Edgar J. Valdez

Defences of Kant's foundations of geometry fall short if they are unable to equally ground Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries. Thus, Kant's account must be separated from geometrical postulates. I argue that characterizing space as the form of outer intuition must be independent of postulates. Geometrical postulates are then expressions of particular spatializing activities made possible by the a priori intuition of space. While Amit Hagar contends that this is to speak of noumena, I argue that a Kantian account of space as the form of outer attention-directing remains seated in the subject

In this paper I argue for a notion of conversion in Kant’s critical philosophy by drawing a connection between the conversions to be found in Kant and the intellectual, moral, and religious conversions of Augustine. I liken Augustine’s Platonic metaphysics of God to Kant’s antinomy of Pure Reason as an intellectual conversion. I link Augustine’s moral conversion with Kant’s meta-maxim to commit to a use of reason that is free from the influence of inclination. I connect Augustine’s religious conversion with Kant’s recognition of God as the postulated condition for the highest good. There are advantages to understanding the conversions in Kant for understanding how his critical philosophy views faith more generally. The conversions in Kant point to the practical necessity of faith as Kant understands it. Such an interpretation also unifies Kant’s contribution to the conversation on the relationship between faith and reason. For Kant faith, much like knowledge, is a form of holding true and as such is reasonable.

In this paper I argue for a notion of conversion in Kant’s critical philosophy by drawing a connection between the conversions to be found in Kant and the intellectual, moral, and religious conversions of Augustine. I liken Augustine’s Platonic metaphysics of God to Kant’s antinomy of Pure Reason as an intellectual conversion. I link Augustine’s moral conversion with Kant’s meta-maxim to commit to a use of reason that is free from the influence of inclination. I connect Augustine’s religious conversion with Kant’s recognition of God as the postulated condition for the highest good. There are advantages to understanding the conversions in Kant for understanding how his critical philosophy views faith more generally. The conversions in Kant point to the practical necessity of faith as Kant understands it. Such an interpretation also unifies Kant’s contribution to the conversation on the relationship between faith and reason. For Kant faith, much like knowledge, is a form of holding true and as such is reasonable.

This volume reflects a rich tradition of Kantian thought and points to a vibrant future. Gathering voices from philosophers at all levels of their professional development, it offers a glimpse at the current state of Kantian scholarship in the US. The essays collected here cover some of the most important and controversial themes in Kant's philosophy: questions of freedom, the role of feeling and passion in morality, the nature of transcendental idealism, radical evil and revolution. Some critical, others exegetical or apologetic, all these essays show a sustained effort to rethink Kant and indicate his importance for current philosophical debates.

The questions Kant poses have endured because they get at the heart of the philosophical endeavour. The continued importance of these questions is what calls for rethinking Kant in light of contemporary philosophical debates. The essays collected in this volume range from reconsidering some of the results of reason’s critique of itself to determining the role of feeling in Kant’s account of moral judgment. The last section pays particular attention to Kant’s relationship to various other figures in the history of philosophy. Together they highlight the significance of Kant for the ever-broadening landscape of philosophy in the twenty-first century.