What is the Human Being?

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Mind & Body
Cover of the book What is the Human Being? by Patrick R. Frierson, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Patrick R. Frierson ISBN: 9781135090807
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: February 11, 2013
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Patrick R. Frierson
ISBN: 9781135090807
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: February 11, 2013
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Philosophers, anthropologists and biologists have long puzzled over the question of human nature. It is also a question that Kant thought about deeply and returned to in many of his writings. In this lucid and wide-ranging introduction to Kant’s philosophy of human nature - which is essential for understanding his thought as a whole - Patrick R. Frierson assesses Kant’s theories and examines his critics.

He begins by explaining how Kant articulates three ways of addressing the question ‘what is the human being?’: the transcendental, the empirical, and the pragmatic. He then considers some of the great theorists of human nature who wrestle with Kant’s views, such as Hegel, Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, and Freud; contemporary thinkers such as E.O.Wilson and Daniel Dennett, who have sought biological explanations of human nature; Thomas Kuhn, Michel Foucault, and Clifford Geertz, who emphasize the diversity of human beings in different times and places; and existentialist philosophers such as Sartre and Heidegger.

He argues that whilst these approaches challenge and enrich Kant’s views in significant ways, all suffer from serious weaknesses that Kant’s anthropology can address. Taking a core insight of Kant’s - that human beings are fundamentally free but finite - he argues that it is the existentialists, particularly Sartre, who are the most direct heirs of his transcendental anthropology.

The final part of the book is an extremely helpful overview of the work of contemporary philosophers, particularly Christine Korsgaard and Jürgen Habermas. Patrick R. Frierson explains how these philosophers engage with questions of naturalism, historicism, and existentialism while developing Kantian conceptions of the human being.

Including chapter summaries and annotated further reading, What is the Human Being? is an outstanding introduction to some fundamental aspects of Kant’s thought and a judicious assessment of leading theories of human nature. It is essential reading for all students of Kant and the philosophy of human nature, as well as those in related disciplines such as anthropology, politics and sociology.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Philosophers, anthropologists and biologists have long puzzled over the question of human nature. It is also a question that Kant thought about deeply and returned to in many of his writings. In this lucid and wide-ranging introduction to Kant’s philosophy of human nature - which is essential for understanding his thought as a whole - Patrick R. Frierson assesses Kant’s theories and examines his critics.

He begins by explaining how Kant articulates three ways of addressing the question ‘what is the human being?’: the transcendental, the empirical, and the pragmatic. He then considers some of the great theorists of human nature who wrestle with Kant’s views, such as Hegel, Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, and Freud; contemporary thinkers such as E.O.Wilson and Daniel Dennett, who have sought biological explanations of human nature; Thomas Kuhn, Michel Foucault, and Clifford Geertz, who emphasize the diversity of human beings in different times and places; and existentialist philosophers such as Sartre and Heidegger.

He argues that whilst these approaches challenge and enrich Kant’s views in significant ways, all suffer from serious weaknesses that Kant’s anthropology can address. Taking a core insight of Kant’s - that human beings are fundamentally free but finite - he argues that it is the existentialists, particularly Sartre, who are the most direct heirs of his transcendental anthropology.

The final part of the book is an extremely helpful overview of the work of contemporary philosophers, particularly Christine Korsgaard and Jürgen Habermas. Patrick R. Frierson explains how these philosophers engage with questions of naturalism, historicism, and existentialism while developing Kantian conceptions of the human being.

Including chapter summaries and annotated further reading, What is the Human Being? is an outstanding introduction to some fundamental aspects of Kant’s thought and a judicious assessment of leading theories of human nature. It is essential reading for all students of Kant and the philosophy of human nature, as well as those in related disciplines such as anthropology, politics and sociology.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Exit Capitalism by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Teachers as Collaborative Partners by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Alexander Pope by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book International Marketing by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Urban Development and Civil Society by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book The Future of Policing by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book The Making of the Primitive Baptists by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book The Social Psychology of the Classroom by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Dominant Ideologies (RLE Social Theory) by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Analysis and Integration of Behavioral Units by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Philosophy of Mind in the Early and High Middle Ages by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book International English by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Southeast Asia by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications by Patrick R. Frierson
Cover of the book Contested Terrain by Patrick R. Frierson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy