A Secular Absolute: How Modern Philosophy Discovered Authenticity

by Ulrich Steinvorth

Overview

Premodern societies believed in something sacred that obliged unconditionally. Modern societies rely on fallible science. Do they also need something absolute, a secular sacred? Steinvorth analyzes the writings of modern philosophers who claim that there is an absolute norm: the norm to be rational and authentic. In his view, their claim is true if it is reinterpreted. The norm is not moral, as it was thought to be, but metaphysical, and authenticity is not self-realization, but doing things for their own sake.

In discussing the pros and cons of philosophical claims on absolutes, this book spreads out the rich pool of philosophical ideas and clarifies urgent contemporary questions about what can be demanded with universal validity. It argues this is not only the principle of justice, not to harm, but also a metaphysical principle by which to find meaning in life. Moreover, it points to some consequences this principle has in politics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783030350352
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	01/14/2020
Edition description:	1st ed. 2020
Pages:	278
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Ulrich Steinvorth is Professor Emeritus at the University of Hamburg, Germany.

Table of Contents

Chapter I: Introduction

1 Absolutes and naturalism

2 Why Kant, Hegel and Heidegger?

Chapter II: Kant’s Vernünftigkeit

3 The Categorical Imperative

4 Teleology

5 Kant on Copernicus

6 The transcendental deduction of a priori concepts

7 A conception of reason acceptable for both idealists and natuarlists

8 A conception of free will acceptable also for naturalists

9 Kant’s double heritage

Chapter III: Hegel’s Sittlichkeit

10 Historicizing mind and morality

11 The development of mind and morality

12 Authenticity and militarism

13 The spheres of absolute and objective mind

14 Sittlichkeit in Marx

15 Sittlichkeit in Weber

16 Hegel’s absolute

Chapter IV: Heidegger’s Eigentlichkeit

17 A first look at Heidegger’s authenticity

18 Nothing and authenticity

19 The voice of conscience

20 Science and philosophical method

21 Authenticity in antiquity and Montaigne

22 Rousseau and Kierkegaard

23 Another look at Heidegger’s authenticity

Chapter V: Reflections

24 Absolutes and transcendental justification

25 Moral and metaphysical norms

26 Weber spheres and the origin of rationality

27 World-exploration vs self-realization and world-constitution

28 Authenticity vs pleasure and power

29 Public concerns

30 A metaphysical argument for authenticity and justice

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“I have long argued in favor of philosophical work that is informed by modern cognitive science. Steinvorth’s use of dual-process theory to leverage his argument is just the type of scholarly development that I would like to encourage.”
–Keith E. Stanovich, Emeritus Professor, University of Toronto, Canada

“Is modern thought characterized by a rejection of the sacred? On the contrary, in this fascinating work, Ulrich Steinvorth shows that many leading modern philosophers have elevated a norm of authenticity to an absolute principle. Further, he provides a strong argument this is not a mistake. Perhaps reflecting on the nature of value and choice reveals our practical rationality does indeed presuppose the existence of absolute, transcendental values.”
–Jason Brannon, Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, USA