Alan Gewirth and the Moral Law

Alan Gewirth constructed a deduction of moral obligation that is inspired by Kantian principles. He argued that any agent is committed by his very agency to acknowledging a universal right to freedom and basic well-being. The deduction is analyzed here step by step. It is found to contain much that is right but a fatal flaw as well. It is suggested how Gewirth's insights might be salvaged to establish obligations that are contingent on action choices.