PRACTICE ANO REALIZATION

PRACTICE ANO REALIZATION

PRACTICE AND REALIZATION STUDIES IN KANT'S MORAL PHILOSOPHY by NATHAN ROTENSTREICH 1979 MARTINUS NIJHOFF THE HAGUE / BOSTON / LONDON

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Rotenstreich, Nathan, 1914- Practice and realization. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. 1. Kant, Immanuel, 1724-1804-Ethics. 2. Ethics. 3. Practice (Philosophy) 1. Title. B2799.E8R67 1979 170'.92'4 78-31393 ISBN-13: 978-94-009-9283-2 e-isbn-13: 978-94-009-9281-8 DOI: 10.1 007/978-94-009-9281-8 1979 by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers bv, The Hague. Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover Ist edition 1979 AII rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechonical, photocopying, record ing, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Martinus ds. Nijhoff Publishers bv, P.O.B. 566, 2501 CN The Hague, The Netherlan

TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface Abbreviations 1. Freedom, action and deeds 1 Il. W orthiness and reward 31 lii. History and harmonization 54 IV. Character and duty 77 V. Races and peoples 100 VI. Incentive and propensity 111 VII. Excursus: between Epicurus and Stoa 131 Name index 149 Subject index 150 VII IX

PREFACE The present book is an exp]oration of some basic issues of Kant's moral philosophy. The point of departure is the concept offreedom and the self-legislation of reason. Since self-iegislation is expressed in the sphere of practice or morality, it is meant to overcome some of the vulnerable aspects of Kant's theoretical philosophy, namely that which Kant himself pointed to and called the 'lucky chance,' in so far as the application of reason to sensuous data is concerned. The book attempts to show that Kant's practical or moral philosophy faces questions which are parallel to those he faced in the sphere ofhis theoretical philosophy. The problematic situation of realization of practice is parallel to the problematic situation of application of theory. It is in the line of the problems emerging from Kant's practical philosophy that the present book deals with some of Kant's minor writings, or less-known ones, including his writings in the sphere of politics, history and education. The limitations of self-iegislation - this is the theme of the book. The book is parallel to the author's previous one on Kant: 'Experience and its Systematization - Studies in Kant" (Nijhoff, 1965, 2nd edition 1973), as well as to: "From Substance to Subject - Studies in Hegel" (Nijhoff, 1974). Jerusalem 1978

ABBREVIATIONS As to the references to Kant's major works, the following procedme will be observed: Kritik der reinen Vernunft will be quoted as Kr.d.r. V., with the number of the page. After the semicolon (;) the reference will be to Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, translated by Norman Kemp-Smith, New York, St. Martin's Press, Toronto, Macmillan, 1965. The number will refer to the page in that edition. Kritik der praktischen Vernunft is referred to as Kr.d.p. V. in Karl V o r l n d e r ' s edition, Felix Meiner in Leipzig, 1929. After the semicolon (;) the number refers to the page in lmmanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason, translated with an introduction by Lewis White Beck, New York, The Liberal Arts Press, 1956. Kritik der Urteilskraft will be referred to Kr.d.U. in Karl V o r l nedition, e r ' s Felix Meiner in Leipzig, 1924. After the semicolon (;) the reference will be to the pages in Immanuel Kant: The Critique of Judgment, Translated with Analytical Indexes by James Creed Meredith, Oxford, at the Clarendon Press, 1964. This edition has two parts, each of which with separate pagination. The reference wili be to the volume (1, II) and to the pages. The smaller writings of Kant's will be quoted in their English translations in so far as they are available. Some of the smaller writings appear in: lmmanuel Kant on History, edited with an introduction by Lewis Beck, translated by Lewis White Beck, Robert E. Anchor and Emil L. Fackenheim, Indianapolis, N.Y., The Library of Liberal Arts, the Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1963. The references will be to the individual essays; On History will signify that volume. Kant's other works will be quoted as follows: Anthropologie in pragmatischer Hinsicht, Herausgegeben und e r l uvon t ej.r. r t von Kirchmann, Berlin, Verlag von L. Heimann 1869 - as Anthropologie. lmmanuel Kants Metaphysik der SUten, Herausgegeben und e r l uvon t ej.r. r t von Kirchmann, Leipzig, Verlag der Diirr'schen Buchhandlung, 1870 - as Met.d.S. Religion within the Limits of Reason alone, translated with a introduction and notes by Theodore M. Greene and Hoyt Hundson, with a new essay "The Ethical Significance of Kant's Religion" by John R. Silver, New York and Evanston, Rarper & Row, 1960 - as Religion. The various other writings of Kant will be quoted as indicated in the respective footnotes.