Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Klassische Deutsche Philosophie

7. Berliner Kantkurs

Andrew Chignell (Princeton)
Knowledge, Belief, Hope and Despair

 

Der Berliner Kantkurs ist ein regelmässig stattfindendes Kompaktseminar, in dem international renommierte Forscherinnen und Forscher eigene neuere Arbeiten zu Kants Philosophie, ihrer philosophiegeschichtlichen Wirkung oder ihrer Rezeption in der zeitgenössischen systematischen Philosophie vorstellen. Nach Lucy Allais, Patricia Kitcher, Michael Friedman, Nick Stang, Marcus Willaschek und Robert Stern wird in diesem Jahr Andrew Chignell (Princeton) zu Gast sein und seine Interpretation und Bewertung der Kantischen Begriffe Wissen, Glaube, Hoffnung und Verzweiflung präsentieren.

Der Berliner Kantkurs richtet sich an interessierte fortgeschrittene Studierende und Fachphilosoph*innen aus Berlin und anderen Orten. Da die Anzahl der Teilnehmer*innen begrenzt ist, ist für die Teilnahme eine Anmeldung erforderlich (E-Mail an: kantkurs2018@gmail.com). Bitte melden Sie sich bis zum 26. Juni 2018 an. Angemeldeten Teilnehmer*innen wird die Lektüre zum Kurs zugänglich gemacht.

 

7th Berlin Kant Course
Andrew Chignell (Princeton)
Knowledge, Belief, Hope and Despair

 

The Berlin Kant Course is a regularly occurring, compact seminar, where internationally known researchers present their own new work regarding Kant's philosophy, its influence on the history of philosophy, or its reception in contemporary systematic philosophy. After past seminars with Lucy Allais, Patricia Kitcher, Michael Friedman, Nick Stang, Marcus Willaschek, and Robert Stern, our guest this year will be Andrew Chignell (Princeton), who will present his interpretation and evaluation of Kant's concepts of knowledge, belief, hope, and despair.

The Berlin Kant Course is aimed at advanced students and philosophers from Berlin and elsewhere. Because the number of participants is limited, registration is required in order to participate (E-Mail: kantkurs2018@gmail.com). Please register by June 26, 2018. Registered participants will receive the readings.

 

Content Overview
 

The goal of the course is to offer:

(1) an updated interpretation of Kant’s concepts of assent (Fürwahrhalten), justification (Rechtfertigung), cognition (Erkenntnis), knowledge (Wissen), certainty (Gewissheit), and belief or faith (Glaube); (2) an account of the role that hope (Hoffnung) and/or the need to avoid despair (Verzweiflung) play in motivating certain moral arguments; and (3) a survey of the ways in which these issues in epistemology and moral psychology relate to Kant’s critical philosophies of religion and history.

 

Recommended Refresh:

· Kritik der reinen Vernunft, A795-831/B 823-859

· Kritik der praktischen Vernunft, 5:107-148

· Kritik der Urteilskraft, §86-91

· Was heisst, sich im Denken orientieren? 8:133-146

· Die Religion innerhalb der Grenzen der bloßen Vernunft, 6:3-15

· Religion, 2te Stück, 6:57-88

 

Recommended Background:

· Eric Watkins and Marcus Willaschek, “Kant’s Account of Cognition” with responses by

Stefanie Grüne and Andrew Chignell

· Chignell, “Belief in Kant”

 

Schedule and recommended readings:

 

Thursday, July 5: Department talk

(18:15; Unter den Linden 6, Raum 2097)

 

“Of What, Exactly, Must we Deny Knowledge, and For What, Exactly, Does This Make Room?”

 

 

Friday, July 6: Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Pistology (9:30-12:00; UL 6, Raum 2249A)

 

Morning: Knowledge and Certainty

            Read: Chignell, “Kant’s Concepts of Justification” (old but under revision for book)

Presentation: “Kantian Fallibilism”

 

Afternoon: Belief, Common Sense, and Things in Themselves (1:30-4:00; UL 6, Raum 2249A)

Read: Chignell, “Liberal Metaphysics: God, Soul, Common Sense” (draft)         

Skim: Chignell, “Real Repugnance and Belief About Things in Themselves” (old but

under revision for book)

 

 

Saturday, July 7: Morality, Psychology, and Sperology

 

Morning: Hope, Focus, Conundrum (10:00-12:00; UL 6, Raum 2249A)

            Skim: Claudia Blöser & Titus Stahl, “Hope,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy         

Read: Chignell, “The Modal Constraint on Hope” (draft)

Skim: Chignell, “Hope, Religion, Revolution, Conundrum” (draft)

Presentation: “The Focus Account of Hope”

 

Afternoon: Hope, Despair, and Moral-Psychological Proofs (1:30-4:00; UL 6, Raum 2249A)

Read half: Chignell, “Kantian Gods and Wax Noses” (draft, read only second half)

Skim: Kyla Ebels-Duggan, “The Right, the Good, and the Threat of Despair: (Kantian)  

Ethics and the Need for Hope in God”

            Skim: Jakob Huber, “Defying Democratic Despair: Kant on the Politics of Hope” (draft)  

For fun: Chignell, “How to Hope that Your Food Choices Make a Difference even when

you Reasonably Believe that they Don’t” (presented last year at Rosefeldt-Kolloquium)