Kantian Remorse with and without Self-Retribution. Issue 3 (24th September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vilhauer, Benjamin
• Is Part Of: Kantian review. Volume 27:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 421
• Page End: 441
• Publication Date: 2022-09-24
• Subjects: remorse -- retributivism -- conscience -- care -- sympathy -- transcendental freedom; Neo-Kantianism -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 142.305
• DOI: 10.1017/S1369415422000140
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-4154

Abstract

Abstract: Kant's account of the pain of remorse involves a hybrid justification based on self-retribution, but constrained by forward-looking principles which say we must channel remorse into improvement and moderate its pain to avoid damaging our rational agency. Kant's corpus also offers material for a revisionist but textually grounded alternative account based on wrongdoers' sympathy for the pain they cause. This account is based on the value of care, and has forward-looking constraints much like Kant's own account. Drawing on Kant's texts and recent work in empirical psychology, I argue that sympathetic remorse may fulfil Kant's forward-looking goals better than self-retributive remorse.