Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant. Short summary

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Kant dedicated his work to philosophy and mathematics, the sciences that help man learn about the world, but by different methods.

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The philosopher knows the world analytically, the mathematician synthetically. The philosopher’s proofs and conclusions are based on the abstract, while the mathematician’s are based on the concrete. Philosophical opinion is fleeting — it quickly loses significance, yielding to new views. Mathematical conclusions are often perpetuated because the object of study is easy and simple, whereas with the philosopher it is laborious and complex.

The mathematician clearly represents certain things, such as a geometric figure. The philosopher, on the other hand, cannot often be quite sure of his own ideas. The approach to metaphysical concepts is also different, which the philosopher tries to invent, while the mathematician looks for logical justifications. The philosopher grasps the essence of things with intuition, while the mathematician grasps them with reason, and this may not be enough. What the mathematician is sure of, the philosopher will doubt, and vice versa.

The work ends with two conclusions:
1. The first justification of natural theology is available to the great philosophical obviousness.
2. The first justifications of morality in their present state are not yet accessible to the required obviousness.