by McGraw-Hill Book Co.
26. Electrolytic Sewage Treatment, A Half Century of Invention and Promotion. E.N.R. V.
86, 1921, p. 25.
CHAPTER XX
SLUDGE
Besco-ter-Meer Sludge
Drying Centrifuge at
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Courtesy, Barth
Engineering and
Sanitation Co.