Idealism as Modernism: Hegelian Variations

by Robert B. Pippin

• ISBN13: 9780521568739
• ISBN10: 0521568730
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-01-28
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

‘Modernity’ has come to refer both to a contested historical category and to an even more contested philosophical and civilisational ideal. In this important collection of essays Robert Pippin takes issue with some prominent assessments of what is or is not philosophically at stake in the idea of a modern revolution in Western civilisation, and presents an alternative view. Professor Pippin disputes many traditional characterisations of the distinctiveness of modern philosophy. In their place he defends claims about agency, freedom, ethical life and modernity itself, all of which are central to the German idealist philosophical tradition, and in particular, to the writings of Hegel. Having considered the Hegelian version of these issues the author explores other accounts as found in Habermas, Strauss, Blumenberg, Nietzsche, and Heidegger.

Author Biography

Rorert S. Pippin is Professor of Social Thought and Philosophy at the University of Chicago.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Hegelianism?

Part 1. The Original Options: Kant Versus Hegel: 2. Kant on the spontaneity of mind

3. On the moral foundations of Kant's Rechtslehre

4. Hegel, ethical reasons, Kantian rejoinders

5. Avoiding German idealism: Kant, Hegel, and the reflective judgment problem

Part II. Critical Modernism: 6. Hegel, modernity, and Habermas

7. Technology as ideology: prospects

Part III. Greeks, Germans and Moderns: 8. The modern world of Leo Strauss

9. Being, time, and politics: the Strauss-Kojè

ve debate

Part IV. Narrating Modernity: 10. Blumenberg and the modernity problem

11. Modern mythic meaning: Blumenberg contra Nietzsche

Part V. Modernism and Nihilism: 12. Truth and lies in early Nietzsche

13. Nietzsche's alleged farewell: the Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Nietzsche

14. Morality as psychology

psychology as morality: Nietzsche, Eros, and clumsy lovers

Part VI. Heidegger's 'Culmination': 15. On being anti-Cartesian: Hegel, Heidegger, subjectivity and sociality

16. Heideggerian postmodernism and political metaphysics

Part VII. Hegelianism: 17. Hegel's ethical rationalism.