Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T17:47:08.148Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

3 - The Instrumentality of Moral Reason

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

J. M. Bernstein
Affiliation:
New School for Social Research, New York
Get access

Summary

In this chapter I want to offer a contextualized reading and genealogical reconstruction of Kant's moral thought in order that it can be understood as both a response to the problem of disenchantment and a continuation of the rationalization of reason under the governance of the principle of immanence. More precisely, my intention is re-cross the terrain of the previous chapter by seeing how the principle of immanence and the destructions it brings about (of knowledge, experience, and authority) form and de-form Kant's moral theory, although the order of reconstruction will not directly follow Chapter Two's order of presentation. Kant's Copernican turn in morals is certainly a continuation of the rationalization of reason. However, more generously, Kant's moral philosophy should first be seen as responding to the disenchantment of the natural world that had already occurred, and hence as suffering the loss of traditional and charismatic authority. If the Weberian account of that loss is anything like correct, then it corresponds to the disintegration of the first moment of the grammar of moral insight: demand and approval. If the moment of demand and approval anchors the difference between practical and theoretical reason, then one would anticipate that being left with only legal-rational authority Kant would be unable to demonstrate why rational morality is to be seen as intrinsically motivating, or, what is the same, unable to transform theoretical insight into a practical norm.

Type
Chapter
Information
Adorno
Disenchantment and Ethics
, pp. 136 - 187
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

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 Dropbox.

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.

Available formats
×