Moral integrity

Abstract

The incoherence between theory and practice is one of the problems posed by moral philosophy. If we are aware of what we should do, why do we do the opposite? Why do we think one thing and say or do another? Aristotle addressed the problem with the concept of akrasia, incontinence or weakness of the will; Kant did so with the question he poses at the end of the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals: how is it possible for pure reason to be practical? 

In this article, I analyze two issues that partly explain the problem. First, moral principles are abstract, and it is not difficult to reach agreement on them; what is difficult is to apply them correctly, a decision that requires reflection and deliberation. Second, the current conception of freedom is very simple and does not commit the individual to the common good, it does not foster a sense of responsibility or the development of an autonomous moral conscience. Correcting this idea of freedom and assuming responsibility for the decisions we make is the challenge that must be addressed in order to achieve real moral integrity.