Baumgarten's Elements of First Practical Philosophy: A Critical Translation with Kant's Reflections on Moral Philosophy

by Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten, Courtney D. Fugate (Editor), Pablo Muchnik (Editor), Courtney D. Fugate (Translator), Immanuel Kant

Overview

This book presents the first English translation of Alexander Baumgarten's Initia Philosophiae Practicae Primae, the textbook Kant used in his lectures on moral philosophy.

Originally published in Latin in 1760, the Initia contains a systematic, but original version of the universal practical philosophy first articulated by Christian Wolff. In his personal copy, Kant penned hundreds of pages of notes and sketches that document his relation to this earlier tradition. Translating these extensive elucidations into English, together with Kant's notes on the text, this translation offers a complete resource to Kant's reading of the Initia. To facilitate further study, first-time translations of elucidatory passages from G. F. Meier and Wolff are also included, alongside a German-English-Latin glossary. The translators' introduction provides a biography of Baumgarten, a discussion of the importance of the Initia, its relation to Wolff's and Meier's universal practical philosophy and its role in Kant's lectures.

By shedding new light on the arguments of Kant's mature works and offering insights into his pre-Critical moral thought, Elements of First Practical Philosophy reveals why Baumgarten's work is essential for understanding the background to Kant's philosophy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781350276178
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/26/2021
Series:	Kant's Sources in Translation
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Alexander Baumgarten (1714-1762) was among the first to teach the controversial philosophy of Christian Wolff (1679-1754). By order of the king, he moved to Frankfurt on the Oder in 1739, where he remained until his death in 1762. His most influential philosophical works are Metaphysics (1739), Philosophical Ethics (1740) and Aesthetics (2 Vols, 1750 and 1757). Today Baumgarten is also regarded as a central founder of modern aesthetics.

Courtney D. Fugate is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University, USA.

Pablo Muchnik is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Emerson College, USA.

Courtney D. Fugate is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University, USA.

John Hymers is Associate Professor of Philosophy at La Salle University, USA. He is the co-editor and translator of Metaphysics: A Critical Translation (Bloomsbury, 2012), Preparation for Natural Theology (Bloomsbury, 2016) and Baumgarten's Elements of First Practical Philosophy (Bloomsbury, 2020).

Lawrence Pasternack was Professor of Philosophy and Director of Religious Studies at Oklahoma State University, USA.

John Hymers is Associate Professor of Philosophy at La Salle University, USA. He is the co-editor and translator of Metaphysics: A Critical Translation (Bloomsbury, 2012), Preparation for Natural Theology (Bloomsbury, 2016) and Baumgarten's Elements of First Practical Philosophy (Bloomsbury, 2020).

Table of Contents

Introduction
A Note on the Translation
A Brief Bibliography and Guide for Further Reading
Introduction to First Practical Philosophy with Kant's Elucidations
Kant's Notes to Baumgarten's Introduction
English-German-Latin Glossary
Name and Subject Indices

Editorial Reviews

By providing a translation of Alexander Baumgarten's Elements of First Practical Philosophy, together with the translation of the complete set of marginal notes or “jottings” concerning that work, which are contained in Kant's Nachlass, Fugate and Hymers have rendered an invaluable service to Anglophone students of Kant's moral philosophy. Their importance stems from the fact Kant used this work as one of the textbooks for his lectures on ethics, which he delivered with regularity throughout his academic career. Moreover, these lectures, together with the notes, constitute the main sources for understanding the development of his moral philosophy.” —Henry E. Allison, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, UC San Diego and Boston University, USA

“Baumgarten's Initia is the most important source for understanding both Kant's lectures on ethics and the development of his moral philosophy as a whole. This careful, annotated translation of the Initia, along with Kant's handwritten reflections on it, is indispensable for students and scholars of Kant's ethics writing in English, and useful to any who read English.” —Patrick Kain, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Purdue University, USA

“This magnificent volume will add a whole new dimension to English-language Kant scholarship. No one with a serious interest in Kant's practical philosophy can afford to ignore it.” —Jens Timmermann, Professor of Moral Philosophy, The University of St Andrews, UK

From the Publisher