Commentary

[in chronological order]

‘Observations’ and ‘Remarks’: A Critical Guide

- Shell, Susan and Velkley, Richard. Kant's 'Observations' and 'Remarks': A Critical Guide, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
From the publisher: Kant’s Observations of 1764 and Remarks of 1764-1765 (a set of fragments written in the margins of his copy of the Observations) document a crucial turning point in his life and thought. Both reveal the growing importance for him of… More

Kant and the Limits of Autonomy by Susan Shell

- Shell, Susan Meld, Kant and the Limits of Autonomy, Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2009.
From the publisher: Autonomy for Kant is not just a synonym for the capacity to choose, whether simple or deliberative. It is what the word literally implies: the imposition of a law on one’s own authority and out of one’s own rational resources. In Kant… More

Force and Freedom: Kant’s Legal and Political Philosophy

- Ripstein, Arthur, Force and Freedom: Kant's Legal and Political Philosophy, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2009.
Excerpt: “A political philosophy it is often thought of as an application of general moral principles to the factual circumstances that make political institutions necessary. For example, John Stuart Mill seeks to justify liberal institutions by showing… More

Between Kant and Hegel: Lectures on German Idealism

- D. Henrich, Between Kant and Hegel: Lectures on German Idealism, Harvard University Press, Boston, 2008.
From the publisher: Electrifying when first delivered in 1973, legendary in the years since, Dieter Henrich’s lectures on German Idealism were the first contact a major German philosopher had made with an American audience since the onset of World War… More

Kant’s Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals: A Commentary

- Timmermann, Jens, Kant's Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals: A Commentary. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
From the publisher: “The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals is Kant’s central contribution to moral philosophy, and has inspired controversy ever since it was first published in 1785. Kant champions the insights of ‘common human… More

Kant on God

- Byrne, Peter, 2007. Kant on God, Aldershot: Ashgate.
Excerpt: “The theme of this book—the status of claims about God in the critical philosophy—gains its importance from a number of facts. One is that the critical philosophy displays an obvious bivalent or paradox in its concept of God. On the one… More

Aesthetics and Cognition in Kant’s Critical Philosophy

- Kukla, R., (ed.), Aesthetics and Cognition in Kant's Critical Philosophy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
From the publisher: “This 2006 volume explores the relationship between Kant’s aesthetic theory and his critical epistemology as articulated in the Critique of Pure Reason and the Critique of the Power of Judgment. The essays, written specially… More

Kant by Paul Guyer

- P. Guyer, Kant, London and New York: Routledge, 2006,
From the publisher: Paul Guyer uses Kant’s central conception of autonomy as the key to all the major aspects and issues of Kant’s thought. Beginning with a helpful overview of Kant’s life and times, Guyer introduces Kant’s metaphysics and… More

A Companion to Kant

- Bird, Graham (ed.),  A Companion to Kant, Oxford: Blackwell, 2006.
From the publisher: “This Companion provides an authoritative survey of the whole range of Kant’s work, giving readers an idea of its immense scope, its extraordinary achievement, and its continuing ability to generate philosophical interest.… More

Kant on the Human Standpoint

- Longuenesse, B., Kant on the Human Standpoint, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
From the publisher: Béatrice Longuenesse considers the three aspects of Kant’s philosophy, his epistemology and metaphysics of nature, moral philosophy, and aesthetic theory, under one unifying standpoint: Kant’s conception of our capacity to… More

Major Works

Critique of Practical Reason

- Gregor, Mary J. (ed.) Critique of Practical Reason, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Excerpt: The theoretical use of reason was concerned with objects of the cognitive faculty only, and a critical examination of it with reference to this use applied properly only to the pure faculty of cognition; because this raised the suspicion, which was… More

Metaphysics of Morals

- Gregor, M. Metaphysics of Morals, Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Excerpt: The Science of Right has for its object the principles of all the laws which it is possible to promulgate by external legislation. Where there is such a legislation, it becomes, in actual application to it, a system of positive right and law; and he… More

Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

- Gregor, M. and Timmerman, J.  Trans. Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Excerpt: Ancient Greek philosophy was divided into three sciences: physics, ethics, and logic. Formal philosophy is called logic. Material philosophy, however, has to do with determinate objects and the laws to which they are subject, is again twofold; for… More

Critique of the Power of Judgment

- Guyer, P., (ed.), Critique of the Power of Judgment, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2001.
Excerpt: We proceed quite correctly if, as usual, we divide Philosophy, as containing the principles of the rational cognition of things by means of concepts (not merely, as logic does, principles of the form of thought in general without distinction of… More

Critique of Pure Reason

- Guyer, P., and Wood, A., (eds.), Critique of Pure Reason, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1998.
Excerpt: Experience is no doubt the first product of our understanding, while employed in fashioning the raw material of our sensations. It is therefore our first instruction, and in its progress so rich in new lessons that the chain of all future generations… More

Multimedia

Susan Shell on Kant on Politics and History

- Susan Shell on Kant's views of politics and history, 12th readings in Kant Conference, Kallingrad, Russia, April 24, 2019.
Susan Shell, professor of political philosophy at Boston College, discusses Kant’s views of politics and history.

Tamar Gendler on Deontology

- Video. Tamar Gendler, Yale Open Courses, Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature (PHIL 181), Lecture 13, Spring 2011.
Professor Gendler opens with a final criticism of Utilitarianism from Bernard Williams: in some cases, a good person should feel reluctant to do an act which brings about the greatest happiness, even if it is the right thing to do. The second half of the… More

Guyer: Hume, Kant, and the Passion for Reason

- "Hume, Kant, and the Passion for Reason" by Professor Paul Guyer was presented as part of the prestigious Edinburgh Philosophy lecture series, the Nature of Knowledge Lectures.

Audiobook: Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

- LibriVox
The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals, also known as The Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals or Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals or Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals, is Immanuel Kant’s first contribution to moral… More

Audiobook: Critique of Practical Reason

- LibriVox
The Critique of Practical Reason (Kritik der praktischen Vernunft) is the second of Immanuel Kant’s three critiques, first published in 1788. It follows on from his Critique of Pure Reason and deals with his moral philosophy. The second Critique… More

Other Works

Lectures on Logic

- Young, J., (ed.), Lectures on Logic, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Religion and Rational Theology

- Wood, A., and di Giovanni, G., (eds.), Religion and Rational Theology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , 1996

Lectures on Ethics

- Heath, P., and Schneewind, J., (eds.), Lectures on Ethics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Notes and Fragments

- Guyer, P., (ed.), Notes and Fragments, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Practical Philosophy

- Gregor, M., (ed.), Practical Philosophy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Opus Postumum

- Förster, E., (ed.), Opus Postumum, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.  

Lectures on Metaphysics

- Ameriks, K., and Naragon, S., (eds.), Lectures on Metaphysics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.