Kant and the Experience of Freedom: Essays on Aesthetics and Morality

$34.67
by Paul Guyer

Shop Now
This collection of essays by one of the preeminent Kant scholars of our time transforms our understanding of both Kant's aesthetics and his ethics. Guyer shows that at the very core of Kant's aesthetic theory, disinterestedness of taste becomes an experience of freedom and thus an essential accompaniment to morality itself. At the same time he reveals how Kant's moral theory includes a distinctive place for the cultivation of both general moral sentiments and particular attachments on the basis of the most rigorous principle of duty. Kant's thought is placed in a rich historical context including such figures as Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Hume, Burke, Kames, as well as Baumgarten, Mendelssohn, Schiller, and Hegel. Other topics treated are the sublime, natural versus artistic beauty, genius and art history, and duty and inclination. These essays extend and enrich the account of Kant's aesthetics in the author's earlier book, Kant and the Claims of Taste (1979). 'The overall theme of this superb collection (ten of Guyer's papers, half of them previously unpublished) concerns the complex of relations among Kant's views of art and aesthetic experience, the interests of morality and society in the latter, and more generally the connection between morality and human sensibility ... a major contribution to a study of both the ethics and the aesthetics.' Richard E. Aquila, The University of Tennessee ..."a major contribution to Kant scholarship which should be considered required reading by anyone with a serious interest in either Kant's aesthetic or moral theories." Kurt Baldner, Canadian Philosophical Review This collection of essays by one of the pre-eminent Kant scholars of our time transforms our understanding of both Kant's aesthetics and his ethics. 'This is a collection of ten essays concerned with how the post-1788 Kant came to understand important connections between aesthetics and morality. All are deeply informed, immensely interesting and, for those serious about Kantian ethics and aesthetics required reading'--Philosophical Books Used Book in Good Condition

Customer Reviews

No ratings. Be the first to rate

 customer ratings


How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Review This Product

Share your thoughts with other customers