NEO-KANTIANISM AND GEORG SIMMEL'S INTERPRETATION OF KANT

This essay explores the development of Georg Simmel's interpretation of Immanuel Kant's philosophy in the context of neo-Kantianism and its preoccupation with the question of unity in modern diversity. It argues that the neo-Kantian movement can be divided into two periods: in the first, u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inModern intellectual history Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 597 - 622
Main Author PODOKSIK, EFRAIM
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.11.2016
Subjects
Epistemology
Ethics
Logic
Philosophy
Religion
Simmel, Georg (1858-1918)
Germany
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Summary:This essay explores the development of Georg Simmel's interpretation of Immanuel Kant's philosophy in the context of neo-Kantianism and its preoccupation with the question of unity in modern diversity. It argues that the neo-Kantian movement can be divided into two periods: in the first, unity was addressed with regard to Kant's epistemology; in the second period, the main issue was the overall coherence of Kantian teaching. Simmel, who belonged to the younger generation of neo-Kantians, absorbed the conclusions of the previous generation that purged Kantian epistemology from its metaphysical foundations related to the noumenal world. Yet he did not share the views of his peers who considered Kant to be the philosopher of cultural plurality. On the contrary, he argued that Kant's system is thoroughly intellectualistic, and that ethics, aesthetics and religion within it are subordinated to logic. At the same time, his own philosophy presupposed cultural plurality akin to that of other neo-Kantians. In other words, Simmel abandoned Kant in order to develop his own version of neo-Kantianism.
ISSN:1479-2443
1479-2451
DOI:10.1017/S1479244314000663