Kant is widely acknowledged for his critique of theoretical reason, his universalistic ethics, and his aesthetics. Scholars, however, often ignore his achievements in the philosophy of law and government. At least four innovations that are still relevant today can be attributed to Kant. He is the first thinker, and to date the only great thinker, to have elevated the concept of peace to the status of a foundational concept of philosophy. Kant links this concept to the political innovation of his (...) time, a republic devoted to human rights. He extends the concept by adding to it the right of nations and cosmopolitan law. Finally, Kant democratizes Plato's notion of philosopher kings with a concept of 'kingly people'. This book examines all aspects of this important, but neglected, body of Kant's writings. (shrink)

Abstract:This article examines the citation context of fragments from the Epic Cycle in scholia in order to re-assess its ancient reception. In contrast to negative comments like Callimachus', literary criticism in practice demonstrates that the Cycle held great authority among readers and critics. In the Homeric scholia, commentators vigorously debated whether Cyclical epics should aid in the interpretation of Homer. In the scholia to Pindar and Euripides, the Cycle was used to explicate and even to emend the text. For Hellenistic (...) poets like Lycophron, critics' presentation of the Cycle in scholia offered a generative model for continuing the Trojan War myth in dialogue with Homer. (shrink)

Der wirkungsmächtige Begriff einer praktischen Philosophie geht auf Aristoteles zurück. Der Begriff ist ebenso wie sein Gegenbegriff, der der theoretischen Philosophie, ungewöhnlich, sogar provokativ. Otfried Höffe zeigt, dass Ethik als wissenschaftliche und zugleich sittlich engagierte Disziplin zu begreifen ist. Für diesen Zweck bedarf es einer besonderen Rationalitätsform, einer Grundriss-Wissenschaft.

Ethics plus theory of action -- Thinking the good through -- Fallacious conclusions -- Animal morabile -- Action -- The principle of happiness: eudaimonia -- The happiness of aspiration -- The art of living -- Four life goals -- Virtue -- Prudence, composure, selflessness -- Wisdom rather than calculation -- Does virtue make one happy? -- Euthanasia of morals? -- From an ethic of teleological aspiration to an ethic of the will -- The principle of freedom: autonomy -- Locating moral (...) freedom -- Practical reason: freedom of action -- Autonomous reason: freedom of the will -- Objection one: determinism -- Objection two: brain research -- The criterion -- The universalizability test: two examples -- Reality -- Morally evil -- Autonomous morality and the art of living -- Does morality make one happy?. (shrink)

In der Zeit des Humanismus und der frühen Neuzeit blüht im politischen Denken eine neue Gattung, die der Utopie. Thomas Morus gibt ihr den Titel und die literarische Form vor. Tommaso Campanella mit dem Sonnenstaat und Francis Bacon mit Neu-Atlantis eifern ihm nach. Alle drei Werke werden hier kommentiert und in ihrer Bedeutung für das gegenwärtige politische Denken erläutert. Statt sich in politische Schwärmerei zu verirren, beginnt Morus die Utopia mit einer Kritik an den sozialen und politischen Missständen in England. (...) Drei Generationen später setzt Tommaso Campanella die Tradition des utopischen Denkens fort und entwirft er, erneut in Form eines Reiseromans, die Utopie eines christlichen und sozialistischen Gemeinwesens. Francis Bacon wiederum entwirft in seinem Reiseroman Neu-Atlantis die Utopie einer wissenschaftlich-technischen Zivilisation. Im vorliegenden Band werden alle drei Utopien gemeinsam durchgängig und systematisch interpretiert, zugleich ihre Argumentationen kritisch beleuchtet. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die in den Werken verhandelten Themen, etwa religiöse Toleranz, die Rolle des Privateigentums, die Bedeutung wissenschaftlichen Fortschritts, für das gegenwärtige politische Denken von großem Interesse sind. (shrink)

Anyone interested in theories of moral or human practice will find in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics one of the few basic models relevant through to today.

This article puts into question the desire to prove the free existence of the will thru resources provided by neurobiology. To achieve this the author asks himself how morality is possible considering this view. The argumentation first resorts to kantian theory to make a distinction between the l..

In Form eines kooperativen Kommentars fuhren anerkannte Platon-Interpreten in die Hauptthemen der "Politeia" und die wichtigsten Forschungsprobleme ein.".

Democracy depends on a vivid public sphere, where ideas disseminate into the public and can be discussed – and challenged - by everyone. Journalism has contributed significantly to this social mediation by reducing complexity, providing information on salient topics and (planned) political solutions. The digital transformation of the public sphere leads to new forms of media provision, distribution, and use. Journalism has struggled to adapt to the new conditions. Journalistic news values, relevant to democracy, are being replaced by ones relevant (...) to social media platforms’ attention seeking business model. We plead for a broad public debate about the ongoing platformization and about possible policies to ensure a media system that serves and strengthens democracy. (shrink)