Product Description
The original edition of Kant: Political Writings was first published in 1970, and has long been established as the principal English-language edition of this important body of writing.In this new, expanded edition two important texts illustrating Kant's view of history are included for the first time, his reviews of Herder's Ideas on the Philosophy of the History of Mankind and Conjectures on the Beginning of Human History, as well as the essay What is Orientation in Thinking?.In addition to a general introduction assessing Kant's political thought in terms of his fundamental principles of politics, this edition also contains such useful student aids as notes on the texts, a comprehensive bibliogaphy and a new postscript, looking at some of the principal issues in Kantian scholarship that have arisen since the first edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The ideas in this book are revolutionary!!
The ideas that Immanuel Kant wrote about are truly groundbreaking. The concept of a cosmopolitan existence can arguably be seen in the existense of the European Union. Really amazing stuff! Now you may ask "why then are there only four stars?". The reason that I have given this book four stars is that it captured Kant's words beautifully, but somehow forgot to dissect their meaning for the reader. The concept of rights can be very confusing and without a thorough explanation can leave the passive reader (and for that matter even an active reader at times)confused and frustrated. The price for the book itself is reasonable and I feel that it most definately will give you your money's worth.

Best collection I've seen in English
This is the best affordable paperback collection of Kant's essays on politics and the philosophy of history. You get Perpetual Peace, Idea for a Universal History, Contest of the Faculties, The End of all Things, Theoryand Practice, What is Enlightenment and several other essays. Hans Reiss'introduction is well written and illuminating as well. There is another,cheaper collection published by Hackett Publishing Co. (Perpetual Peace andOther Essays). However, it is smaller and less comprehensive than thisedition. ... Read more

Product Description
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

Product Description
Este ensayo aparecio en 1978; en el Kant expuso profundas y brillantes consideraciones sobre las relaciones entre la Facultad inferior (Filosofia), con tres Facultades superiores (Teologia, Derecho y Medicina). ... Read more

Product Description

This is an electronic edition of the complete essays complemented by author biography. This book features the table of contents linked to every chapter and footnote. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the Kindle, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including the Kindle, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

Customer Reviews (5)

Immanuel Kant
Works of Immanuel Kant: Including Critique of Pure Reason, Critique of Practical Reason, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals & more. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

This ebook is best read very slowly and with the realization that there are some things in it that you just won't understand. Kant is famous for his cryptic terminology and long, long-winded explanations; nevertheless, this ebook is undoubtedly accessible to the average reader.

The translators were added to book description. The translators were always named on the cover of each ebook under the title.
Comments from the Publisher:

We apologize for the inconvenience. The translators were added to book description. The translators were always named on the cover of each ebook under the title.

MobileReference

An Easy to Read Compilation of Kant Writings
Works of Immanuel Kant: Including Critique of Pure Reason, Critique of Practical Reason, and more. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

The translations offered here are clear. The compilation has an excellent table of contents which helps one find a particular subject easily. Altogether a great ebook at a great price, which will richly reward the serious reader.

Who is the translator?
The translator for a set of works like this is crucially important.Yet it's not listed and should not be trusted.Amazon needs to adjust their policy requirements on the E-books, even if they are low priced.

a book of significance
Works of Immanuel Kant: Including Critique of Pure Reason, Critique of Practical Reason, and more. What is Enlightenment in trial version.

Immanuel Kant is truly one of the most influential philosophers in history. This ebook is a must for anyone interested in philosophy, morality, and life in general. ... Read more

Product Description
Nuestra epoca es la epoca de la critica, a la que todo tiene que someterse. La religion por su santidad y la legislacion por su majestad quieren generalmente sustraerse a ella. Pero entonces suscitan contra si sospechas justificadas y no pueden aspirar a un respeto sincero, que la razon solo concede a quien ha podido sostener libre y publico examen .Immanuel Kant ... Read more

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Karl Ameriks here collects his most important essays to provide a uniquely detailed and up-to-date analysis of Kant's main arguments in all three major areas of his work: theoretical philosophy (Critique of Pure Reason), practical philosophy (Critique of Practical Reason), and aesthetics (Critique of Judgment). Guiding the volume is Ameriks's belief that one cannot properly understand any one of these Critiques except in the context of the other two. The essays can be read individually, but read together they offer a comprehensive guide to the main themes of the most influential of all modern philosophical systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great collection
This is a great collection of essays from one of the sharpest and most important Kant scholars around. While this reviewer finds much to disagree with in the main thrust of Ameriks' interpretation of Kant (too metaphysical!), there's no denying that these are thought-provoking and important essays. Most of the stuff in here has appeared elsewhere, but it's nice to have so many of Ameriks' essays under one roof. (Plus, it's got a nice cover.) The book is comprised of three sections, one for each of the Critiques. It includes Ameriks' much-discussed work on topics such as the KrV's Transcendental Deduction, the reality of freedom, and the objectivity of taste.A few of the essays are devoted to summarizing and criticizing other Kant scholarship. How Ameriks manages to read all this stuff is a mystery, but it's impressive. And these essays are a great service. The book is introduced by a long essay on Kant's work as a whole, and how best to tackle it. This introductory essay emphasizes, rightly, I think, the importance of reading each of Kant's major works in conjunction with the others. It's a masterpiece of synthesis, and full of insight. Newcomers be warned: this is not easy stuff. Ameriks writes clearly, but his work is for Kant enthusiasts. Those looking for an introduction to Kant would do well to start with Allen Wood's "Kant" (Blackwell) or Sebastian Gardner's commentary on the first Critique (Routledge). But for those looking to work through the finer details of Kant's work and the scholarship devoted to figuring it out, the essays collected here are essential reading. They're clear, smart, and provocative. ... Read more

Product Description
This expanded edition of James Ellington's pre-eminent translation of Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals and Metaphysical Principles of Virtue includes his new translation of Kant's essay 'On a Supposed Right to Lie Because of Philanthropic Concerns', in which Kant replies to one of the standard objections to his moral theory, as presented in the main text of Grounding, that it requires us to tell the truth even in the face of harmful consequences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Understand Kantian ethics, it is not easy
I read this book for a graduate seminar on Ethics.In "The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals," Kant astutely observes how ordinary people speak about morality.He argues, ordinary people's views are presupposed about morality, that there is one supreme moral principle it is the "Categorical Imperative" which is discussed in section two of the book.In section one, he talks about value, and special regard or esteem we have for someone who does the right things.Sometimes, people do the right things for wrong reasons.He is interested in what has to be true for an action to have moral worth.He has a kind of criticism of Utilitarians.Utilitarians say you can talk about what is good, i.e., happiness, before talking about what is right or moral.For Kantians "right" comes prior to the question of what is good.One must bring morality in before talking about the good.Talent and ability is good if put to good use, it can also be bad; for example computer hackers creating "viruses."Only one thing is good in and of itself unconditionally, which is a good "will" which means the will of a person who wants to do the right thing.Even if the plan doesn't work out they still have good will.They desire to do the right thing because it is the right thing.

Kant argues that action has moral worth only if it is done out of respect for duty.For example, if a shopkeeper is honest in an effort to look good to customers he did the right thing, but only in "conformity with duty."He acted out of inclination.If the shopkeeper is honest out of being nice or likes kids then his action is still done out of inclination because he "likes to do it," but his moral worth is less in the action.The shopkeeper who has moral worth is the one who is honest because it was the right thing to do.

Kant's 2nd proposition is that an action gets its moral worth from its "maxim."Maxim is a technical term for Kant; maxim is a kind of principle that explains why someone does something.Kant thinks that whenever we act on an action there always is some maxim that we are acting on.So you can think of a maxim as having the form:I will do A (some kind of action) in C (some set of circumstances) for P. (for some purpose).Now it is not as if normally when you act you formulate to yourself here is my maxim, here is what I am acting on.However, Kant thinks that when you do something there is some maxim that describes your choice.Therefore, Kant thinks there is an underlying maxim there, and it is this maxim Kant thinks that is the real decider about whether your action has moral worth or not.Only actions with the right maxim he thinks have moral worth.

Kant's3rd proposition is that duty is the necessity of acting out of respect for law, (not government law).Kant thinks that actions get there moral worth from being done out of respect for a "universal moral law" that is binding on all rational beings.This is the real clincher for Kant in the first section of his book.That actions have moral worth when the person who did the action did it because he or she thought that there is a moral law that commands them to do the action.For example, "I must obey that law, it is necessary; I have no choice but to obey the law."That notion of following the universal moral law is what gives the action, Kant thinks, its worth that is what makes it worthy of the special esteem he thinks we give actions when people have done them just because they thought they were right.

This is the setup for Kant's all important and famous "categorical imperative which he argues applies to everyone.This is all in Section II.We can deduce many rules from the categorical imperative.The categorical imperative is the only one fundamental principle of morality, but it can be formulated in a variety of different ways.Kant had three formulas of the categorical imperative.All three formulas are a different way of wording the categorical imperative.The categorical imperative is a moral law that has to apply to all rational beings, regardless of what ends they have.

The 1st formula is the "Universal Law Formula," which Kant said that every action has a maxim.Whenever you do anything there is some maxim, some subjective principle you are acting on and that we shouldn't act on any maxim that we couldn't choose to become a universal law.Kant then goes on to say that still for every action, in addition to its maxim, there is also an end, every action has an end.Mill and Aristotle also say this.Kant says if you have a categorical imperative there has to be an end that all rational beings see as a good end, this is mandatory.It can't be some kind of effect of our actions, because the kinds of things we produce in the phenomenal world only have value because we care about them.It has to be an end that all rational beings must care about; it can't be a utilitarian end, or one from consequences.If we value it as an end it has value, if we choose it as an end then there is a claim on others to see it as important as well, thus, this is a real mandatory end that humanity itself sees.Rational nature itself then has value.

The 2nd formula is "The Formula of Humanity" which states, I'm not just special because everyone thinks they are valuable.Can't treat other people as merely a means to an end.This gives one a claim to the help from other people.Slavery is an epitome of this formula as an example.It is wrong to treat people ONLY as a means to an end.(However, you are not using a grocery bagger as such because he gets paid).When you put the Universal Law Formula and Formula of Humanity together, you get another way of formulating the Categorical Imperative.

The 3rd Formula is "The Kingdom of Ends Formula."We ought to be thinking of ourselves as legislators for a kingdom of people who are ends to themselves and for Kant that is what we are doing when we are acting morally.We should only act on maxims that can be laws for a community (Kingdom) of rational beings.Thus, we are both subjects and sovereigns in this community, because we make our own laws and then we must obey them.This is the reason Kant thinks that the categorical imperative is binding on all of us because we impose it on ourselves and make the laws, not binding just because somebody might punish us if we disobey.We already accept the categorical imperative according to Kant without thinking about it.We end up with the ideas of autonomy and motivation.We end up with the idea that reason alone must be capable of motivating us to act a certain way which for Kant means we have autonomy (self rule), (motivated by reason as opposed to desires), which gives us free will.We can only be bound by moral laws if we have this kind of autonomy, if we are motivated by reason, if we have in a sense a free will.Kant thinks it goes in the other direction as well, if we have a free will then we are bound by the categorical imperative.

Thus, philosophers ask do we truly have free will?Also, to what extent are we moved by causation?Kant says laws govern causation.One type of law is Newton's laws of motion, scientific laws.Philosophers debate the question is human actions like these laws?Can we predict human actions?Do our desires cause us to act in certain ways; can our actions be predetermined?Some say yes.Aristotle calls this "efficient causation."Some call them "laws of natural necessity."Given the way the natural world works, things have to happen in a certain way and the world is governed by certain laws.

Kant says if we have a free will, then the laws that govern our choices are not going to be laws of natural necessity.If we have a free will, then our will or our practical reason will choose its own principles, its own laws to act on, and those will be the laws that will cause us to do certain things.If we have a free will, then our will chooses certain principles these must have form of a law for everyone; a universal law, this is the categorical imperative.Thus, for Kant, if we have free will then the categorical imperative is binding on us.

I recommend you read this work slowly and repeat key passages for better comprehension.Kant's work is a must for anyone interested in philosophy, and ethics.

Anything with the GMM is worth buying
Read the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, and then read it again.Repeat.While this collection doesn't have the greatest translation of the GMM it is a valuable compilation that also includes some of Kant's other works on Ethics and some commentary that can help you to better understand his ethical theories.Definitely worth the time for all. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

It's true
I totally agree with the previous reviewer that this is the best intro to kant. The cartoon books and Kant's actual writings are too complicated but this is by far the easiest understand. The author is a famous existentialist philosopher too- so it's like you're killing two philosophers with one stone.

The Best Introduction to the Philosophy of Kant
The one philosopher who discourages more students of philosophy is Immanuel Kant, the hands-down winner. Yet, it is not his ideas that are difficult to understand, but, rather, getting to his ideas, which are cocooned in a maze of needlessly bad technical writing.

Thus, most would-be students of Kant seek a basic introduction to his thought, only to find that the vast majority of these are even denser than that which they seek to explain. Who wants to shell out $19.95 for an introduction to Kant that itself needs an introduction?

Well, you can relax, because there is a highly readable introduction to the great man's philosophy that sells for less than ten dollars. Written by the great 20th Century existential philosopher Karl Jaspers as part of his "Great Philosophers" series, it stands out as an easy to read, easy to understand introduction to one of the giants of philosophy. Armed in such a manner, Kant's actual writings will become less formidible, more appealing to both eye and mind.

Do not waste your time reading an academic's explanation of Kant. Read a major philosopher's introduction instead, for it not only takes a great mind to understand a great mind, but also to make the thought of that great mind accessible to all. ... Read more

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Kant sought throughout his life to provide a philosophy adequate to the sciences of his time--especially Euclidean geometry and Newtonian physics. In this new book, Michael Friedman argues that Kant's continuing efforts to find a metaphysics that could provide a foundation for the sciences is of the utmost importance in understanding the development of his philosophical thought from its earliest beginnings in the thesis of 1747, through the Critique of Pure Reason, to his last unpublished writings in the Opus postumum.

Previous commentators on Kant have typically minimized these efforts because the sciences in question have since been outmoded. Friedman argues that, on the contrary, Kant's philosophy is shaped by extraordinarily deep insight into the foundations of the exact sciences as he found them, and that this represents one of the greatest strengths of his philosophy. Friedman examines Kant's engagement with geometry, arithmetic and algebra, the foundations of mechanics, and the law of gravitation in Part One. He then devotes Part Two to the Opus postumum, showing how Kant's need to come to terms with developments in the physics of heat and in chemistry formed a primary motive for his projected Transition from the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science to Physics.

Kant and the Exact Sciences is a book of high scholarly achievement, argued with impressive power. It represents a great advance in our understanding of Kant's philosophy of science.

Customer Reviews (1)

Good try, but with several grevious flaws
A passable attempt to discuss Kant's fascination (and ultimately unrequited love) of the exact sciences. The author, however, fails to grasp certain elementary features of mathematics and physics (eg: Newton's lawsof motion) that Kant engages and as such misunderstands a lot of Kant'smisunderstandings. It also overlooks some of the most grevious errors onKant's part, notably his postulation of a repulsive force, which shouldsuggest a lack of understanding on Kant's part vis-a-vis Newtonianmechanics. I don't understand this incredible oversight. ... Read more

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Kant is the central figure of modern philosophy. He sought to rebuild philosophy from the ground up, and he succeeded in permanently changing its problems and methods. This new translation of the Prolegomena, which is the best introduction to his philosophy, also includes selections from the Critique of Pure Reason, which fill out and explicate some of his central arguments. The volume is completed by a historical and philosophical introduction, explanatory notes, a chronology, and a guide to further reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The "Critique of Pure Reason" ...refined and clarified!!
...Kant himself wrote this to clarify the excruciatingly convoluted paragraphs of the agonizing "Critique". This is Kant's groundbreaking Transcendental Idealism written in his own words as clearly and concisely as possible! to all you philosophy enthusiasts...ENJOY!

If the Critique scares the bejeezus out of you...
For the serious student of Philosophy this work should just serve as a bridge into the justifiably intimidating Critique of Pure Reason.That being said,

For those who are gunshy about the first critique, this book is an extremely good introduction to Kant's Metaphysics.It does not give the depth of full critique but gives you the general thrust of the direction that he is going in his Philosophical activity and introduces the concepts that were essential to the critique.(the transcendental ego of apperception, the antinomies of reason, etc.)In this smaller production Kant is much less intimidating.His style is still fairly circuitous, and he is virtually incapable of sussinctly summarizing himself, but take it for what you will.

also, I'm not sure what the guy beneath me is talking about.I'm really not.But it should be noted that Kant's variety of idealism should be called critical idealism rather than subjective idealism.The latter is misleading and fails to make the distinction between Kant's philosophy and that of Berkley or Descartes.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The Antinomies are too complex and mysterious to the instrument of Reason: this is why one should be so enthusiastic to end It [i.e. the Reason] through Aleister Crowley's " Liber OS ABYSMI vel DAATH," whichwill cause a replacement of It with Ultimately Higher Faculties.

TheReason has been proved to be so droolingly absurd by Kant in his boringliterary form. He needs an upgrade via activation of the Poetical Faculties-- I am not here speaking of the former paragraph's identity of expression.His style is so sublimely shown to be in an opposed functioning with mostother philosophical books.

An excellent method to become a SubjectiveIdealist is propounded here in this treatise. ... Read more

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Library of Liberal Arts title. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Prolegomena
The book shown is not the same as the book shipped, but the pagination and text are the same.

A bit of balance, please!
Since the previous reviewer spent so much time loathing their own inability to understand Kant's writings, I believe a higher rating is in order.From one who CAN understand at least the Prolegomena, I recommend it wholeheartedly to the philosopher who wishes to understand an alternative to Hume and other skeptics.

"Pure thought" or simply obfuscated logic?
Kant was a charlatan who misrepresents the great skeptic philosopher David Hume throughout this monument to logical obfuscation. The plot turns on an attempt to redefine metaphysics for the rest of eternity (now that Hume has essentially disproved its usefulness). Will he succeed? You can be the judge, if you like, but please take the time to read Hume's brilliant work before you waste any time (or money) on this scoundrel's scientific-sounding drivel!

Kant is one of the main reasons philosophy and philosophers are today considered boring. He influenced a generation of fools after him, most notably Hegel and Schoepenhauer. I can attest that Hegel's work is no more valuable, equally unintelligible and obscure, it clearly had no positive influence on history. His idiocy is the main reason why later philosophers Marx and Nieszche, for example, come off sounding so angry! As German intellectuals they had to swim in a sea of Kantian nonsense! ... Read more

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Kants Ausfuehrungen ueber die Grundsaetze der menschlischen Vernunft ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beware
Beware that this edition does not provide the standard pagination of the Academy edition. So it may not be that useful for professional philosophers.

Yikes!
I assume that what Bobus says is true.I want merely to emphasize that what he says is alarming: the absence of the second (or B) edition is a very serious deficiency in a publication of this work.

Only contains first edition
This book only contains the text of the first edition (which lacks several chapters of the second edition), and comes naked without any ediotrial comments. ... Read more

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The Metaphysics of Morals is Kant's major work in applied moral philosophy in which he deals with the basic principles of rights and of virtues. It comprises two parts: the "Doctrine of Right," which deals with the rights that people have or can acquire, and the "Doctrine of Virtue," which deals with the virtues they ought to acquire.Mary Gregor's translation, revised for publication in Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy, is the only complete translation of the whole text. It includes extensive annotation on Kant's difficult and sometimes unfamiliar vocabulary. A new introduction by Roger Sullivan sets the work in its historical and philosophical context. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

well......
i bought this, read about 20 pages, then found out that there was an introduction to the metaphysics of morals that Kant wrote.

I read the introduction of the metaphysics of morals about 2 times before i understood it, and never messed with this one anymore.

the fundamental philosophies to Kant's proposed universal morals are all in his introduction to the meta of morals.

Understand Kantian ethics, not for the feint of heart
I read this book for a graduate seminar on Ethics.This is the best translation!!!In "The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals," Kant astutely observes how ordinary people speak about morality.He argues, ordinary people's views are presupposed about morality, that there is one supreme moral principle it is the "Categorical Imperative" which is discussed in section two of the book.In section one, he talks about value, and special regard or esteem we have for someone who does the right things.Sometimes, people do the right things for wrong reasons.He is interested in what has to be true for an action to have moral worth.He has a kind of criticism of Utilitarians.Utilitarians say you can talk about what is good, i.e., happiness, before talking about what is right or moral.For Kantians "right" comes prior to the question of what is good.One must bring morality in before talking about the good.Talent and ability is good if put to good use, it can also be bad; for example computer hackers creating "viruses."Only one thing is good in and of itself unconditionally, which is a good "will" which means the will of a person who wants to do the right thing.Even if the plan doesn't work out they still have good will.They desire to do the right thing because it is the right thing.

Kant argues that action has moral worth only if it is done out of respect for duty.For example, if a shopkeeper is honest in an effort to look good to customers he did the right thing, but only in "conformity with duty."He acted out of inclination.If the shopkeeper is honest out of being nice or likes kids then his action is still done out of inclination because he "likes to do it," but his moral worth is less in the action.The shopkeeper who has moral worth is the one who is honest because it was the right thing to do.

Kant's 2nd proposition is that an action gets its moral worth from its "maxim."Maxim is a technical term for Kant; maxim is a kind of principle that explains why someone does something.Kant thinks that whenever we act on an action there always is some maxim that we are acting on.So you can think of a maxim as having the form:I will do A (some kind of action) in C (some set of circumstances) for P. (for some purpose).Now it is not as if normally when you act you formulate to yourself here is my maxim, here is what I am acting on.However, Kant thinks that when you do something there is some maxim that describes your choice.Therefore, Kant thinks there is an underlying maxim there, and it is this maxim Kant thinks that is the real decider about whether your action has moral worth or not.Only actions with the right maxim he thinks have moral worth.

Kant's3rd proposition is that duty is the necessity of acting out of respect for law, (not government law).Kant thinks that actions get there moral worth from being done out of respect for a "universal moral law" that is binding on all rational beings.This is the real clincher for Kant in the first section of his book.That actions have moral worth when the person who did the action did it because he or she thought that there is a moral law that commands them to do the action.For example, "I must obey that law, it is necessary; I have no choice but to obey the law."That notion of following the universal moral law is what gives the action, Kant thinks, its worth that is what makes it worthy of the special esteem he thinks we give actions when people have done them just because they thought they were right.

This is the setup for Kant's all important and famous "categorical imperative which he argues applies to everyone.This is all in Section II.We can deduce many rules from the categorical imperative.The categorical imperative is the only one fundamental principle of morality, but it can be formulated in a variety of different ways.Kant had three formulas of the categorical imperative.All three formulas are a different way of wording the categorical imperative.The categorical imperative is a moral law that has to apply to all rational beings, regardless of what ends they have.

The 1st formula is the "Universal Law Formula," which Kant said that every action has a maxim.Whenever you do anything there is some maxim, some subjective principle you are acting on and that we shouldn't act on any maxim that we couldn't choose to become a universal law.Kant then goes on to say that still for every action, in addition to its maxim, there is also an end, every action has an end.Mill and Aristotle also say this.Kant says if you have a categorical imperative there has to be an end that all rational beings see as a good end, this is mandatory.It can't be some kind of effect of our actions, because the kinds of things we produce in the phenomenal world only have value because we care about them.It has to be an end that all rational beings must care about; it can't be a utilitarian end, or one from consequences.If we value it as an end it has value, if we choose it as an end then there is a claim on others to see it as important as well, thus, this is a real mandatory end that humanity itself sees.Rational nature itself then has value.

The 2nd formula is "The Formula of Humanity" which states, I'm not just special because everyone thinks they are valuable.Can't treat other people as merely a means to an end.This gives one a claim to the help from other people.Slavery is an epitome of this formula as an example.It is wrong to treat people ONLY as a means to an end.(However, you are not using a grocery bagger as such because he gets paid).When you put the Universal Law Formula and Formula of Humanity together, you get another way of formulating the Categorical Imperative.

The 3rd Formula is "The Kingdom of Ends Formula."We ought to be thinking of ourselves as legislators for a kingdom of people who are ends to themselves and for Kant that is what we are doing when we are acting morally.We should only act on maxims that can be laws for a community (Kingdom) of rational beings.Thus, we are both subjects and sovereigns in this community, because we make our own laws and then we must obey them.This is the reason Kant thinks that the categorical imperative is binding on all of us because we impose it on ourselves and make the laws, not binding just because somebody might punish us if we disobey.We already accept the categorical imperative according to Kant without thinking about it.We end up with the ideas of autonomy and motivation.We end up with the idea that reason alone must be capable of motivating us to act a certain way which for Kant means we have autonomy (self rule), (motivated by reason as opposed to desires), which gives us free will.We can only be bound by moral laws if we have this kind of autonomy, if we are motivated by reason, if we have in a sense a free will.Kant thinks it goes in the other direction as well, if we have a free will then we are bound by the categorical imperative.

Thus, philosophers ask do we truly have free will?Also, to what extent are we moved by causation?Kant says laws govern causation.One type of law is Newton's laws of motion, scientific laws.Philosophers debate the question is human actions like these laws?Can we predict human actions?Do our desires cause us to act in certain ways; can our actions be predetermined?Some say yes.Aristotle calls this "efficient causation."Some call them "laws of natural necessity."Given the way the natural world works, things have to happen in a certain way and the world is governed by certain laws.

Kant says if we have a free will, then the laws that govern our choices are not going to be laws of natural necessity.If we have a free will, then our will or our practical reason will choose its own principles, its own laws to act on, and those will be the laws that will cause us to do certain things.If we have a free will, then our will chooses certain principles these must have form of a law for everyone; a universal law, this is the categorical imperative.Thus, for Kant, if we have free will then the categorical imperative is binding on us.

I recommend you read this work slowly and repeat key passages for better comprehension.Kant's work is a must for anyone interested in philosophy, and ethics.

As promised
The book arrived timely and in great condition. I would purchase from this seller again.

Small pieces of a big puzzle
It is nice to be able to buy books from a publisher that believes in doing things right, even if the books might be a bit obscure for all the usual reasons.Having purchased the Great Books Volume 39 on Kant earlier this year, which was an economical collection that included his three most famous volumes as well as Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals (1785) and Preface and Introduction to the Metaphysical Elements of Ethics translated by Thomas Kingsmill Abbott, which are works that Kant's THE METAPHYSICS OF MORALS in the Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy does not include, it is interesting to see how these two books still manage to overlap.

The Great Books Kant includes a translation (1887) by W. Hastie of Kant's 1797 works General Introduction to the Metaphysic of Morals (pp. 383-394) and The Science of Right (pp. 395-458).This book contains Mary Gregor's translation of the same text on pages 1-124.

Since Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States in 1861-65, Americans have tended to think that everybody who was important to us would be living in the same country, and democracy would allow the majority to dictate the basic laws which everyone would have to adhere to.Kant has to come up with rules for wars between states that need to maintain a balance of power, but his result is to deny economic motives."The reason there cannot be a war of subjugation is not that this extreme measure a state might use to achieve a condition of peace would in itself contradict the right of a state; it is rather that the idea of the right of nations involves only the concept of an antagonism in accordance with principles of outer freedom by which each can preserve what belongs to it, but not a way of acquiring, by which one state's increase of power could threaten others."(section 56, p. 117).A written constitution ought to be more powerful than treaties "which can be dissolved at any time, not a federation (like that of the American states) which is based on a constitution and can therefore not be dissolved."(section 61, p. 120).

Somehow Kant lacked the idea that heads of state would regularly be deprived of their rule and punished for official acts."The sovereign can also take the ruler's authority away from him, depose him, or reform his administration.But it cannot punish him . . .; for punishment is, again, an act of the executive authority, which has the supreme capacity to exercise coercion in conformity with the law, and it would be self-contradictory for him to be subject to coercion."(section 49, p. 94).If the ultimate weapons wipe out life on the planet, we would find ourselves in a condition already imagined by Kant:

"Accordingly, every murderer--anyone who commits murder, orders it, or is an accomplice in it -- must suffer death; this is what justice, as the idea of judicial authority wills in accordance with universal laws that are grounded a priori. -- If, however, the number of accomplices (correi) to such deed is so great that the state, in order to have no such criminals in it, could soon find itself without subjects; and if the state still does not want to dissolve, that is, to pass over into the state of nature, which is far worse because there is no external justice at all in it (and if it especially does not want to dull the people's feeling by the spectacle of a slaughterhouse), then the sovereign must also have it in his power, in this case of necessity (casus necessitatis), to assume the role of judge (to represent him) and pronounce a judgment that decrees for the criminals a sentence other than capital punishment, such as deportation, which still preserves the population.This cannot be done in accordance with public law but it can be done by an executive decree that is, by an act of majesty which, as clemency, can always be exercised only in individual cases."(section 49, pp. 107-108).

Kant died over 200 years ago, unaware that economic interests could become so powerful that even the media would act as a single unit and find itself dedicated to perpetuating a power elite that could always, in each and every instance, join with leaders committed to mindlessly militaristic politics that used statistics on gross hyperconsumption to make itself fiscally worse than worthless, deporting jobs, cutting government programs to prepare for a lean and mean future in which worthless i.o.u.s would compete with other countries that still possessed natural resources and productive capacity, as if nothing could be better than to make democratic government as powerless as possible.

In a reply to a reviewer of Kant's book, Kant pointed out, "that there is a categorical imperative, Obey the authority who has power over you (in whatever does not conflict with inner morality) -- this is the offensive proposition called into question."(p. 136).Part II of this book, called Metaphysical First Principles of the Doctrine of Virtue (pp. 139-232), has a Preface in which, "Hence all doctrine of virtue, in lecture halls, from pulpits, or in popular books, also becomes ridiculous if it is decked out in scraps of metaphysics.--But it is not useless, much less ridiculous, to investigate in metaphysics . . ."(p. 141).Maxims and duty are discussed in the Introduction, along with "a categorical imperative of pure practical reason, and therefore an imperative which connects a concept of duty with that of an end in general."(p. 149).There are 53 sections and a conclusion on religion being beyond pure moral philosophy.The index on pages 235-241 has few names, but suggests a few pages to check for topics like hypocrisy and ridicule.

Excellent book!
All of Kant's works are outstanding, but what makes the versions of Kant's works good or bad (that I can read) is the translator. Since this book is the only complete translation of both parts of "The Metaphysics of Morals," I had doubts about its quality. But, as I found out, this book has been translated smoothly -- although I cannot compare it with the German version.

What I like about Mary Gregor's translation, is her use of footnotes. She clearly defines Latin phrases and the layered meanings of German words whose depth and meaning would be in too hasty of a translation.

Also, she introduces Kant's main ideas very well; and by doing so, expands and clarifies the ideas he presents in his treatise. The footnotes are not excessive; Gregor seems to have balanced them well.The presentation of the footnotes, typography, and the library grade (acid free) paper make this book a keeper. ... Read more

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Immanuel Kant inspirational work ... Read more

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Excellent introduction to Kant's philosophy
Both Professor Höffe and the translator deserve kudos for this work. Most other introductions to Kant that I have seen are either too superficial, or they retain too much of Kant's heavy writing style (which tends totranslate poorly into English), in order to be really useful. By contrast,Professor Höffe's work summarizes everything important in Kant's philosophyin a way that is both insightful and easy to read.

The organization ofProfessor Höffe's book is very helpful to a proper understanding of Kant'sphilosophy. This book discusses Kant's life work organized according to thethree famous questions that Kant posed, i.e., what can I know? what ought Ito do? what may I hope?. This organization retains Kant's original didacticpurpose, and helps the reader understand how the conclusions of Kant'smoral and religious philosophy are directly connected with his criticalanalysis of reason itself.

Professor Höffe discusses, with a remarkablethoroughness for a book that is less than 300 pages long, the problems ofKant's philosophy and its relevance for our modern world. This is handledin a superb and unbiased manner. No one person can be expected to providesolutions for every philosophical problem facing humanity, and the authordiscusses those few areas in which Kant's solutions rested, withoutquestion, on inadequate foundations; on the other hand, Professor Höffedefuses the commonly made assertion that non-Euclidean geometry and quantummechanics should have "undermined" Kant's philosophy, and showsthat the reasoning behind this assertion is, in effect, inadmissible.

The writing style of this book is another reason for buying it. Thisbook is completely free of scholastic obscurantism. There are noyawn-inducing pile-ups of abstract terms derived from Latin or Greek.Difficult and complex problems are never explained in Ciceronian periods.Single-clause sentences are the rule rather than the exception. I assumethat the German original must have been written in this way, but it mustthen also be said that the translator, Marshall Farrier, has succeededwhere few people have, i.e., in having translated a German work aboutphilosophy into clear and natural English.

This is an excellentintroduction to Kant's philosophy. I know of no better in the Englishlanguage. ... Read more

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Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason, a work of major importance in the history of Western religious thought, represents a great philosopher's attempt to spell out the form and content of a type of religion that would be grounded in moral reason and would meet the needs of ethical life. This volume presents it, together with three short essays that illuminate it, in a new translation by Allen Wood and George di Giovanni, with an introduction by Robert Merrihew Adams that locates this essential essay in its historical and philosophical context. ... Read more

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Moral Theology
An all too overlooked text of Kant. `Religion within the Mere Bounds of Reason' is a critical attempt-albeit a rather strange one-to reconcile Kant's rational ethical maxims with a conception of evil antecedent to the human being. This is in part a radically strange work, and often completely antithetical to the Aufklärung project itself. However, there are also brilliant epistemological moves here as Kant attempts to fold religious doctrine into morality itself. In the end, Kant is a figure of moral responsibility and duty. This is perhaps not the most surprising fact coming from a man who was by all accounts a sterile virgin. However, it is impossible to get a complete grip on the Critique of Practical Reason without the additional paths Kant erects in this idiosyncratic text.

good translation
I previously reviewed a different translation of this book that was posted for this version. I think the Cambridge Texts version has a better grasp of the terminology and flow of thought in religious thinking. Years ago I used another email address so I get to write as a different person now, but I hardly have to read this book anymore. Just opening it to a page brings me to where Kant considered whatever question he was on. Ending the book with the end of times allows Kant to quote an angel in the final book of the Bible, called Apocalypse in this translation, for the concept of eternity: time will be no more. Kant associated thinking with reflecting, so he pictured heaven as all one Allelulia all the time, and I know what people in hell are saying, which Kant dares not to say.

Theology in the Developement of Morals
Immanuel Kant quotes Bible scripture in this work quite often; neither is his thesis is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Mormon, though he would like this work to shape theology of people of these faiths among others that exist. This book is theological in that it is a philosophy about God and man. The author believes in absolute truth but does not understand it to come from scripture or a particular religion.He wants right and wrong to be determined through reason and argument. An individual develops maxims about morals through experience in the world through the social process. This social process may include cultural understanding of God and Religious practice in society. Yet the author argues what is bad behavior and what is good behavior is distinct from personal preference.This ultimate truth is grasped through reason, not through dogma or scriptural interpretation. It is an interesting read to which conclusions I heartedly disagree.

Immanuel Kant uses John 3:5 in his argument: that man most be born again. His use of the term is not the common use evangelical circles of a supernatural rebirth of the individual. He understands this rebirth may come from any religious tradition. His arguments are not just made to alter Christianity but to alter all religion. Rebirth is a change of aim or purpose in the individual's life that is to follow God's Will (Kant's perspective who ever that may be). No longer does self love - self absorption rule, but man's common good. True seeking your neighbor's welfare is God's Will, but to Kant's arguments it really the sole purpose of religion and faith. While seeking to do God's Will includes serving the believer and the unbeliever in the World, one must seek to glorify God and have a relationship with God. Kant scorns worship and scriptural study.

Kant uses the term universalism. He wants all faiths to come one accord of this belief in this rational faith: An ecumenical faith where all faiths of the world give up their scriptural meaning and trade it for another understanding. A Faith based on Rational thought. Kant argues that scriptural meaning needs to be forced into rational thought. Faith based institutions would exist to train and socialize people to this rational faith and abandon their old ways. I guess this is an argument for liberal Christian theology and an alteration of other religions: An argument for those who never believed ion the first place. Five Star book, but to what is true One star.

Fantastic Book
This book embodies much of Kant's mature moral philosophy.While the book's title suggests that it's only about religion, it's not! It offers a mature perspective on his earlier moral works. From my perspective, once cannot legitimately call oneself an "expert" on Kant's moral theory without reading this book (and several others).

An interesting combination of concepts
The first essay in this book, published in a scholarly journal before many of Kant's key works had been written, established that Kant wanted to have his views on reason and truth considered by his age when controversial matters were being discussed.As he became more famous, the censor became an obstacle to having Kant's ideas published in such a popular vehicle.While religion can be a topic that is generally written about in a safe manner, it is possible to imagine Kant breathing fire into the final parts of this book as a direct result of restrictions, which then resulted in an order for his silence on the topic of religion for several years.

According to the Chronology on pages xxxiii-xxxiv, the works that are included in this book were originally published in 1786, 1791, 1792, 1793, and 1794.Also important were the death of Frederick the Great in 1786 and a royal letter in 1794 objecting to Kant's writings on religion, which Kant obeyed at least until, after he retired from university lecturing in 1796, he felt his situation had changed after King Frederick William II died in 1797.The first text in this book, "What does it mean to orient oneself in thinking?" was in response to a pantheism controversy published in the `Berlinische Monatsschrift.'Part one of RELIGION WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF MERE REASON was published in the same journal in 1792, but the second part was rejected by the censor in Berlin.The book as a whole had to be published as philosophy instead of theology.

Part One started with the evil in the world, with Kant's first footnote a Latin verse by Horace that is translated:"The age of our parents (who were worse than our forefathers) brought us forth yet more dishonest, and we are now ready to issue an even more vicious progeny."(p. 45, n. g).By the end of the first part, Kant was willing to say some good things about Christianity, but only if it could conform to his moral principles."According to moral religion, however (and of all the public religions so far known, the Christian alone is of this type), it is a fundamental principle that, to become a better human being, everyone must do as much as it is in his powers to do; and only then, if a human being has not buried his innate talent (Luke 19:12-16), if he has made use of the original predisposition to the good in order to become a better human being, can he hope that what does not lie in his power will be made good by cooperation from above."(p. 71).The original Part Two starts on page 77, but the book had four parts, and by the time Kant got to the second half of Part Four, I'll bet he was steaming.Every time he called something the second part, he had an overwhelming urge to belittle the forces of religion which were imposing restrictions upon him:

"Second Section, The Christian Religion as a Learned Religion."(p. 160).

"Second Part, Concerning the counterfeit service of God in a statutory religion."(p. 164).

"Section 2, The Moral Principle of Religion Opposed to the Delusion of Religion."(p. 166).

After RELIGION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF MERE REASON, the final text in the book is called "The end of all things."(pp. 193-205).This is not the ultimate picture of fire and brimstone.When Kant quotes Revelations 10:5-6, his interpretation is "that henceforth time shall be no more."(p. 200).Kant attempts to be comforting, though he is still sure that human activities will always be found wanting by any rational evaluation."The end of all things which go through the hands of human beings, even when their purposes are good, is folly, i.e. the use of means to their ends which are directly opposed to these ends.Wisdom . . . dwells in God alone; . . . Hence too the projects - altering from age to age and often absurd - of finding suitable means to make religion in a whole people pure and at the same time powerful, so that one can well cry out:Poor mortals, with you nothing is constant except inconstancy!"(p. 202).This was good enough to be published in a scholarly journal in June, 1794, but "In October Kant receives a royal letter, signed by Woellner for the King, objecting to Kant's writings on religion and ordering him to avoid offending in this area in the future"(p. xxxiv).He had no need to force everyone to agree with him, so he agreed not to speak or write publicly on religion.He was familiar with the New Testament, but his tendency to declare, "Here now appears a remarkable antimony of human reason with itself, the resolution of which - or, if this is not possible, at least its settlement - can alone determine whether a historical (ecclesiastical) faith must always supervene as an essential portion of saving faith over and above the religious one, or whether, as mere vehicle, historical faith will finally pass over, in however distant a future, into pure religious faith" (p. 123) is a bit much. ... Read more

Product Description
Immanuel Kant was one of the most significant philosophers of the modern age, many aspects of Kant's thoughts are not easy to understand and a guide like this Historical Dictionary of Kant and Kantianism should be very welcome not only to students, but also teachers and the general public, since it contains hundreds of entries describing Kant's life and works and explaining his concepts as well as the contributions of his followers (and also some opponents). Given the inevitable problems of language, the glossary is particularly helpful. And the bibliography makes the massive literature more accessible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Useful
A nice, inexpensive edition of some of Kant's notable essays including his famous short essay An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment? and To Perpetual Peace.The latter and the Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Intent are some of Kant's notable political writings.Generally more accessible than Kant's major critical works and sometimes written vividly, not a quality associated generally with Kant.The political writings feature Kant's emphasis on grounding in his moral philosophy and a contractual approach.To Perpetual Peace includes Kant's famous and to this point vindicated prediction that properly constituted Republics (though not direct democracies, which he sees as tending to despotism) are likely to form peaceful federal relationships with each other.All well worth reading, and also an interesting comparison with the work of John Rawls, much influenced by Kant's general approach.To Perpetual Peace is clearly the direct inspiration and model for Rawls' last book, The Law of Peoples.

Also included are the essays Speculative Beginning of Human History and The End of All Things, which are interesting and sometimes obscure combinations of philosophical speculation and scriptural exegesis.

Good footnotes and introductory essay.

It's no Hegel
Find out how we will achieve peace through war and continual conflict. This is an important, though troubling work of political philosophy by the great thinker, though it is mediocre when compared to the historical dialectics of Hegel. For evidence of Kant's racism/ethnocentrism, read the section on Cosmopolitanism, in which Kant effectively excludes all humans outside of the Ancient Greece and the West from the human project. Well, one can't assume a great transcendental thinker will also be enlightened in politics; sad considering the "Enlightenment" is one of Kant's primary concerns in the book.

Nice, affordable edition
It is very useful to have a Kant's shorter essays on political philosophy and the philosophy of history collected in a single volume. While a larger, more comprehensive collection, edited by Hans Reiss, is published byCambridge Univ. Press under the title *Kant: Political Writings*, thissmaller Hackett version is nicely translated and much more affordable.Hackett Publ. Co. in general has been very kind to philosophy. They deserveyour patronage. ... Read more

Product Description
Immanuel Kant's views on politics, peace, and history have lost none of their relevance since their publication more than two centuries ago. This volume contains a comprehensive collection of Kant's writings on international relations theory and political philosophy, superbly translated and accompanied by stimulating essays. Pauline Kleingeld provides a lucid introduction to the main themes of the volume, and three essays by distinguished contributors follow: Jeremy Waldron on Kant's theory of the state; Michael W. Doyle on the implications of Kant's political theory for his theory of international relations; and Allen W. Wood on Kant's philosophical approach to history and its current relevance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Concrete Kant
I've spent a considerable amount of time wrestling with the big canonical books of philosophy, including Kant's three major critiques (of pure reason [theory itself], practical reason, and judgment). And although I've come to find such intensive reading infinitely rewarding and personally edifying, it's frustrating that it presents a high barrier to access for people who are interested but don't have or care to spend as much time bookishly parsing the dense works of philosophers. When I came across this book recently by chance it struck me how much more accessible (even witty, and human) Kant seems when writing on the more concrete matters of engaged politics and history, as opposed to the dry, abstract, straining experience of the three critiques. I might be biased for having some experience with the latter, but I think a reading of these works on the political and historical can give the astute reader the general sense of Kant's philosophy as a whole, as worked out in the critiques, and a sense of why it was and still is so important, compelling, and relevant today. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1887.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more