Kant's Theory of Evil: An Essay on The Dangers of Self-Love and the Aprioricity of History presents a novel interpretation and defense of Kant's theory of evil. Pablo Muchnik argues that this theory stems from Kant's attempt to reconcile two parallel lines of thought in his own writings: on the one hand, a philosophy of history of Rousseauian inspiration and naturalistic tendencies; on the other, the metaphysical project of founding morality exclusively on a priori grounds. The syncretism of Kant's view, as exemplified by the resulting moral anthropology in Religion within the Limits of Mere Reason, explains its persistent allure and elusiveness among Kantian readers. Muchnik's reconstruction solves some of the most intractable problems surrounding Kant's position, and is designed to break the deadlock existing between contemporary rival schools of interpretation, torn between Kant's naturalistic tendencies and his moral individualism. The "quasi-transcendental" conceptual apparatus presented in these pages will open up new paths of investigation in Kant, and influence the way we approach the problem of evil in general.

Kant infamously claimed that all human beings, without exception, are evil by nature. This collection of essays critically examines and elucidates what he must have meant by this indictment. It shows the role which evil plays in his overall philosophical project and analyses its relation to individual autonomy. Furthermore, it explores the relevance of Kant's views for understanding contemporary questions such as crimes against humanity and moral reconstruction. Leading scholars in the field engage a wide range of sources from which a distinctly Kantian theory of evil emerges, both subtle and robust, and capable of shedding light on the complex dynamics of human immorality.

Kant infamously claimed that all human beings, without exception, are evil by nature. This collection of essays critically examines and elucidates what he must have meant by this indictment. It shows the role which evil plays in his overall philosophical project and analyses its relation to individual autonomy. Furthermore, it explores the relevance of Kant's views for understanding contemporary questions such as crimes against humanity and moral reconstruction. Leading scholars in the field engage a wide range of sources from which a distinctly Kantian theory of evil emerges, both subtle and robust, and capable of shedding light on the complex dynamics of human immorality.

The goal of the series Rethinking Kant is to bear witness to the richness and vitality of Kantian studies in North America. The collection is unique in its kind, for it garners papers from a whole generation of Kantian thought, ranging from doctoral students and recent Ph.Ds, to up-and-coming young scholars, to some well-established and influential players in the field. This combination is designed to take the pulse of current Kantian scholarship in the U.S. and rethink its fundamentals. This is the second volume in the series. It contains papers from three regional study groups of the North American Kant Society. Contributions tackle some of the most important and controversial themes in Kant's philosophy: the relation between concepts and intuitions, Hume's influence on Kant, the strengths and weaknesses of moral constructivism, Kant's theory of moral feeling, the faultlines within Kant's political philosophy, the role of cosmopolitanism in moral progress, the systematic function of the Critique of Judgment, and Kant's alleged racism. Some critical, other exegetical or apologetic, these essays show a sustained effort to rethink Kant and explain his inescapable influence on contemporary philosophical debates.