Kant's doctrine of the autonomy of the will. Kant's ethics. The categorical imperative and autonomy of the will. The doctrine of the forms of sensory knowledge

Iliad Canto Eighteen (excerpt) Making weapons The goddess Thetis, the mother of Achilles (one of the participants in the Trojan War), asked the god of fire and blacksmithing, Hephaestus, to make weapons and armor for her son. Hephaestus got to work. Both the weapons and armor forged by him were distinguished not only by their strength, but also by their skillful finishing. First of all, Hephaestus set about making the shield. He came out huge and strong. This shield was distinguished by its extraordinary beauty. There were five layers on this shield; on them he skillfully presented many different objects, cunningly conceiving them. In the middle of the shield, Hephaestus depicted the earth, sky and sea. The sun, moon and constellations shone in the sky. In the following circles the master forged two cities of mortal men. Both cities are wonderful. The first depicted feasts and weddings. Brides were led by torchlight to the sounds of wedding songs. Young men danced nearby, and women admired them from the thresholds of their homes. Hephaestus also depicted in this circle a square where people were crowded. There, two people were suing over a penalty (fine for murder) for a murdered man. The first of them swore that he had already paid all the money to the second, and the other denied it. The elders tried to judge the disputants: They took the rods in their hands from the loud-voiced messengers, quickly stood up and pronounced their judgment one after another. The second city was besieged from all sides by troops who hesitated: whether to destroy the city or lift the siege and take half the wealth of the townspeople as tribute. The residents were not going to give up. They were preparing an ambush. Even women, children and old people came to the fortress walls to defend their city. They were led by Ares (god of war) and Athena (goddess of wisdom and just war). Hephaestus made them golden and higher than all the others, distinguishing them from other people. The gods led the townspeople to the river bank where it seemed to them the most convenient ambush. Soon a herd of sheep and cows appeared. The townspeople captured them, killing the shepherds. In the enemy camp, hearing the noise, the guards saddled their horses and headed towards the river. A fight ensued. Next, fertile arable land was depicted “thrice loosened by a plow.” Many farmers worked on it, and were given invigorating wine as a reward for their work. The field, although golden, turned black behind those plowing and looked like arable land - he marvelously imagined it. Behind the arable land, the royal plot of the field was depicted, where the grain harvest was being harvested with sickles. The king stood a little distance from the others “with great joy in his heart.” To the side they were preparing food for the field workers. Then Hephaestus depicted a vineyard in which girls and boys “in young, carefree fun” were collecting grapes in baskets. Among them, a sonorous boy played and sang, delighting the ears of the workers. A herd of cows was also depicted. They were herded by shepherds with dogs. Two terrible lions suddenly attacked the herd and knocked down one bull. The shepherds tried to set the dogs on the beast, but they, frightened, only barked from afar. Next, Hephaestus depicted a pasture in a beautiful valley. A large flock of sheep grazed on it. Covered huts, pens and stables were also visible there. Nearby there was a dancing area where boys and girls danced in a round dance. They were all smartly dressed and cheerful. There were a lot of people around, people admired the beautiful dances. In the center of the circle stood the singer. As soon as he started a song, two buffoons immediately began to spin around in the circle. And finally, along the very edge of the shield the Ocean was depicted in all its great power. Having completed work on the shield, Hephaestus forged a shell, helmet and leggings for Achilles that were no less durable and beautiful. He gave the armor to Thetis, who, “like a falcon,” rushed from the Olympic heights with a gift for her son.