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6 - Hermann Andreas Pistorius

Introduction

from Part II - Between the Critiques

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2025

Michael Walschots
Affiliation:
Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
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Summary

Pistorius’ review of the Groundwork was without a doubt the most important early review, at least with respect to its influence on the second Critique. Pistorius raises several important objections in the review, many of which are now regarded as classic responses to Kant’s moral theory in the literature. These include: the empty formalism objection, the claim that Kant is a covert consequentialist, that only hypothetical imperatives can bind human beings, and that there is a distinction to be made between happiness through instinct and happiness through reason. Kant was aware of the review and responds to Pistorius explicitly in the second Critique, such as in the second chapter of the Analytic, where he replies to a “certain reviewer,” i.e., Pistorius, who claimed against the Groundwork that “the concept of the good was not established before the moral principle.” (5:8.27–9.2)

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Chapter
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Kant's Critique of Practical Reason
Background Source Materials
, pp. 149 - 150
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Hermann Andreas Pistorius
  • Michael Walschots, Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
  • Book: Kant's <i>Critique of Practical Reason</i>
  • Online publication: 31 January 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108846899.016
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  • Hermann Andreas Pistorius
  • Michael Walschots, Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
  • Book: Kant's <i>Critique of Practical Reason</i>
  • Online publication: 31 January 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108846899.016
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Hermann Andreas Pistorius
  • Michael Walschots, Martin Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
  • Book: Kant's <i>Critique of Practical Reason</i>
  • Online publication: 31 January 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108846899.016
Available formats
×