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1Kant and the Question of the State: Freedom, Permission, and RepublicanismDissertation, Boston University. 2002."Republicanism" in Kant's political philosophy describes the type of state and the kind of politics demanded by freedom. Thus understood, republicanism expresses the limits of practical reason in politics. ;Kant sets his political thought against Hobbes' empirical description of political individuals, for whom norms arise through imaginative "picturing" of various conditions. For Kant free practical subjects are motivationally independent of sensed objects and possess ability for self-legislatio…Read more
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13Of Free Federations and World States: Kant’s Right and the Limits of International JusticeInternational Philosophical Quarterly 49 (2): 185-206. 2009.Immanuel Kant’s position on international justice is beset by some troublesome inconsistencies, most notably a conflicted set of views on the status of federations as suitable alternatives to a world state. It is tempting for contemporary readers to interpret Kant’s indecision as a lack of commitment or resoluteness. Closer inspection demonstrates that this problem involves deeper paradoxes, rooted in the concept of sovereignty. On this matter, Kant’s Rechtslehre is the source of the difficultie…Read more
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14Oh, the Humanity: Deflating a Humean ConceptHistory of Philosophy Quarterly 38 (3): 197-217. 2021.The concept of “humanity” is integral to David Hume's Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, but barely appears in his earlier Treatise. Many consider the later “humanity” theory superior, permitting a more “extensive” sympathy not limited by proximate associations. This paper argues for Hume's consistency on humanity by surveying The History of England. Hume's History discussions lend support to the associative, and thus limited, Treatise conception. Humanity is opposed to religious enthu…Read more
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31Hutcheson’s Painless Imagination and the Problem of Moral BeautyInternational Philosophical Quarterly 47 (3): 349-368. 2007.A peculiar feature of Hutcheson’s system is his claim that there exist no original pains in the imagination, and hence no real displeasures concerning form or beauty. This position, when set against a clear emphasis upon the pains of the moral sense in apprehending evil, seems to render tenuous his frequent analogies between the experiences of beauty and goodness. In light of this apparent discrepancy in Hutcheson’s argument, the repeated use of the term “moral beauty” presents interpretive diff…Read more
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38Hume on Church Establishments, Secular Politics and HistoryDiametros 54 95-117. 2017.In the third volume of the History of England, David Hume considers the political ramifications of the Protestant reformation with a “Digression concerning the ecclesiastical state.” He advocates the establishment of a state church, believing it will dampen religious “enthusiasm” in the polity. Unlike later secularization theorists, Hume assumes an intractable basis for religion in the human passions. Tensions in Hume’s “cooptation” strategy are evident from Adam Smith’s famous attack upon it in…Read more
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61Kant's permissive law: Critical rights, sceptical politicsBritish Journal for the History of Philosophy 17 (3). 2009.In recent years, English-language scholars have begun to approach the daunting field of Kant's politics by way of its technical core: the deduction of private right. In this interpretive project, t...
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5Hutcheson’s Painless Imagination and the Problem of Moral BeautyInternational Philosophical Quarterly 47 (3): 349-368. 2007.A peculiar feature of Hutcheson’s system is his claim that there exist no original pains in the imagination, and hence no real displeasures concerning form or beauty. This position, when set against a clear emphasis upon the pains of the moral sense in apprehending evil, seems to render tenuous his frequent analogies between the experiences of beauty and goodness. In light of this apparent discrepancy in Hutcheson’s argument, the repeated use of the term “moral beauty” presents interpretive diff…Read more
Aaron Szymkowiak
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
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Xavier University (Cincinnati)Associate Professor