Stäudlin held that Kant single-handedly created a revolution in moral philosophy. “When Kant came on the scene,” he said,

Stäudlin's belief, and ours, that Kant was a profound innovator is by no means unwarranted, but his statement is less than helpful in showing exactly where and how he altered moral philosophy. Numbers of philosophers had indeed claimed that happiness would guide us to all duties and virtues. But Kant was not revolutionary in rejecting such views. As we have seen, and as Stäudlin knew perfectly well, others, even in Germany, had done so. Stäudlin was a Kantian, trying to ensure recognition of his master's originality. I hope to be somewhat less partisan in discussing what Kant did with the problems and options that his predecessors and contemporaries considered part of moral philosophy.