This book explores the powerful continuing influence of Spinoza's metaphysical thinking in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century German philosophy. George di Giovanni examines the ways in which Hegel's own metaphysics sought to meet the challenges posed by Spinoza's monism, not by disproving monism, but by rendering it moot.
The Vocation of Humankind, 1774 1800
Focusing on the transformative nature of Kant's critical philosophy, George di Giovanni explores how it reshaped modern thought. The work delves into the implications of Kant's ideas, highlighting their revolutionary impact on various fields of inquiry. Through a detailed analysis, di Giovanni emphasizes the significance of Kant's contributions to epistemology and metaphysics, illustrating how they challenge traditional perspectives and laid the groundwork for contemporary philosophical discourse.
The theologians of the late German Enlightenment saw in Kant's Critique of Pure Reason a new rational defence of their Christian faith. In fact, Kant's critical theory of meaning and moral law totally subverted the spirit of that faith. This challenging new study examines the contribution made by the Critique of Pure Reason to this change of meaning. George di Giovanni stresses the revolutionary character of Kant's critical thought but also reveals how this thought was being held hostage to unwarranted metaphysical assumptions that caused much confusion and rendered the First Critique vulnerable to being reabsorbed into modes of thought typical of Enlightenment popular philosophy. Amongst the striking features of this book are nuanced interpretations of Jacobi and Reinhold, a lucid exposition of Fichte's early thought, and a rare, detailed account of Enlightenment popular philosophy.