Anthropology, History, and Education

Abstract

Anthropology, History, and Education, first published in 2007, contains all of Kant's major writings on human nature. Some of these works, which were published over a thirty-nine year period between 1764 and 1803, had never before been translated into English. Kant's question 'What is the human being?' is approached indirectly in his famous works on metaphysics, epistemology, moral and legal philosophy, aesthetics and the philosophy of religion, but it is approached directly in his extensive but less well-known writings on physical and cultural anthropology, the philosophy of history, and education which are gathered in the present volume. Kant repeatedly claimed that the question 'What is the human being?' should be philosophy's most fundamental concern, and Anthropology, History, and Education can be seen as effectively presenting his philosophy as a whole in a popular guise.

Underpinnings of humanistic management: a philosophical approach

“…Desde este entendido, el ser humano se encuentra en un proceso de autodesarrollo que se basa en principios, experimentación y reflexiones sobre prácticas concretas (Kant, 2007). Por otro lado, la pedagogía se presenta como la disciplina encargada de estudiar y entender cómo lograr el aprendizaje del ser humano, el cual se logra por medio de la implementación de reglas metodológicas que favorezcan la adquisición de dicho conocimiento (Durkheim, 1975;1982).…”

Cosmopolitanisms in Kant's philosophy

“…It coincides with cosmopolitan education, because 'through moral formation' the human being 'receives value in view of the entire human race'. 87 Eckart Fö rster has pointed out that Bildung, together with history and Entwicklung, was one of the new concepts of Enlightenment philosophy which 'reflect a deep revolution in the way reality was experienced'. 88 According to the new, secularised concept of formation, humans manage to reach a stage in their development when 'they form themselves a picture of what they want to achieve', thus becoming both objects and subjects of formation.…”

“…Kant deplores the fact that in human history, the third and most important kind of formation or Bildung has remained underdeveloped: 'very much is still lacking before we can be held to be already moralised'. 89 Nature educates humankind to reach this final goal, according to Kant's philosophy of history, which is a critical, reflective and teleological interpretation of history, embedded in § § 82Á84 of the Critique of Judgement. I will just enumerate the main theses of this interpretation.…”

“…Given 'immeasurable time', the principle of plenitude states that any possibility will sooner or later be realised. 100 A symptom of the 'moral tendency of the human race' is the constitutional phase of the French Revolution, since the civil constitution corresponded with the idea of right. 101 Secondly, the universal sympathy of the onlookers is interpreted by Kant as the outcome of a 'purely moral' disposition in humanity.…”

“…100 A symptom of the 'moral tendency of the human race' is the constitutional phase of the French Revolution, since the civil constitution corresponded with the idea of right. 101 Secondly, the universal sympathy of the onlookers is interpreted by Kant as the outcome of a 'purely moral' disposition in humanity. Even if the revolution should fail, Kant muses, a cumulative learning process for all of humankind will be the overall result.…”