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This book introduces architects to a philosopher, Immanuel Kant, whose work was constantly informed by a concern for the world as an evolving whole. According to Kant, in this interconnected and dynamic world, humans should act as mutually dependent and responsible subjects. Given his future-oriented and ethico-politically concerned thinking, Kant is a thinker who clearly speaks to architects. This introduction demonstrates how his ideas bear pertinently and creatively upon the world in which we live now and for which we should care thoughtfully.
Kant grounded his enlightened vision of philosophy’s mission using an architectural metaphor: of the modest 'dwelling-house'. Far from constructing speculative 'castles in the sky' or vertiginous 'towers which reach to the heavens', he tells us that his humble aim is rather to build a 'secure home for ourselves', one which appropriately corresponds at once to the limited material resources available on our planet, and to our need for firm and solid principles to live by. This book also explores Kant's notions of cosmopolitics, which attempts to think politics from a global perspective by taking into account the geographical fact that the earth is a sphere with limited land mass and natural resources. Given the urgent topicality of sustainable development, these Kantian texts are of particular interest for architects of today.
Students of architecture, who are necessarily trained in negotiating between theory and practice, gain much from considering Kant, whose critical project also consisted of testing and exploring the viability of ideas, so as to ascertain to what extent, and crucially, how ideas can have a constructive effect on the whole world, and on us as active agents therein.
- GenresArchitecture
184 pages, Hardcover
First published September 12, 2012
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About the author
Diane Morgan
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November 5, 2019
A lot of unnecessary text in my opinion, and seems a bit of a mess with regards to what the writer wants to achieve, with many jumps and interjections.. the longest chapter was the least helpful and the most redundant, probably because the reader needs some background about Kant's philosophy first, mainly the critiques, the categorical imperatives, and the sublime.
On the other hand, the book primarily deals with Kants cosmopolitical theories, his theory of beauty, and the perception and meaning of architecture (as it is a 'context' I suppose), I may summarize the main points later.
The 3 stars is for the discussion of some of the less known works of Kant and relating them to the environmental aspect (like his anthropology and perpetual peace).
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The book first speaks of the background of Kant: the port of Konigsberg, and how it formed the "concept was of a locally situated human and an active citizen of the world" of Kant, and how it informed his cosmopolitical view.
Kant rebukes skeptics who refuse to entertain alternatives to the supposed status quo due to lack of evidence that things can be changed. A resistance to defeatism, that spurs us to refuse accepting the world as it is . If we squander opportunities for change and resign ourselves to presentism – an ineluctable present- we fall short of our potentiality as a species.
One should also be very wary of being dogmatic, of assuming that one is right. We are told to discipline our reason ourselves . “Reason must in all its undertaking subject itself to criticism; should it limit freedom of criticism by any prohibitions, it must harm itself, drawing upon itself a damaging suspicion. Nothing is so important through its usefulness, nothing so sacred, that it may be exempted from this searching examination, which knows no respect for persons. Reason depends on this freedom for its very existence.”
Kant was in favour of cultural difference and saw unsocial sociability not only as an unavoidable aspect of the human condition, but also as a source of productive tension.
“since the earth is a globe, humans cannot disperse over an infinite area, but must necessarily tolerate one another’s company. And no one originally has any greater right than anyone else to occupy any particular portion of the earth.
For Kant the unsociable sociability of humans was not a trait to be eradicated for a future homogeneous harmony, but a source of productive tension. The negotiation and balancing of antagonisitic forces was structural to society itself.
Kant’s ideas about critique oblige us to think beyond a prefabricated world into which we just have to fit. He required us to be accountable for our actions . His work on the aesthetic judgement of the beautiful and sublime indicated to us the role architecture could play in creating playspace, wherein alternative ways of relating to others become possible. His work was constantly informed by a concern for the world as an evolving and interconnected whole , and how our acts as particular instances of decision-making , have repercussions within this wider framework.
On the other hand, the book primarily deals with Kants cosmopolitical theories, his theory of beauty, and the perception and meaning of architecture (as it is a 'context' I suppose), I may summarize the main points later.
The 3 stars is for the discussion of some of the less known works of Kant and relating them to the environmental aspect (like his anthropology and perpetual peace).
====
The book first speaks of the background of Kant: the port of Konigsberg, and how it formed the "concept was of a locally situated human and an active citizen of the world" of Kant, and how it informed his cosmopolitical view.
Kant rebukes skeptics who refuse to entertain alternatives to the supposed status quo due to lack of evidence that things can be changed. A resistance to defeatism, that spurs us to refuse accepting the world as it is . If we squander opportunities for change and resign ourselves to presentism – an ineluctable present- we fall short of our potentiality as a species.
One should also be very wary of being dogmatic, of assuming that one is right. We are told to discipline our reason ourselves . “Reason must in all its undertaking subject itself to criticism; should it limit freedom of criticism by any prohibitions, it must harm itself, drawing upon itself a damaging suspicion. Nothing is so important through its usefulness, nothing so sacred, that it may be exempted from this searching examination, which knows no respect for persons. Reason depends on this freedom for its very existence.”
Kant was in favour of cultural difference and saw unsocial sociability not only as an unavoidable aspect of the human condition, but also as a source of productive tension.
“since the earth is a globe, humans cannot disperse over an infinite area, but must necessarily tolerate one another’s company. And no one originally has any greater right than anyone else to occupy any particular portion of the earth.
For Kant the unsociable sociability of humans was not a trait to be eradicated for a future homogeneous harmony, but a source of productive tension. The negotiation and balancing of antagonisitic forces was structural to society itself.
Kant’s ideas about critique oblige us to think beyond a prefabricated world into which we just have to fit. He required us to be accountable for our actions . His work on the aesthetic judgement of the beautiful and sublime indicated to us the role architecture could play in creating playspace, wherein alternative ways of relating to others become possible. His work was constantly informed by a concern for the world as an evolving and interconnected whole , and how our acts as particular instances of decision-making , have repercussions within this wider framework.
Displaying 1 of 1 review