15214

SoSe 13: The Critique of Reason: Kant's Critical Philosophy & its Impact on 20th Century Political Thought

Tobias Berger

Comments

It is impossible to make sense of contemporary political theory without reference to Immanuel Kant. However, the nature of the shadow that this quintessential Enlightenment philosopher - perhaps best known for his contributions to metaphysics and epistemology - throws on our political thinking is ambiguous, to say the least. That is to say, Kant has been as influential for the scathing criticism that he has attracted from minds of equal stature as for the ability of his thinking to attract loyal and devoted followers. Accordingly, the course has two aims: (1) to clarify and understand the nature of Kant's influence in contemporary political theory, and (2) to demonstrate how an introduction to post- and neo-Kantian political theory can simultaneously be understood as a synoptic introduction to contemporary political theory as such. The course is therefore situated within the discipline of the history of ideas, albeit with the aim of understanding the way in which Kant's enduring arguments are still as influential and relevant for our current political thinking as when first put to paper, both as vital sources of inspiration and as profound problems that we have yet fully to come to terms with. The course has four focal points: (a) an introduction to Kant's understanding of his critical philosophy, including its normative aims and epistemological underpinnings; (b) an introduction to John Rawls's theory of justice and an elucidation of how Rawls takes his philosophical project to be a continuation of Kant's; (c) an introduction to the critical theory of Jürgen Habermas and an elucidation of how Habermas takes his philosophical project to be a continuation of Kant's; (d) an introduction to Michel Foucault's genealogies of the modern subject and how Foucault takes his philosophical project to be a continuation of Kant's. By beginning with an introduction to Kant, the course aims to provide a shared point of entry to the oeuvres of the three most influential political theorists of our time, who - although they emphasise different parts of Kant's critical philosophy - nevertheless all take themselves to be contemporary instantiations of this project. And by bringing both the similarities and the differences between the latter three thinkers to the surface, we will also be able to get a clear sense of the way in which Rawls, Habermas and Foucault have responded in different ways to the most important lines of criticism that Kant's critical philosophy has been met with. Evidently, given this focus on the bigger picture rather than detail, the point of the course is less to provide thorough expositions of the political theories of Rawls, Habermas, and Foucault than to demonstrate the impact that Kant's critical philosophy still has on our political thinking to this day, for better and for worse, and how we can still benefit from attending to his ambiguous legacy. The course does not presuppose any prior knowledge of the four main thinkers, but it will be useful for students to consult short introductory texts to Kant, Rawls, Habermas and Foucault before the beginning of the course (references to these texts will be provided in due course). close

13 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Fri, 10:00 - 12:00 13 Class schedule

Fri, 2013-04-12 10:00 - 12:00

Lecturers:
Dr. Tobias Berger
Malte Ibsen