Immanuel Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals of 1785 is one of the most profound and important works in the history of practical philosophy. In this introduction to the Groundwork, Sally Sedgwick provides a guide to Kant's text that follows the course of his discussion virtually paragraph by paragraph. Her aim is to convey Kant's ideas and arguments as clearly and simply as possible, without getting lost in scholarly controversies. Her introductory chapter offers a useful overview of Kant's general (...) approach to practical philosophy, and she also explores and clarifies some of the main assumptions which Kant relies on in his Groundwork but defends in his Critique of Pure Reason. The book will be a valuable guide for all who are interested in Kant's practical philosophy. (shrink)

This essay compares the thoughts of Kant and Marx on revolution. It focuses in particular on two issues: the contribution of revolutionary enthusiasm to the cause of emancipatory political agents and its educative role in illustrating the possibility of progress for future generations. In both cases, it is argued, the defence of revolution is offered in the context of illustrating the possibility of moral progress for the species, even if not for individual human beings, and brings out the centrality of (...) collective agency in moving toward universal moral goals. Discussing the implications of these points is of significant historical interest: it allows us to defend an interpretation of Kant’s political thought which is sensitive to the material conditions of historical development and to rescue Marx from an amoral reading of his philosophy of history. Reflecting on the role and preconditions of transformative collective agency is also of normative interest: it allows us to better evaluate the significance of political events that, firstly, re-shape the boundaries of political feasibility and, secondly, play a crucial educative role in motivating future progressive initiatives. (shrink)

The concept of experience, in Kant as well as in Hegel, as well as the process of tansformation it undergoes in passing from one philosopher to the other, offers a great complexity. Here, we will take up in only one aspect, though not in the least marginal I believe; that is, experience as constituent, as an element or process constituent of the subject , so that experience itself conforms the set of possibilility conditions for the opening up to the world (...) and the realization of new experiences, and even more, the set which determines this opening and the experience. With it, in that transformation, not only the transformation of the modern concept of experience is produced, but also the field in which the concept of experience in contemporary philosophy is to be discussed is as well indicated, even though, in this case, it might be translated into other terms, such as self, subjectivity, existence, personal identity, narrative identity, etc.El concepto de experiencia, tanto en Kant como en Hegel así como en el proceso de transformación que sufre con el paso de uno al otro, ofrece una gran complejidad. Aquí vamos a centrarnos en un solo aspecto, creo que nada marginal, a saber, la experiencia como constitutivo, como elemento o proceso constituyente del sujeto , de forma que ella misma conforma el conjunto de condiciones de posibilidad para la apertura al mundo y la realización de nuevas experiencias, es más, es el conjunto que determina dicha apertura y la experiencia. Con ello, en dicha transformación no sólo se produce la transformación del concepto moderno de experiencia, sino que se señala el campo en el que se va a debatir el concepto de experiencia en la filosofía contemporánea, aunque en este caso se traduzca en otros términos, tales como sí-mismo, subjetividad, existencia, identidad personal, identidad narrativa, etc. (shrink)