Selected Essays on Kant I: Volume 1

Duties of Freedom

Paul Guyer author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:21st May '26

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Selected Essays on Kant I: Volume 1 cover

Twelve of the author's most important essays on Kant's political-legal philosophy, its foundations, and its consequences.

Twelve essays on Kant's political-legal philosophy, focusing on the moral foundations of Kant's political theory, the need for morality in political practice, and specific issues such as the separation of powers and the separation of church and state. For academics, students, and all those interested in fundamental issues in politics.Paul Guyer, winner of the 2024 International Kant Prize, is one of the world's leading Kant scholars. This volume collects twelve of his essays on Kant's philosophy of Right, his political-legal philosophy, published since 2009. The essays definitely establish the foundation of Kant's philosophy of Right in his moral philosophy, and demonstrate the continuing need for motivation by respect for the moral law on the part of both those in positions of power and ordinary citizens in any government that aspires to the ideal of justice. The volume examines Kant's contribution to specific issues such as the separation of powers in a constitutional democracy and the separation of church and state, and concludes with two essays showing how John Rawls's well-known theory of justice is grounded on Kant's moral philosophy but could have benefited by attention to Kant's own doctrine of Right.

'This volume of essays is a pleasure to read: building on decades of path-breaking work across the whole of Kant's corpus, the essays guide the reader through a series of key themes in Kant's political philosophy: the basis of right and political obligation in morality and, ultimately, in freedom; the need for moral rulers even as we work for better institutions; the tension between sovereignty and dispersion of power across state functions; and finally, freedom of religion. Applying these Kantian lessons to the present day, Guyer offers all-too-timely moral-political critique, for example of legislators who allow their executive counterpart to gain excessive, dangerous power.' , Lisa Ellis, University of Otago
'Paul Guyer is well placed to interpret and present Kant's legal and political philosophy as a distinguished translator of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and a highly respected commentator on all three of Kant's Critiques. This is because Kant draws strongly from his systematic critical writings in developing his political theory, and often attributes his most novel contributions to insights gleaned from the Critiques. Taken together Paul Guyer's essays in this collection provide an invaluable tool for those seeking to understand in depth Kant's contribution in the field.' Howard Williams, Cardiff University

ISBN: 9781009647236

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 510g

350 pages