Kant's Elliptical Path

by Karl P. Ameriks

Kant's Elliptical Path explores the main stages and key concepts in the development of Kant's Critical philosophy, from the early 1760s to the 1790s. Karl Ameriks provides a detailed and concise account of the main ways in which the later Critical works provide a plausible defence of the conception of humanity's fundamental end that Kant turned to after reading Rousseau in the 1760s. Separate essays are devoted to each of the three Critiques , as well as to earlier notes and lectures and several of Kant's later writings on history and religion. A final section devotes three chapters to post-Kantian developments in German Romanticism, accounts of tragedy up through Nietzsche, and contemporary philosophy. The theme of an elliptical path is shown to be relevant to these writers as well as to many aspects of Kant's own life and work.
The topics of the book include fundamental issues in epistemology and metaphysics, with a new defense of the Amerik's 'moderate' interpretation of transcendental idealism. Other essays evaluate Kant's concept of will and reliance on a 'fact of reason' in his practical philosophy, as well as his critique of traditional theodicies, and the historical character of his defense of religion and the concepts of creation and hope within 'the boundaries of mere reason'. Kant's Elliptical Path will be of value to historians of modern philosophy and Kant scholars, while its treatment of several literary figures and issues in aesthetics, politics, history, and theology make it relevant to readers outside of philosophy.

380 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Karl P. Ameriks was an American philosopher. He was the Emeritus McMahon-Hank Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here Ameriks presents an argument that throughout Kant's philosophical development, he always returned to certain positions or considerations, even before and after the Copernican turn. Ameriks argues that since reading Rousseau in the 1760s, Kant did not change his most fundamental views. These fundamental view is the absolute free agency and autonomy of the human subject underlying the primacy of pure practical, i.e. moral, reason.

The meaning of elliptical is important here: it means that Kant returns to his original views, but only after a necessary and transformative movement away and along some axis. In this sense, argues Ameriks, Kant's Critical philosophy (and especially the ideality of space and time) served as a means to an end of securing and justifying the earlier goal Kant desired, that is, that we are entirely autonomous human subjects acting in accordance with the moral law.

The book is structured in three parts: first, a discussion of Kant's pre-critical work and perspective, second, an analysis of the three critiques, and finally, a discussion of the relation of this elliptical path with the post-Kantians and tracking the extension of this path in their work.

Overall this is an interesting book. There are times when I find myself disagreeing with Ameriks (Like when he decides to make a 'hierarchy of levels of reality' with the noumenal being the most 'real'. This was unconvincing to me and struck me as almost anti-Kantian - it does not make sense, in my perception of Kant, to talk of the 'reality' of noumena etc, as this is just incomprehensible on a Kantian account. Nor do I think Kant is particularly interested in Noumena and their 'reality'. Rather, the concern should be the so called 'space of reason' and how we inhabit it), and I find moral philosophy (yes, even Kant's) to be considerably less interesting than theoretical philosophy. This book was enjoyable, however, and I was especially pleasantly surprised by the discussion of Kant's conflict with Spinozism, something that was extremely thought provoking and relevant to my own recent musings.

[Dan DalMonte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This another enjoyable and erudite book by Karl Ameriks. I am really drawn to his moderate interpretation of transcendental idealism. He refers to Lucy Allais, although I think Ameriks preceded her in defending the ontological interpretation and also his is more open to a non-spatiotemporal noumenal domain. Ameriks's moderate interpretation pushes back against more humanist interpretations, such as that of Hanna, who would make the spatiotemporality of human intuition the form of intuition as such. This of course collapses the intuitive intellect. There are also radical phenomenalist readings of Kant that view empirical objects as mere mental states. Ameriks views appearances as both subjective and objective, like color, which depends on the observer but is also not a mere mental entity. Ameriks closes this book with a meditation on the role of philosophy in the contemporary world. While Kant tried to establish ahistorical philosophical truths, people like Rorty reject the idea of foundationalism and the idea that there is truth that transcends certain situations. Kant's idea of a genius is someone who is able to serve as an exemplar for others and use his or her imagination to reinvent artistic styles.