A key to understand Immanuel Kant's philosophy is his views on humanity,and the cornerstone of Kant’s philosophy is the idea that“beauty is a symbol of morality”.From the perspective of his views on humanity,we...A key to understand Immanuel Kant's philosophy is his views on humanity,and the cornerstone of Kant’s philosophy is the idea that“beauty is a symbol of morality”.From the perspective of his views on humanity,we can have a deep understanding of Kant*s analysis of beauty and the sublime and his aesthetics.The focus of Kant's aesthetics is the realization of human freedom and the sublime,and this is of special humanistic feature.展开更多
The concept of chaos is present in man from the origins of mankind.Philosophy is alien to this concept and proceeds to speculate about its reality.Both Kant and Borges were not indifferent to this speculation and in t...The concept of chaos is present in man from the origins of mankind.Philosophy is alien to this concept and proceeds to speculate about its reality.Both Kant and Borges were not indifferent to this speculation and in their works,we can find“the effort to explain or to approach”the concept of chaos.Our first aim is to demonstrate in Kant’s The Critique of Judgement,and more precisely in The Analytic of the Sublime,what Kant understands as“chaos.”Our second aim is to establish a relationship between Kant and Borges in some of Borges’tales.Finally,we aim at establishing whether this“language of chaos”can refer to a sort of communication which exceeds logic language,i.e.,a sort of“mute logos.”展开更多
This essay examines the degree to which Kant＇s understanding of external freedom and right are consistent with and can form a part of his moral philosophy. In doing so, this essay begins by looking at the foundation ...This essay examines the degree to which Kant＇s understanding of external freedom and right are consistent with and can form a part of his moral philosophy. In doing so, this essay begins by looking at the foundation and possibility of moral experience as it is presented in the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. This essay then turns to explore Kant＇s understanding of external freedom and right as set out in The Metaphysics of Morals and examines the apparent inconsistencies that exist between these concepts and Kant＇s explication of moral worth. After pointing out the distinction between right and morality, this essay goes on to argue that, strictly speaking, Kant＇s conception of external freedom and right cannot form part of his moral philosophy （as so defined in the Groundwork）. Finally, this essay concludes by arguing that although right and morality are irreconcilable, Kant＇s account of external freedom and right can nevertheless serve as part of his ＂moral＂ philosophy insofar as these concepts represent Kant＇s attempt to externalize the moral law, or simply expand the definition of morality to cover any action that accords with the right.展开更多
Concerning international relations theory, the work of Immanuel Kant was hitherto reflected in terms of the liberal paradigm, particularly of the democratic peace, whereas Carl Schmitt was predominantly associated wit...Concerning international relations theory, the work of Immanuel Kant was hitherto reflected in terms of the liberal paradigm, particularly of the democratic peace, whereas Carl Schmitt was predominantly associated with the assumptions of political realism or--at least for a short period Nazi imperialism. However, these differences seem to have taken a back seat since both thinkers have been adopted to legitimate the convictions of imperial liberalism. In contrast, this article will show that Schmitt and Kant have essentially more in common than generally assumed but do precisely argue against just war theory, humanitarian interventions, and a unipolar world. On the other hand, Kant＇s liberal and Schmitt＇s illiberal theory do not apply to the classical paradigms of intemational relations. Instead, Schmitt＇s Political Theology and Kant＇s Political Philosophy will be compared along with the antagonistic logic （and ethics） of political existentialism and a peaceful interdependence between states and nations. Considering the contemporary crisis of world order, it should be even plausible that the two dominating paradigms of future international relations might be formed by Kantian and Schmittian premises. Thus, the aim of this paper is not to match Kant and Schmitt once again with the usual approaches in international relations theory but to stretch its theoretical and conceptual spectrum by extracting the inventive contribution both thinkers made to important topics of IR.展开更多
This article looks at how cosmopolitanism--the notion of universality within a diversity of multi-cultures---has been shaping the discipline of world literature. The article encompasses chiefly three parts. The first ...This article looks at how cosmopolitanism--the notion of universality within a diversity of multi-cultures---has been shaping the discipline of world literature. The article encompasses chiefly three parts. The first part offers an overview of the debates on the discipline widely discussed by literary scholars such as Franco Moretti, David Damrosch and Emily Apter. I take issue with the harmonic co-existence of both local and global elements---and what I define as ＂glocality＂---in literatures to exhibit the inevitable trend of the trans-cultural, supranational and cross-historical interactions among multiple centres and/or various cities especially in the twenty-first century. I thereby argue in the second part using Leung Ping Kwan （1949-2013）＇s ＂Images of Hong Kong＂ （1992） and Louise Ho＇s two poetry pieces written in 1994 to prove how Kantian Cosmopolitan elements have deeply embedded in the poem written in a city where the West frequently interacts with the East. I conclude by stepping in further to argue that only through tolerating and mediating between the region and the globe can world literature as a discipline find its way out without fear for marginalising any of the literary pieces.展开更多
Can choosing to sale one＇s kidney be morally permissible？ ＂No＂, Kant would answer. Humanity, whether in one＇s own person or that of any other, must never be treated merely as a means, but always at the same time ...Can choosing to sale one＇s kidney be morally permissible？ ＂No＂, Kant would answer. Humanity, whether in one＇s own person or that of any other, must never be treated merely as a means, but always at the same time as an end, is Kant＇s instruction （Groundwork 4：429）. He thought that organ sale violates this imperative. Lectures on Ethics （27：346） shows that ＂... a man is not entitled to sell his limbs for money If a man does that, he turns himself into a thing, and then anyone may treat him as they please, because he has thrown his person away....＂ This paper explains Kant＇s reasons against commerce in organs, drawing on his views on prostitution, and the moral impermissibility of sexual use within this context, a case which he himself compares to the selling of one＇s body part（s）. Can choosing to donate one＇s kidney be morally permissible？ If we take Kant＇s views at face value, it would follow that organ donation is on a par with morality only if it takes place in a context where people have gained rights over each other＇s persons （for example, in a marital context）. In this context, however, a person has a right to her partner＇s kidney should she happen to need it, which can open the path to bodily violation. Moreover, this view severely restricts the permissibility of organ donation. In this paper, I argue that a closer examination of Kant＇s views on what is involved in the idea of respecting humanity could reveal that organ donation does not violate the categorical imperative. In fact, it could be said to follow from such an imperative that we actually have a duty to organ donation.展开更多
Fichte＇s various articulations of the Wissenschaftslehre （＂theory of scientific knowledge＂） are self-conscious attempts to systematize Kant＇s critical philosophy. Fichte＇s notion of the pure I （ieh） serves as...Fichte＇s various articulations of the Wissenschaftslehre （＂theory of scientific knowledge＂） are self-conscious attempts to systematize Kant＇s critical philosophy. Fichte＇s notion of the pure I （ieh） serves as the theoretical starting-point for his exposition of transcendental idealism, and in many ways this concept is analogous to Kant＇s notion of the transcendental unity of apperception explained in the Critique of Pure Reason. This paper argues that although Fichte and Kant agree on （1） the active nature of the pure I, （2） the distinction between pure and empirical apperception, and （3） skepticism concerning the possibility of theoretical knowledge of any positive （i.e., noumenal） content of the pure I, their respective notions of pure apperception differ in that Kant affirms the conceptual priority of the pure I to its objects while Fichte denies the same. Fichte＇s departure from Kant on this point foreshadows many later recognition theories of consciousness, e.g., those of Hegel and Marx.展开更多
Kant＇s Humanity Formula of the Categorical Imperative is arguably its most widely preferred formulation, having been defended as a moral principle and employed in the evaluation of particular moral problems by a numb...Kant＇s Humanity Formula of the Categorical Imperative is arguably its most widely preferred formulation, having been defended as a moral principle and employed in the evaluation of particular moral problems by a number of leading contemporary ethicists. For them and many other readers of Kant, the idea that we are not to treat persons as mere means to our own ends but are rather to respect their rational agency as intrinsically valuable holds great promise for qualifying as, in Kant＇s words, ＂the supreme principle of morality.＂ In the present paper I argue that the Humanity Formula cannot deliver on this promise. After setting forth three conditions of adequacy for any genuine supreme principle of morality, I argue that the Humanity Formula, on three textually grounded interpretations each of which has been advocated by a prominent Kantian ethicist, does not satisfy these conditions. Whichever of these textually grounded interpretations is taken, the Humanity Formula is open to compelling counterexamples.展开更多
One of cinematic science fiction＇s most popular plot lines is to imagine an invasion of earth by an advanced alien species. James Cameron＇s Avatar turns the tables on that premise. Humans attack a peaceful, less tec...One of cinematic science fiction＇s most popular plot lines is to imagine an invasion of earth by an advanced alien species. James Cameron＇s Avatar turns the tables on that premise. Humans attack a peaceful, less technologically sophisticated race in order to exploit their natural resources. Driving the assault is a mining company hell-bent on improving its bottom line. The villain of Avatar is not a person, but those people who seek profit. To put it starkly, business is evil. But why has the entertainment business cast business as a heavy？ Hollywood has now made Immanuel Kant as the director of moral sentiment. Not, of course, directly, but rather the ghostwriter of Hollywood＇s ideas about morality. The works of Kant are not discussed or debated in the public arena, but their principles have influenced the way people think about what is just and good. The ideas of Kant have filtered into the contemporary discourse and are one of the key ingredients in the national dialogue over what it means to be moral. The categorical imperative holds that an action is moral only if it is free from calculation of reward or gain. To be truly, moral people must abandon all practical considerations of need or desire; they must be directed by pure good will alone. Business people can never measure up to Kant＇s standard. They always make choices based on cost and benefit. Their businesses would quickly go bankrupt, if they made decisions on good will rather than interest. Kant＇s principles have raised the moral standard so high that even the common inclination to seek one＇s own benefit is looked on with some mistrust. In Kantian-influenced movies, business people have come to play the evil antagonist; they seek gain instead of the good. How would Adam Smith, the father of economic rationality, respond to popularized Kantian morality？展开更多
When two Kantian agents engage in inter-dependent transactions with one another, each agent has the responsibility to assure the morality of the other＇s maxim of action and means to implement the maxim. This proposit...When two Kantian agents engage in inter-dependent transactions with one another, each agent has the responsibility to assure the morality of the other＇s maxim of action and means to implement the maxim. This proposition is proven to be a logical consequence of Kant＇s moral system and stated formally as the K-Completeness theorem. Transactions that satisfy the theorem are called ＂K-Complete.＂ The theorem is generalized to cover transactions with many agents. The paper then models multi-agent K-Complete transactions using mathematical graph theory and shows that such transactions are distinguished from Kant＇s kingdom of ends. Finally, the paper shows that the extended morality provides Kant＇s moral system with the resources to define an ethical community in such as the one in Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason without the introduction of God and a church.展开更多
Both Kant and Hegel showed their attention to landscape architecture art in their aesthetic works,their aesthetic ideas were different but also related.This paper sorted out and interpreted the landscape architecture ...Both Kant and Hegel showed their attention to landscape architecture art in their aesthetic works,their aesthetic ideas were different but also related.This paper sorted out and interpreted the landscape architecture aesthetics of Kant and Hegel based on relevant aesthetic literature,analyzed the differences between them according to the historical background of landscape architecture development and their philosophic concepts,then summarized the historical causes for the development of their landscape architecture aesthetics.展开更多
This essay is a survey upon Kant＇s Sweet Dream of Perpetual Peace. According to Kant, a permanent peace could be achieved under the condition of the creation of a Federation of States. This Federation of States will ...This essay is a survey upon Kant＇s Sweet Dream of Perpetual Peace. According to Kant, a permanent peace could be achieved under the condition of the creation of a Federation of States. This Federation of States will be rest upon three fundamental requirements--i.e., democracy, reason, universal hospitality. Kant＇s idea of global Federation of States should not be confused with existing nowadays Unions of States, such as European Union, which depend heavily upon a central authority and a complicated bureaucracy.展开更多
Tess is a pure girl in Hardy's eyes, as it shows in the book's subtitle. She is sinned in Victorian's time, however, she is still pure in Kant's eyes.Key words: Tesss purity;
As an early philosopher who paid attention to the aesthetic value of natural scenery,Kant’s aesthetic thought of natural scenery mainly focused on the analysis of the sense of sublimity.Through the comparative interp...As an early philosopher who paid attention to the aesthetic value of natural scenery,Kant’s aesthetic thought of natural scenery mainly focused on the analysis of the sense of sublimity.Through the comparative interpretation of the two concepts of“sublime beauty”and“natural beauty”,the author expounded that the aesthetic object of natural beauty was mainly the individual form of“organic matters”,and the aesthetic object of sublime beauty was the natural environment composed of organic matters and inorganic matters.Through the analysis of different forms and categories of sense of sublimity,this paper summarized the characteristics of Kant’s natural landscape aesthetics:paying attention to the quantitative characteristics of space and time,preferring the original nature and wild nature and the original energy contained therein,and then revealed that the essence of Kant’s natural landscape aesthetics was the recognition of human moral emotion and their own value in the natural landscape.展开更多
基金Key project of Humanities and Social Sciences of Anhui provincial Education Department(SK2017A0380)General project of Humanities and Social Sciences of Anhui provincial Education Department(SKHS2016B08)School-level Research Platform(KYPT201816)
文摘A key to understand Immanuel Kant's philosophy is his views on humanity,and the cornerstone of Kant’s philosophy is the idea that“beauty is a symbol of morality”.From the perspective of his views on humanity,we can have a deep understanding of Kant*s analysis of beauty and the sublime and his aesthetics.The focus of Kant's aesthetics is the realization of human freedom and the sublime,and this is of special humanistic feature.
文摘The concept of chaos is present in man from the origins of mankind.Philosophy is alien to this concept and proceeds to speculate about its reality.Both Kant and Borges were not indifferent to this speculation and in their works,we can find“the effort to explain or to approach”the concept of chaos.Our first aim is to demonstrate in Kant’s The Critique of Judgement,and more precisely in The Analytic of the Sublime,what Kant understands as“chaos.”Our second aim is to establish a relationship between Kant and Borges in some of Borges’tales.Finally,we aim at establishing whether this“language of chaos”can refer to a sort of communication which exceeds logic language,i.e.,a sort of“mute logos.”
文摘This essay examines the degree to which Kant＇s understanding of external freedom and right are consistent with and can form a part of his moral philosophy. In doing so, this essay begins by looking at the foundation and possibility of moral experience as it is presented in the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. This essay then turns to explore Kant＇s understanding of external freedom and right as set out in The Metaphysics of Morals and examines the apparent inconsistencies that exist between these concepts and Kant＇s explication of moral worth. After pointing out the distinction between right and morality, this essay goes on to argue that, strictly speaking, Kant＇s conception of external freedom and right cannot form part of his moral philosophy （as so defined in the Groundwork）. Finally, this essay concludes by arguing that although right and morality are irreconcilable, Kant＇s account of external freedom and right can nevertheless serve as part of his ＂moral＂ philosophy insofar as these concepts represent Kant＇s attempt to externalize the moral law, or simply expand the definition of morality to cover any action that accords with the right.
文摘Concerning international relations theory, the work of Immanuel Kant was hitherto reflected in terms of the liberal paradigm, particularly of the democratic peace, whereas Carl Schmitt was predominantly associated with the assumptions of political realism or--at least for a short period Nazi imperialism. However, these differences seem to have taken a back seat since both thinkers have been adopted to legitimate the convictions of imperial liberalism. In contrast, this article will show that Schmitt and Kant have essentially more in common than generally assumed but do precisely argue against just war theory, humanitarian interventions, and a unipolar world. On the other hand, Kant＇s liberal and Schmitt＇s illiberal theory do not apply to the classical paradigms of intemational relations. Instead, Schmitt＇s Political Theology and Kant＇s Political Philosophy will be compared along with the antagonistic logic （and ethics） of political existentialism and a peaceful interdependence between states and nations. Considering the contemporary crisis of world order, it should be even plausible that the two dominating paradigms of future international relations might be formed by Kantian and Schmittian premises. Thus, the aim of this paper is not to match Kant and Schmitt once again with the usual approaches in international relations theory but to stretch its theoretical and conceptual spectrum by extracting the inventive contribution both thinkers made to important topics of IR.
文摘This article looks at how cosmopolitanism--the notion of universality within a diversity of multi-cultures---has been shaping the discipline of world literature. The article encompasses chiefly three parts. The first part offers an overview of the debates on the discipline widely discussed by literary scholars such as Franco Moretti, David Damrosch and Emily Apter. I take issue with the harmonic co-existence of both local and global elements---and what I define as ＂glocality＂---in literatures to exhibit the inevitable trend of the trans-cultural, supranational and cross-historical interactions among multiple centres and/or various cities especially in the twenty-first century. I thereby argue in the second part using Leung Ping Kwan （1949-2013）＇s ＂Images of Hong Kong＂ （1992） and Louise Ho＇s two poetry pieces written in 1994 to prove how Kantian Cosmopolitan elements have deeply embedded in the poem written in a city where the West frequently interacts with the East. I conclude by stepping in further to argue that only through tolerating and mediating between the region and the globe can world literature as a discipline find its way out without fear for marginalising any of the literary pieces.
文摘Can choosing to sale one＇s kidney be morally permissible？ ＂No＂, Kant would answer. Humanity, whether in one＇s own person or that of any other, must never be treated merely as a means, but always at the same time as an end, is Kant＇s instruction （Groundwork 4：429）. He thought that organ sale violates this imperative. Lectures on Ethics （27：346） shows that ＂... a man is not entitled to sell his limbs for money If a man does that, he turns himself into a thing, and then anyone may treat him as they please, because he has thrown his person away....＂ This paper explains Kant＇s reasons against commerce in organs, drawing on his views on prostitution, and the moral impermissibility of sexual use within this context, a case which he himself compares to the selling of one＇s body part（s）. Can choosing to donate one＇s kidney be morally permissible？ If we take Kant＇s views at face value, it would follow that organ donation is on a par with morality only if it takes place in a context where people have gained rights over each other＇s persons （for example, in a marital context）. In this context, however, a person has a right to her partner＇s kidney should she happen to need it, which can open the path to bodily violation. Moreover, this view severely restricts the permissibility of organ donation. In this paper, I argue that a closer examination of Kant＇s views on what is involved in the idea of respecting humanity could reveal that organ donation does not violate the categorical imperative. In fact, it could be said to follow from such an imperative that we actually have a duty to organ donation.
文摘Fichte＇s various articulations of the Wissenschaftslehre （＂theory of scientific knowledge＂） are self-conscious attempts to systematize Kant＇s critical philosophy. Fichte＇s notion of the pure I （ieh） serves as the theoretical starting-point for his exposition of transcendental idealism, and in many ways this concept is analogous to Kant＇s notion of the transcendental unity of apperception explained in the Critique of Pure Reason. This paper argues that although Fichte and Kant agree on （1） the active nature of the pure I, （2） the distinction between pure and empirical apperception, and （3） skepticism concerning the possibility of theoretical knowledge of any positive （i.e., noumenal） content of the pure I, their respective notions of pure apperception differ in that Kant affirms the conceptual priority of the pure I to its objects while Fichte denies the same. Fichte＇s departure from Kant on this point foreshadows many later recognition theories of consciousness, e.g., those of Hegel and Marx.
文摘Kant＇s Humanity Formula of the Categorical Imperative is arguably its most widely preferred formulation, having been defended as a moral principle and employed in the evaluation of particular moral problems by a number of leading contemporary ethicists. For them and many other readers of Kant, the idea that we are not to treat persons as mere means to our own ends but are rather to respect their rational agency as intrinsically valuable holds great promise for qualifying as, in Kant＇s words, ＂the supreme principle of morality.＂ In the present paper I argue that the Humanity Formula cannot deliver on this promise. After setting forth three conditions of adequacy for any genuine supreme principle of morality, I argue that the Humanity Formula, on three textually grounded interpretations each of which has been advocated by a prominent Kantian ethicist, does not satisfy these conditions. Whichever of these textually grounded interpretations is taken, the Humanity Formula is open to compelling counterexamples.
文摘One of cinematic science fiction＇s most popular plot lines is to imagine an invasion of earth by an advanced alien species. James Cameron＇s Avatar turns the tables on that premise. Humans attack a peaceful, less technologically sophisticated race in order to exploit their natural resources. Driving the assault is a mining company hell-bent on improving its bottom line. The villain of Avatar is not a person, but those people who seek profit. To put it starkly, business is evil. But why has the entertainment business cast business as a heavy？ Hollywood has now made Immanuel Kant as the director of moral sentiment. Not, of course, directly, but rather the ghostwriter of Hollywood＇s ideas about morality. The works of Kant are not discussed or debated in the public arena, but their principles have influenced the way people think about what is just and good. The ideas of Kant have filtered into the contemporary discourse and are one of the key ingredients in the national dialogue over what it means to be moral. The categorical imperative holds that an action is moral only if it is free from calculation of reward or gain. To be truly, moral people must abandon all practical considerations of need or desire; they must be directed by pure good will alone. Business people can never measure up to Kant＇s standard. They always make choices based on cost and benefit. Their businesses would quickly go bankrupt, if they made decisions on good will rather than interest. Kant＇s principles have raised the moral standard so high that even the common inclination to seek one＇s own benefit is looked on with some mistrust. In Kantian-influenced movies, business people have come to play the evil antagonist; they seek gain instead of the good. How would Adam Smith, the father of economic rationality, respond to popularized Kantian morality？
文摘When two Kantian agents engage in inter-dependent transactions with one another, each agent has the responsibility to assure the morality of the other＇s maxim of action and means to implement the maxim. This proposition is proven to be a logical consequence of Kant＇s moral system and stated formally as the K-Completeness theorem. Transactions that satisfy the theorem are called ＂K-Complete.＂ The theorem is generalized to cover transactions with many agents. The paper then models multi-agent K-Complete transactions using mathematical graph theory and shows that such transactions are distinguished from Kant＇s kingdom of ends. Finally, the paper shows that the extended morality provides Kant＇s moral system with the resources to define an ethical community in such as the one in Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason without the introduction of God and a church.
基金Sponsored by Henan Provincial Philosophical and Social Sciences Planning Program:Research on Display Art Forms of Geological Landscapes Science Popularization in Henan Geoparks from the Perspective of Natural Heritage Conservation(2018BYS025)。
文摘Both Kant and Hegel showed their attention to landscape architecture art in their aesthetic works,their aesthetic ideas were different but also related.This paper sorted out and interpreted the landscape architecture aesthetics of Kant and Hegel based on relevant aesthetic literature,analyzed the differences between them according to the historical background of landscape architecture development and their philosophic concepts,then summarized the historical causes for the development of their landscape architecture aesthetics.
文摘This essay is a survey upon Kant＇s Sweet Dream of Perpetual Peace. According to Kant, a permanent peace could be achieved under the condition of the creation of a Federation of States. This Federation of States will be rest upon three fundamental requirements--i.e., democracy, reason, universal hospitality. Kant＇s idea of global Federation of States should not be confused with existing nowadays Unions of States, such as European Union, which depend heavily upon a central authority and a complicated bureaucracy.
文摘Tess is a pure girl in Hardy's eyes, as it shows in the book's subtitle. She is sinned in Victorian's time, however, she is still pure in Kant's eyes.Key words: Tesss purity;
基金Sponsored by 2025 Humanities and Social Sciences Project of Henan Universities(2025ZZJH379).
文摘As an early philosopher who paid attention to the aesthetic value of natural scenery,Kant’s aesthetic thought of natural scenery mainly focused on the analysis of the sense of sublimity.Through the comparative interpretation of the two concepts of“sublime beauty”and“natural beauty”,the author expounded that the aesthetic object of natural beauty was mainly the individual form of“organic matters”,and the aesthetic object of sublime beauty was the natural environment composed of organic matters and inorganic matters.Through the analysis of different forms and categories of sense of sublimity,this paper summarized the characteristics of Kant’s natural landscape aesthetics:paying attention to the quantitative characteristics of space and time,preferring the original nature and wild nature and the original energy contained therein,and then revealed that the essence of Kant’s natural landscape aesthetics was the recognition of human moral emotion and their own value in the natural landscape.
