Kant's Pragmatic Anthropology: Its Origin, Meaning, And Critical Significance

182 Pages·2006·1.7 MB·English

by  Holly L. Wilson

Kants
’
Pragmatic Anthropology
Its Origin, Meaning, and Critical Signifi cance
Holly L. Wilson
Kant’s Pragmatic Anthropology
SUNY series in Philosophy
George R. Lucas Jr., Editor
K a n t ’ s
P r a g m a t i c
A n t h r o p o l o g y
Its Origin, Meaning, and Critical Significance
HOLLY L. WILSON
State University of New York Press
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2006 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Control Number
Wilson, Holly L., 1957–
Kant’s pragmatic anthropology : its origin, meaning, and critical significance /
Holly L. Wilson.
p. cm. — (SUNY series in philosophy)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7914-6849-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804. 2. Philosophical anthropology—History—18th century.
I. Title. II. Series.
B2799.M25W55 2006
128.092—dc22
2005027976
ISBN-13 978-0-7914-6849-4 (hardcover : alk. paper)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my teacher John Compton
in gratitude for having awakened me to the love of philosophy

Contents
Preface ix
Key to References, Sources, Abbreviations, and Translations xi
Table of the Moral and Natural Destinies of Human Beings xiv
Introduction 1
Chapter One The Rise and Origin of Kant’s Lectures
on Anthropology 7
The Physical Geography Lectures and the Origin of the
Anthropology Lectures 8
The Debate Concerning the Origin of Kant’s Anthropology
Lectures 15
Did Kant Intend His Anthropology Lectures to be Empirical
Psychology? 20
Chapter Two The Character and Content of the Anthropology 27
The Meaning of Pragmatic Anthropology 28
Teleological Clues in the Characteristic of Kant’s
Anthropology 35
Chapter Three Kant’s Theory of Human Nature 43
Chapter Four Kant’s Theory of Human Nature as
Natural Predispositions 61
The Predisposition to Animality 62
Evolutionary Theory and Animality 70
The Technical Predisposition 73
The Pragmatic Predisposition to Humanity 76
The Moral Predisposition 80
Education and the Predispositions 86
Kant’s Theory of Education and Behaviorism 92
Chapter Five The Critical Foundations of the ANTHROPOLOGY 93
Teleology as a Research Program 93
The Critical Faculty of Teleological Judgment 96
Sensibility 100
vii
viii Contents
Habits 101
Imagination 101
Pleasure and Displeasure 102
Taste 102
Affects 103
Passions 103
Nature Does Nothing in Vain 104
Chapter Six Kant’s Pragmatic Anthropology as Popular
Philosophy 109
Is Popular Philosophy a Noble Endeavor? 116
Notes 123
Bibliography 151
Index 161
Preface
When I was studying Philosophy in graduate school at Penn State, I was
impressed with Immanuel Kant when I studied his Critique of Pure Reasonfor
the first time under Professor Thomas Seebohm. Later, I approached Professor
Seebohm and told him that I wanted to write on Kant. He asked me what I
had read by Kant and I answered, “The Critique of Pure Reason.” Now as I
look back, that does sound pretty pitiful. And it probably did sound that way
to Professor Seebohm, because he immediately told me that I had to read
everything written by Kant before I could write on him. Now I understand
what solid and wise advice I had been given! While I was reading through all
of the then translated works by Kant—it was during my independent studies
with Professor Seebohm—I discovered the Anthropology from a Pragmatic
Point of View. I didn’t know what to make of the work. It seemed so foreign to
me. I had never encountered anything like it before. Today I am very grateful
to Professor Seebohm for having me read all of Kant, for I discovered this
text for the first time and have over the years struggled to understand it with
great fruits of wisdom as my reward.
Rotary International and the National Endowment for the Humanities
made it possible for me to spend time in Germany researching the secondary
literature on Kant’s Anthropology while perfecting my fluency in German.
While I was in Germany for three years, I was very fortunate to meet and
study under Professor Werner Flach at the Würzburg Universität. From Pro-
fessor Flach I learned to be a Kant scholar and a careful interpreter of Kant’s
works. He also supported my work on Kant’s Anthropology. For all of this I am
very grateful.
Through the years, attending Kant Congresses and APA Kant sessions,
I have been fortunate to meet Kantians who are also interested in the “Other
Kant.” That these scholars found Kant’s non-Critical works of interestencour-
aged me in my endeavors to make sense of this little discussed work. I am
especially thankful that Professor Philip Rossi took the time to read the
early stages of the manuscript; he directed me to find the link between the
Anthropologyand Critical philosophy. Hopefully that key will give an opening
to philosophical research, which seeks to understand the unity of Kant’s
Critical philosophy and Philosophies of Experience rather than the disunity
of the two.
ix