university of toronto press the kantian imperative humiliation common sense politics aug 2005

[...]... from the Kantian Imperative Demonstrating the Kantian Imperative s contemporary influence, identifying the problems that flow from it, and suggesting how we might avoid it are therefore central concerns of the project and are the subject of the second part of the book To illustrate the breadth of the influence of the Kantian Imperative, I examine the work of a highly regarded neo -Kantian liberal theorist... of the German population was a critical factor that allowed for the growth of Nazism and the Holocaust.11 More recently, the importance of tactics of humiliation have been clearly demonstrated by the actions of the U.S military in the most recent war with Iraq The revelations of the use of tactics of torture and humiliation of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib are simply the most spectacular evidence of. .. as that of a seminal non -Kantian communitarian thinker (Charles Taylor) I argue that both of these thinkers share some of the key ani- 16 The Kantian Imperative mating concerns of, and make similar appeals to common sense as, the Kantian Imperative I suggest, moreover, that even though Taylor and Habermas do not always explicitly mobilize the tactics of humiliation, their imperative common sense moralities... opposite poles of the liberal communitarian debate Introduction: Humiliation, Common Sense, Morality 19 In chapters 5 and 6, therefore, I examine the work of Jurgen Habermas and Charles Taylor in the light of the Kantian Imperative I have chosen to investigate their thinking not only because they demonstrate the influence of the Kantian Imperative, but also because a critical excavation of their positions... (3) the employment of an argumentative sleight of hand designed to allow Kant’s philosophy to retain the appearance of Introduction: Humiliation, Common Sense, Morality 17 scepticism in the theoretical realm while securing the effects of dogmatism in the practical ethical realm; (4) the appreciation of the importance of moral cultivation and the willingness to cultivate and use the feeling of humiliation. .. to the systematicity of that image of morality is not attempted here For this book, it is not the specific origin of Kant’s faith in the imperative image of morality that is important What is central is rather the impact that the unquestioned acceptance of the imperative image of morality has on the shape of the Kantian moral project and those contemporary projects that have been influenced by the Kantian. .. subterranean Kantian logic – which I will call the Kantian Imperative – consist of? While I will argue that there are several elements to the Kantian Imperative, there are two main elements that are particularly important in explaining the appearance of humiliation They are, first, the use of a specific argumentative strategy (the appeal to common sense recognition) and, second, a deep commitment to the belief... that the logic also flows in the opposite direction For I believe that the existence of, or yearning for, a deep and wide common sense and imperative image of morality can often inspire (while simultaneously enabling) the tactics of humiliation It is the latter possibility that I think characterizes most occurrences of the tactics of humiliation Humiliation is not always or simply the result of a drive... to politics and ethics 4 The Contemporary Kantian Imperative In the preceding pages, I have called this set of characteristics (e.g., the drive to establish an imperative image of morality, the appeal to common sense recognition, and the cultivation of humiliation) the Kantian Imperative. ’ Why do I make this series of philosophical strategies in Kant’s work into a proper noun? I do so because the. .. absolutely disavowal of all practices and tactics of humiliation Yet in the crucial third chapter of the first book of Kant’s Critique of 10 The Kantian Imperative Practical Reason, humiliation makes a rather surprising appearance As he discusses the origin and validity of the famous ‘special moral feeling’ of respect, Kant explicitly links it back to a process of humiliation: The moral law unavoidably . Kantian Imperative Humiliation, Common Sense, Politics PAUL SAURETTE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS Toronto Buffalo London © University of Toronto Press Incorporated 2005 Toronto Buffalo London Printed. xi Introduction: Humiliation, Common Sense, Morality 3 Part I – The Kantian Imperative 1 Kant’s Imperative Image of Morality 25 2 Common Sense Recognition 46 3 Cultivating a Kantian Moral Disposition 83 4 Kantian. and remarkable. THE KANTIAN IMPERATIVE: HUMILIATION, COMMON SENSE, POLITICS This page intentionally left blank INTRODUCTION Humiliation, Common Sense, Morality The seventh step of humility is