Thefreedomoftheactofwill，however，isnottobedefinedasalibertyofindifference（libertasindifferentae），that，is，asacapacityofchoosingtoactfororagainstthelaw。Thevoluntaryprocess，indeed，viewedasaphenomenalappearance，givesmanyexamplesofthischoosinginexperience;andsomehaveaccordinglysodefinedthefree—will。Forfreedom，asitisfirstmadeknowablebythemorallaw，isknownonlyasanegativepropertyinus，asconstitutedbythefactofnotbeingnecessitatedtoactbysensibleprinciplesofdetermination。Regardedasanoumenalreality，however，inreferencetomanasapurerationalintelligence，theactofthewillcannotbeatalltheoreticallyexhibited;norcanitthereforebeexplainedhowthispowercanactnecessitatinglyinrelationtothesensibleactivityintheprocessofchoice，orconsequentlyinwhatthepositivequalityoffreedomconsists。Onlythusmuchwecanseeintoandcomprehend，thatalthoughman，asabeingbelongingtotheworldofsense，exhibits—asexperienceshows—acapacityofchoosingnotonlyconformablytothelawbutalsocontrarytoit，hisfreedomasarationalbeingbelongingtotheworldofintelligencecannotbedefinedbyreferencemerelytosensibleappearances。Forsensiblephenomenacannotmakeasuper—sensibleobject—suchasfree—willis—intelligible;norcanfreedomeverbeplacedinthemerefactthattherationalsubjectcanmakeachoiceinconflictwithhisownlaw—givingreason，althoughexperiencemayprovethatithappensoftenenough，notwithstandingourinabilitytoconceivehowitispossible。Foritisonethingtoadmitapropositionasbasedonexperience，andanotherthingtomakeitthedefiningprincipleandtheuniversaldifferentiatingmarkoftheactoffree—will，initsdistinctionfromthearbitriumbrutums。
servum;becausetheempiricalpropositiondoesnotassertthatanyparticularcharacteristicnecessarilybelongstotheconceptioninquestion，butthisisrequisiteintheprocessofdefinition。
Freedominrelationtotheinternallegislationofreasoncanalonebeproperlycalledapower;thepossibilityofdivergingfromthelawthusgivenisanincapacityorwantofpower。Howthencantheformerbedefinedbythelatter？Itcouldonlybebyadefinitionwhichwouldaddtothepracticalconceptionofthefree—will，itsexerciseasshownbyexperience;butthiswouldbeahybriddefinitionwhichwouldexhibittheconceptioninafalselight。
Amorallypracticallawisapropositionwhichcontainsacategoricalimperativeorcommand。Hewhocommandsbyalaw（imperans）
isthelawgiverorlegislator。Heistheauthoroftheobligationthataccompaniesthelaw，butheisnotalwaystheauthorofthelawitself。Inthelattercase，thelawwouldbepositive，contingent，andarbitrary。ThelawwhichisimposeduponusaprioriandunconditionallybyourownreasonmayalsobeexpressedasproceedingfromthewillofasupremelawgiverortheDivinewill。
Suchawillassupremecanconsequentlyhaveonlyrightsandnotduties;anditonlyindicatestheideaofamoralbeingwhosewillislawforall，withoutconceivingofhimastheauthorofthatwill。
Imputation，inthemoralsense，isthejudgementbywhichanyoneisdeclaredtobetheauthororfreecauseofanactionwhichisthenregardedashismoralfactordeed，andissubjectedtolaw。Whenthejudgementlikewiselaysdownthejuridicalconsequencesofthedeed，itisjudicialorvalid（imputatiojudiciarias。valida）;
otherwiseitwouldbeonlyadjudicativeordeclaratory（imputatiodijudicatoria）。Thatperson—individualorcollective—whoisinvestedwiththerighttoimputeactionsjudicially，iscalledajudgeoracourt（judexs。forum）。
Whenanyonedoes，inconformitywithduty，morethanhecanbecompelledtodobythelaw，itissaidtobemeritorious（meritum）。
Whatisdoneonlyinexactconformitywiththelaw，iswhatisdue（debitum）。Andwhenlessisdonethancanbedemandedtobedonebythelaw，theresultismoraldemerit（demeritum）orculpability。
Thejuridicaleffectorconsequenceofaculpableactofdemeritispunishment（paena）;thatofameritoriousactisreward（praemium），assumingthatthisrewardwaspromisedinthelawandthatitformedthemotiveoftheaction。Thecoincidenceorexactconformityofconducttowhatisduehasnojuridicaleffect。Benevolentremuneration（remuneratios。repensiobenefica）hasnoplaceinjuridicalrelations。
Thegoodorbadconsequencesarisingfromtheperformanceofanobligatedaction—asalsotheconsequencesarisingfromfailingtoperformameritoriousaction—cannotbeimputedtotheagent（modusimputationistollens）。Thegoodconsequencesofameritoriousaction—
asalsothebadconsequencesofawrongfulaction—maybeimputedtotheagent（modusimputationisponeus）。
Thedegreeoftheimputabilityofactionsistobereckonedaccordingtothemagnitudeofthehindrancesorobstacleswhichithasbeennecessaryforthemtoovercome。Thegreaterthenaturalhindrancesinthesphereofsense，andthelessthemoralhindranceofduty，somuchthemoreisagooddeedimputedasmeritorious。Thismaybeseenbyconsideringsuchexamplesasrescuingamanwhoisanentirestrangerfromgreatdistress，andatveryconsiderablesacrifice。Conversely，thelessthenaturalhindrance，andthegreaterthehindranceonthegroundofduty，somuchthemoreisatransgressionimputableasculpable。Hencethestateofmindoftheagentordoerofadeedmakesadifferenceinimputingitsconsequences，accordingashediditinpassionorperformeditwithcoolnessanddeliberation。