Self-evident axioms (such as the Kantian maxim) cannot serve as the basis for ethical judgments.

“Ethical Axioms” (1894) was the last piece that Russell wrote for Sidgwick’s course on ethics (RoE: 53–56/Papers 1: 226–228). Russell takes it as a datum that “we do make moral judgments” and that “we regard these, like judgments as to what is, as liable to truth and falsehood”. We are “precluded from skepticism” (presumably the view that moral judgments are all false) “by the mere fact we will and act”. (This is not a very convincing argument since I can desire something—and hence act—without t