A Kant Dictionary

by Howard Caygill

In this new lexical survey Howard Caygill presents Kantian concepts and terminology in terms that will introduce and clarify his ideas for students and general readers alike. The book takes as its starting point the historical nature of philosophical language, and shows how Kant set about redefining certain key concepts and terms. It then shows the profound effect that Kant's interpretation of the philosophical tradition continues to have upon contemporary philosophical debates. In addition to his reconstruction of Kant's philosophical vocabulary, Howard Caygill presents a contextual essay on Kant and his place in 'the age of criticism'. The book has extensive cross-references, and offers valuable scholarly aids in an appendix of philosophers, bibliographies of Kant's work and secondary sources, and a comprehensive index. Each Blackwell Philosopher Dictionary presents the life and work of an individual philosopher in a scholarly yet accessible manner. Entries cover key ideas and thoughts, as well as the main themes of the philosopher's works. A comprehensive biographical sketch is also included.

Genres: Philosophy, Reference

464 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 1995

Reviews

[Jacob Rabinowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've looked at a lot of secondary sources on Kant, most of which are quite unhelpful. They tend to explain how Kant got it wrong, or where he was inconsistent, &c., the idea being to show, what, that they're smarter than Kant? Many such guides to Kant go into the various modern interpretations of Kant, which are again rather besides the point if you want to understand what Kant himself said.

The trouble with Kant is not in understanding his largest ideas. From Copleston's admirable History of Philosophy (still unrivaled!) to the online Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (current and very useful), there are helps. The crisis comes when you have a difficult passage in front of you, the German text, a couple of good English translations (I favor Pluhar's) and you're trying to figure out just what he means by, say, "a pure concept of understanding."

That's where Caygill will save your bacon. There are some good commentaries of Kant, like the Smith's on CPR, which is great when it's a commentary and not a tirade—but Caygill's dictionary always is indispensable. He gives full background for all the key concepts, from Aristotle on (if they go back that far) through to the last of Kant's evolving usages.

[David the Ñoldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I'm reviewing this based on its understandability and ease of access. I DID NOT READ IT THROUGH ALL THE WAY. Having a more minor interaction with Kant in other readings (Adorno, theology, general philosophy, etc...), the Blackwell dictionary has been an immense and greatly valued resource in gaining a general understanding of Kant's terminology and vocabulary. It is easy to understand yet still retains the complexity involved with Kant, but not in the manner that makes you feel like studying Kant is all but hopeless. As I o through a couple of secondary sources on Kant, I will definitely keep this by my side.

[Jana Giles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most brilliant, useful book on Kant, bar none!

[Cường Mabon]

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