Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View / Edition 1

by Immanuel Kant, Mary J. Gregor

Overview

In a footnote to the Preface of his A nthropology Kant gives, if not altogether accurately, the historical background for the publication of this work. The A nthropology is, in effect, his manual for a course of lectures which he gave "for some thirty years," in the winter semesters at the University of Konigsberg. In 1797, when old age forced him to discontinue the course and he felt that his manual would not compete with the lectures themselves, he decided to let the work be published (Ak. VII, 354, 356). The reader will readily see why these lectures were, as Kant says, popular ones, attended by people from other walks of life. In both content and style the Anthropology is far removed from the rigors of the Critiques. Yet the Anthropology presents its own special problems. The student of Kant who struggles through the Critique of Pure Reason is undoubtedly left in some perplexity regarding specific points in it, but he is quite clear as to what Kant is attempting to do in the work. On finishing the Anthropology he may well find himself in just the opposite situation. While its discussions of the functioning of man's various powers are, on the whole, quite lucid and even entertaining, the purpose of the work remains somewhat vague. The questions: what is pragmatic anthropology? what is its relation to Kant's more strictly philosophical works? have not been answered satisfactorily.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789024715855
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	04/30/1974
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1974
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.45(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

Victor L. Dowdell was an instructor in classics at Nashotah House, Wisconsin, and a dean and professor of Greek at St. Michael’s Seminary, Puerto Rico.

Hans H. Rudnick is a professor of English at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Table of Contents

I. Anthropological Didactic.- Book I. On the Cognitive Powers.- On Self-Consciousness.- On Egoism.- On Voluntary Consciousness of Our Ideas.- On Observing Oneself.- On Ideas That We Have without Being Conscious of Them.- On Distinctness and Indistinctness in Consciousness of Our Ideas.- On Sensibility as Contrasted with Understanding.- Apology for Sensibility.- On Ability with Regard to the Cognitive Powers in General.- On Artificial Play with Sensory Semblance.- On Permissible Moral Semblance.- On the Five Senses.- On Inner Sense.- On the Causes that Increase or Decrease the Intensity of Our Sense Impressions.- On the Inhibition, Weakening, and Total Loss of the Sense Powers.- On the Constructive Power belonging to Sensibility According to Its Various Forms.- On the Power of Bringing the Past and the Future to Mind by Imagination.- On Involuntary Invention in a State of Health — That Is, on Dreaming.- On the Power of Using Signs.- On the Cognitive Power Insofar As It Is Based on Understanding.- On Deficiencies and Diseases of the Soul with Respect to Its Cognitive Power.- On Talents in the Cognitive Power.- Book II. The Feeling of Pleasure and Displeasure.- On Sensuous Pleasure.- A. On the Feeling for the Agreeable, or Sensuous Pleasure in the Sensation of an Object.- B. On the Feeling for the Beautiful, or Taste.- Book III. On the Appetitive Power.- On Affects in Comparison with Passion.- On the Passions.- On the Highest Physical Good.- On the Highest Moral-Physical Good.- II. Anthropological Characterization.- A. The Character of the Person.- 1. On [a Man’s] Nature.- 2. On Temperament.- 3. On Character as [a Man’s] Way of Thinking.- On Physiognomy.- B. On the Character of the Sexes.- C. On the Character of Nations.- D. On the Character of Races.- E. On the Character of the Species.- Description of the Character of the Human Species.- Notes.

Editorial Reviews

"There are many insights into Kant’s own character and his philosophical orientation. . . . There are a helpful introduction, extensive notes both on the content and on details of translation, and an index. The book is comparable to Kant’s Lectures on Ethics (1780). . . . though briefer and more lively and accessible. It is a good introduction to Kant’s philosophy and a valuable supplement to Kant collections at all levels."—Choice

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