Kant's Theory of Evil An Essay on the Dangers of Self-Love and the Aprioricity of History

Kant's Theory of Evil: An Essay on the Dangers of Self-Love and the Aprioricity of History presents a novel interpretation and defense of Kant's theory of evil. Pablo Muchnik argues that this theory stems from Kant's attempt to reconcile two parallel lines of thought in his own writings: on the one hand, a philosophy of the history of Rousseauian inspiration and naturalistic tendencies; on the other, the meta-physical project of founding morality exclusively on a priori grounds. The syncretism of Kant's view, as exemplified by the resulting moral anthropology in Religion within the Limits of Mere Reason, explains its persistent allure and elusiveness among Kantian readers. Solving some of the most intractable problems surrounding Kant's position, Muchnik's reconstruction is designed to break the deadlock existing between contemporary rival schools of interpretation, torn between Kant's naturalistic tendencies and his moral individualism. This book will certainly influence the way we approach Kantian ethics and the problem of evil in general. Book jacket.

Pablo Muchnik is associate professor of philosophy at Siena College.