Routledge History of Philosophy Volume VI The turn of the nineteenth century marked a rich and exciting explosion of philosophical energy and talent. The enormity of the revolution set off in philosophy by Immanuel Kant was comparable, by Kant’s own estimation, with the Copernican Revolution that ended the middle ages. The movement he set in motion, the fast-moving and often cantankerous dialectic of “German Idealism,” inspired some of the most creative philosophers in modern times: including G.W.F.Hegel and Arthur Schopenhauer as well as those who reacted against them—Marx and Kierkegaard, for example. This volume traces the emergence of German Idealism from Kant and his predecessors through the first half of the nineteenth century, ending with the “irrationalism” of Kierkegaard. Each chapter has been written by a distinguished scholar in the field, and contributors include Lewis White Beck (on the German background), Daniel Bonevac, Don Becker, Patrick Gardiner (on Kant), Daniel Breazeale (on Fichte and Schelling), Robert C.Solomon, Willem deVries and Leo Rauch (on Hegel), Kathleen M.Higgins (on Schopenhauer), Robert Nola (on the Young Hegelians, including Marx) and Judith Butler (on Kierkegaard). The Age of German Idealism provides a broad, scholarly introduction to the period for students of philosophy and related disciplines, as well as some original interpretations of these authors. It includes a glossary of technical terms and a chronological table of philosophical, scientific and other important cultural events. Robert C.Solomon is Quincey Lee Centennial Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. Kathleen M.Higgins is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. Routledge History of Philosophy General editors—G.H.R.Parkinson and S.G.Shanker The Routledge History of Philosophy provides a chronological survey of the history of Western philosophy, from its beginnings in the sixth century BC to the present time. It discusses all major philosophical developments in depth. Most space is allocated to those individuals who, by common consent, are regarded as great philosophers. But lesser figures have not been neglected, and together the ten volumes of the History include basic and critical information about every significant philosopher of the past and present. These philosophers are clearly situated within the cultural and, in particular, the scientific context of their time. The History is intended not only for the specialist, but also for the student and the general reader. Each chapter is by an acknowledged authority in the field. The chapters are written in an accessible style and a glossary of technical terms is provided in each volume. Routledge History of Philosophy Volume VI The Age of German Idealism EDITED BY Robert C.Solomon and Kathleen M.Higgins London and New York First published 1993 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2004. © 1993 Robert C.Solomon, Kathleen M.Higgins, and individual contributors All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Age of German Idealism—(Routledge History of Philosophy Series; Vol. 6) I. Solomon, Robert C. II. Higgins, Kathleen M. III. Series 190.9 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data The Age of German idealism/ed. Robert C.Solomon and Kathleen M.Higgins p. cm.—(Routledge history of philosophy; v. 6) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Philosophy, German—18th century. 2. Philosophy, German—19th century. 3. Idealism—History—18th century. 4. Idealism— History—19th century. I. Solomon, Robert C. II. Higgins, Kathleen Marie. III. Series. B2615.A35 1993 141'.0943–dc20 92–32040 ISBN 0-203-03061-3 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-06007-5 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-05604-7 (Print Edition) Contents General editors’ preface vii Notes on contributors x Chronology xiii Introduction Robert C.Solomon and Kathleen M.Higgins 1 1 From Leibniz to Kant Lewis White Beck 5 2 Kant’s Copernican revolution Daniel Bonevac 40 3 Kant’s moral and political philosophy Don Becker 68 4 Kant: Critique of Judgement Patrick Gardiner 103 5 Fichte and Schelling: the Jena period Daniel Breazeale 138 6 Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit Robert C.Solomon 181 7 Hegel’s logic and philosophy of mind Willem deVries 216 8 Hegel, spirit, and politics Leo Rauch 254 v CONTENTS 9 The Young Hegelians, Feuerbach, and Marx Robert Nola 290 10 Arthur Schopenhauer Kathleen M.Higgins 330 11 Kierkegaard’s speculative despair Judith Butler 363 Glossary 396 Index 404 vi General editors’ preface The history of philosophy, as its name implies, represents a union of two very different disciplines, each of which imposes severe constraints upon the other. As an exercise in the history of ideas, it demands that one acquire a “period eye”: a thorough understanding of how the thinkers whom it studies viewed the problems which they sought to resolve, the conceptual frameworks in which they addressed these issues, their assumptions and objectives, their blind spots and miscues. But as an exercise in philosophy, we are engaged in much more than simply a descriptive task. There is a crucial critical aspect to our efforts: we are looking for the cogency as much as the development of an argument, for its bearing on questions which continue to preoccupy us as much as the impact which it may have had on the evolution of philosophical thought. The history of philosophy thus requires a delicate balancing act from its practitioners. We read these writings with the full benefit of historical hindsight. We can see why the minor contributions remained minor and where the grand systems broke down: sometimes as a result of internal pressures, sometimes because of a failure to overcome an insuperable obstacle, sometimes because of a dramatic technological or sociological change, and, quite often, because of nothing more than a shift in intellectual fashion or interests. Yet, because of our continuing philosophical concern with many of the same problems, we cannot afford to look dispassionately at these works. We want to know what lessons are to be learned from the inconsequential or the glorious failures; many times we want to plead for a contemporary relevance in the overlooked theory or to reconsider whether the “glorious failure” was indeed such or simply ahead of its time: perhaps even ahead of its author. We find ourselves, therefore, much like the mythical “radical translator” who has so fascinated modern philosophers, trying to vii GENERAL EDITOR’S PREFACE understand an author’s ideas in his and his culture’s eyes, and, at the same time, in our own. It can be a formidable task. Many times we fail in the historical undertaking because our philosophical interests are so strong, or lose sight of the latter because we are so enthralled by the former. But the nature of philosophy is such that we are compelled to master both techniques. For learning about the history of philosophy is not just a challenging and engaging pastime: it is an essential element in learning about the nature of philosophy—in grasping how philosophy is intimately connected with and yet distinct from both history and science. The Routledge History of Philosophy provides a chronological survey of the history of Western philosophy, from its beginnings up to the present time. Its aim is to discuss all major philosophical developments in depth, and, with this in mind, most space has been allocated to those individuals who, by common consent, are regarded as great philosophers. But lesser figures have not been neglected, and it is hoped that the reader will be able to find, in the ten volumes of the History, at least basic information about any significant philosopher of the past or present. Philosophical thinking does not occur in isolation from other human activities, and this History tries to situate philosophers within the cultural, and in particular the scientific, context of their time. Some philosophers, indeed, would regard philosophy as merely ancillary to the natural sciences; but even if this view is rejected, it can hardly be denied that the sciences have had a great influence on what is now regarded as philosophy, and it is important that this influence should be set forth clearly. Not that these volumes are intended to provide a mere record of the factors that influenced philosophical thinking; philosophy is a discipline with its own standards of argument, and the presentation of the ways in which these arguments have developed is the main concern of this History. In speaking of “what is now regarded as philosophy”, we may have given the impression that there now exists a single view of what philosophy is. This is certainly not the case; on the contrary, there exist serious differences of opinion, among those who call themselves philosophers, about the nature of their subject. These differences are reflected in the existence at the present time of two main schools of thought, usually described as “analytic” and “continental” philosophy. It is not our intention, as general editors of this History, to take sides in this dispute. Our attitude is one of tolerance, and our hope is that these volumes will contribute to an understanding of how philosophers have reached the positions which they now occupy. One final comment. Philosophy has long been a highly technical subject, with its own specialized vocabulary. This History is intended not only for the specialist but also for the general reader. To this end, we have viii GENERAL EDITOR’S PREFACE tried to ensure that each chapter is written in an accessible style; and since technicalities are unavoidable, a glossary of technical terms is provided in each volume. In this way these volumes will, we hope, contribute to a wider understanding of a subject which is of the highest importance to all thinking people. G.H.R.Parkinson S.G.Shanker ix