Freedom and the End of Reason

On the Moral Foundation of Kant's Critical Philosophy

Velkley Richard L.

In "Freedom and the End of Reason", Richard L. Velkley offers an influential interpretation of the central issue of Kant's philosophy and an evaluation of its position within modern philosophy's larger history. He persuasively argues that the whole of Kantianism – not merely the Second Critique – focuses on a "critique of practical reason" and is a response to a problem that Kant saw as intrinsic to reason itself: the teleological problem of its goodness. Reconstructing the influence of Rousseau on Kant's thought, Velkley demonstrates that the relationship between speculative philosophy and practical philosophy in Kant is far more intimate than generally has been perceived. By stressing a Rousseau-inspired notion of reason as a provider of practical ends, he is able to offer an unusually complete account of Kant's idea of moral culture.

About the Author

Richard L. Velkley is the Celia Scott Weatherhead Professor of Philosophy at Tulane University and the author of "Being after Rousseau: Philosophy and Culture in Question" and "Freedom and the End of Reason: On the Moral Foundation of Kant's Critical Philosophy".

Reviews

"Velkley handles his subject with skill and style, moving easily from Rousseau to Kant, and from the latter's earlier to his later works. This is a significant piece of scholarship not merely for its historical insights but also because of the new focus it provides for interpreting Kant's philosophy as a whole" – Ethics

"Velkley has produced an outstanding philosophical work on the late modern problem of the relation between reason and freedom" – Review of Politics

"The picture of Kant that emerges from this fascinating study is at once richer and more complex than the straw man who often appears in the works of defenders and detractors alike" – American Political Science Review

"Velkley's reconstruction of Kant's encounter with Rousseau is sufficiently interesting to reward the reader of this thoughtful and impressively researched book. By leaving aside stale debates about 'influence' in favor of an account of how one philosopher creatively responded to the challenges posed by another, Velkley provides a useful model of how scholars should deal with encounters between great minds" – Political Theory

Back to the list of books