Overview

Kant's Moral World offers a detailed defense of Immanuel Kant's practical metaphysics. While Kant is widely recognized for his moral philosophy, this study reveals how his ethical framework also serves as a foundation for answering some of the most profound metaphysical questions: Are we truly free? Do we have immortal souls? Can we rationally believe in God? Through a careful and systematic interpretation of Kant's critical works, the book grounds his approach to these questions in the broader development of the concept of pure reason, which begins in the Critique of Pure Reason and stretches through the Groundwork and Critique of Practical Reason. Jessica Tizzard argues that our practical cognition of the moral law and transcendental freedom exemplifies pure reason's real use, which ultimately explains the primacy of practical over theoretical reason. This primacy, in turn, provides rational grounds for affirming the existence of the soul and God as necessary conditions for the realization of a moral world, encapsulated in Kant's idea of the highest good. Combining rigorous textual analysis with philosophical clarity, this monograph offers a compelling new interpretation of Kant's metaphysical project. It invites scholars and students alike to reconsider the depth and coherence of Kant's vision, where morality and metaphysics are not separate domains, but mutually reinforcing aspects of human reason.

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9780197829431

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Reviews

Tizzard's impressive book undertakes a comprehensive and sympathetic reappraisal of Kant's so-called practical metaphysics, consisting of his views of freedom, the highest good, God's existence and the immortality of the soul. Against more subjectivist readings, she argues that Kant's position should be understood in terms of the real, constitutive use of practical reason, which makes objectively grounded claims about real objects, while also not overstepping the theoretical restrictions argued for in the Critique of Pure Reason. This interpretation, based on detailed readings of some of the most foundational passages in the Groundwork and the Critique of Practical Reason, offers a promising new approach on a wide range of topics. It is sure to make a significant impact on scholarship in Kant's practical philosophy. * Eric Watkins, UCSD * The status and function of reason in Kant's system of philosophy has puzzled generations of commentators. In this groundbreaking study, Jessica Tizzard defends an original interpretation of Kant that shows how pure reason, while unable to access things in themselves, still has a 'real use' that vindicates the fundamental objects of religion and morality: freedom, the soul, and God. The result is a fresh account of why Kant's practical postulates are, far from serving as a dispensable addendum to Kant's philosophy, the keys to its final synthesis. Kant's Moral World is a beautiful illustration of Kant scholarship at its best, and it will be essential reading for years to come. * Owen Ware, University of Toronto *

Author Information

Jessica Tizzard is Assistant Professor at the University of Tübingen in Germany.

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