Kant on epigenesis, monogenesis and human nature: The biological premises of anthropology

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show that for Kant, a combination of epigenesis and monogenesis is the condition of possibility of anthropology as he conceives of it and that moreover, this has crucial implications for the biological dimension of his account of human nature. More precisely, I begin by arguing that Kant’s conception of mankind as a natural species is based on two premises: firstly the biological unity of the human species (monogenesis of the human races); and secondly the existence of ‘seeds’ which may or may not develop depending on the environment (epigenesis of human natural predispositions). I then turn to Kant’s account of man’s natural predispositions and show that far from being limited to the issue of races, it encompasses unexpected human features such as gender, temperaments and nations. These predispositions, I argue, are means to the realisation of Nature’s overall purpose for the human species. This allows me to conclude that man’s biological determinism leads to the species’ preservation, cultivation and civilisation.

Section snippets

The generation of organisms: epigenesis vs. preformation

To understand the specific features of Kant’s position regarding the issue of organic generation, it is helpful to be aware of the scientific context of the time. A passage from Blumenbach’s treatise On the formative drive summarises the debates on generation by delineating two rival theories:

It is either supposed that the prepared, but at the same time unorganized rudiments of the foetus, first begins to be gradually organized when it arrives at its place of destination at a due time, and

The human races: monogenesis vs. polygenesis

The issue of the unity of mankind was very much debated in the eighteenth century, in particular following the publication of Lord Kames’s defence of a polygenetic theory in Six sketches on the history of man (1774).20 Kant, for his part, was

Anthropological characterisation and Nature’s purposes for the human species

In ‘Religion within the boundaries of mere reason’, Kant distinguishes between three predispositions of human nature:

1. The predisposition to the animality of the human being, as a living being; 2. To the humanity in him, as a living and at the same time rational being; 3. To his personality, as a rational and at the same time responsible being. (Kant, 2001b [1793], p. 74 [6:26])

The predisposition I want to focus on here is the predisposition to animality, for I believe it is through its

Conclusion

This paper set out to examine the biological dimension of Kant’s account of human nature. I have begun by showing that two premises are required to explain the fact of human diversity: one that secures the fact that there are human types, that is to say that all men belong to the same biological stock and that thus all varieties stem from the same biological origin (monogenesis of human types); and another that secures the fact that there are human types, that is to say that there are

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Marina Frasca-Spada, Nick Jardine, Joan Steigerwald, Cain Todd, John Zammito and an anonymous referee of this journal for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.

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