The Powers of Pure Reason: Kant and the Idea of Cosmic Philosophy

342 Pages·2015·1.19 MB·English

by  Alfredo Ferrarin

The Powers of Pure Reason

The Powers of Pure Reason
Kant and the Idea of Cosmic Philosophy
Alfredo ferrArIn
The University of Chicago Press
Chicago and london
Alfredo Ferrarin is professor of theoretical philosophy at the University of Pisa.
He is the author or editor of several books, including Hegel and Aristotle.
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, ltd., london
© 2015 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. Published 2015.
Printed in the United States of America
24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 1 2 3 4 5
ISBn- 13: 978- 0- 226- 24315- 3 (cloth)
ISBn- 13: 978- 0- 226- 24329- 0 (e- book)
doI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226243290.001.0001
library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
ferrarin, Alfredo, 1960– author.
The powers of pure reason : Kant and the idea of cosmic
philosophy / Alfredo ferrarin.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBn 978-0-226-24315-3 (cloth : alk. paper)—
ISBn 978-0-226-24329-0 (e-book) 1. Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804.
Kritik der reinen Vernunft. 2. Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804. Kritik
der praktischen Vernunft. 3. Kant, Immanuel, 1724–1804. Kritik der
Urteilskraft. 4. reason. 5. Philosophy. I. Title.
B2779.f47 2015
193—dc23
2014036406
a This paper meets the requirements of AnSI/nISo Z39.48-1 992
(Permanence of Paper).
In memory of my mother, Luciana Marchetti (1933–2 008)

die Arbeit an der Philosophie ist— wie vielfach in der Architektur— eigentlich mehr
eine Arbeit an einem selbst. An der eigenen Auffassung. daran, wie man die dinge
sieht. (Und was man von ihnen verlangt.)
ludwig wittgenstein, The Big Typescript

ConTenTS
Acknowledgments / xi
Abbreviations / xiii
introduction
1 / of Kings, Carters, and Palimpsests / 1
2 / “every division presupposes a concept that is to be divided”
(KrV A 290/B 346). on Kant’s dichotomies / 8
3 / reason’s finitude. Concepts and Ideas / 12
4 / reason and Its Awakening / 19
5 / An overview of the Book / 22
chapter one : the architectonic and the
cosmic concept of philosophy
1 / reason’s needs, Interests, dissatisfaction / 25
2 / of edifices and organisms / 34
3A / Ideas. reason’s Internal Articulation / 42
3B / Ideas. regulative Ideas and empirical Cognition / 49
3C / Ideas. The Idea of System / 55
4 / A Comprehensive Gaze: The Cyclops and
the Cosmic Philosopher / 57
5 / Philosophy as an Idea. reason’s History / 67
6 / Cosmic Philosophy / 80
7 / A final look at ends and Wisdom / 90
8 / An Attempt at Interpretation / 98