Idealism Without Limits: Hegel and the Problem of Objectivity (Philosophical Studies in Contemporary Culture Book 18)

In this study of Hegel's philosophy, Brinkmann undertakes to defend Hegel's claim to objective knowledge by bringing out the transcendental strategy underlying Hegel's argument in the __Phenomenology of Spirit__ and the Logic. Hegel's metaphysical commitments are shown to become moot through this transcendental reading. Starting with a survey of current debates about the possibility of objective knowledge, the book next turns to the original formulation of the transcendental argument in favor of a priori knowledge in Kant's First Critique. Through a close reading of Kant's Transcendental Deduction and Hegel's critique of it, Brinkmann tries to show that Hegel develops an immanent critique of Kant's position that informs his reformulation of the transcendental project in the Introduction to the __Phenomenology of Spirit__ and the formulation of the position of 'objective thought' in the __Science of Logic__ and the __Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences__. Brinkmann takes the reader through the strategic junctures of the argument of the __Phenomenology__ that establishes the position of objective thinking with which the Logic begins. A critical examination of the Introduction to the Lectures on the History of Philosophy shows that Hegel's metaphysical doctrine of the self-externalization of spirit need not compromise the ontological project of the Logic and thus does not burden the position of objective thought with pre-critical metaphysical claims. Brinkmann's book is a remarkable achievement. He has given us what may be the definitive version of the transcendental, categorial interpretation of Hegel. He does this in a clear approachable style punctuated with a dry wit, and he fearlessly takes on the arguments and texts that are the most problematic for this interpretation. Throughout the book, he situates Hegel firmly in his own context and that of contemporary discussion." -Terry P. Pinkard, University Professor, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C, USA "Klaus Brinkmann’s important Hegel study reads the Phenomenology and the Logic as aspects of a single sustained effort, in turning from categories to concepts, to carry Kant’s Copernican turn beyond the critical philosophy in what constitutes a major challenge to contemporary Cartesianism." - Tom Rockmore, McAnulty College Distinguished Professor, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA "In this compelling reconstruction of the theme of objective thought, Klaus Brinkmann takes the reader through Hegel’s dialectic with exceptional philosophical acumen.... Many aspects of this book are striking: the complete mastery of the central tenets of Kant’s and Hegel’s philosophy, the admirable clarity in treating obscure texts and very difficult problems, and how Brinkmann uses his expertise for a discussion of the problems of truth, objectivity and normativity relevant to the contemporary philosophical debate. This will prove to be a very important book, one that every serious student of Kant and Hegel will have to read." - Alfredo Ferrarin, Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Cover 1 Philosophical Studies in Contemporary Culture Volume 18 3 IDEALISM WITHOUT LIMITS 4 ISBN 9789048136216 5 Preface 8 Introduction 10 Contents 14 1 The Problem of Objectivity as a Problem of Modernity 16 1.1 The Objectivity Problem and the Crisis of Subjectivity 16 1.2 Descartes and the Roots of the Crisis of Subjectivity 22 1.3 Some Traditional Arguments in Defense of Objectivity 29 1.4 Some Contemporary Defenses of Objectivity 36 1.5 Conclusions 52 2 Kant and the Problem of Objectivity 56 2.1 Kant's Transcendental Idealism 56 2.2 Hegel's Critique of Kant: The Transcendental Deduction 71 2.3 Beyond the Matter-Form Distinction: Hegel as a Philosopher of Radical Immanence 86 3 The Argument of the Phenomenology 94 3.1 Methodological Presuppositions 94 3.2 Sense-Certainty: The Particular and the Universal 115 3.3 Perception and Understanding: The Immanence of Thinking and the Meaning of Aufhebung 132 3.4 The Native Land of Truth: From Desire to Reason 169 3.5 Methodological Interlude: Overcoming the Opposition of Consciousness 204 3.6 The Internalization of Spirit: From Ethical Substance to the Spiritual Individual 209 3.7 Spirit That Knows Itself as Spirit: From Religion to Absolute Knowing 219 4 Objective Knowledge and the Logic 236 4.1 Interlude: Does the System Need a Ladder? 236 4.2 Hegel's Paradigm Shift: From Referentiality to Intelligibility of Thought 248 4.3 The Metaphysical and the Non-Metaphysical Hegel 259 4.4 Hegels Integrative Pluralism and Its Limits 274 Bibliography 282 Index 290 9048136210,9789048136216 Springer About Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit and his project in the Logic (Science of Logic as well as the Encyclopedia Logic) and the relationship between Kant and Hegel; also about the broader issue of how to secure universal standards of objectivity and normative principles of cognition and action Front Matter....Pages i-xiii The Problem of Objectivity as a Problem of Modernity....Pages 1-40 Kant and the Problem of Objectivity....Pages 41-77 The Argument of the Phenomenology ....Pages 79-219 Objective Knowledge and the Logic....Pages 221-266 Back Matter....Pages 267-283