Kant’s Critique of Judgment is one of the most important texts in the history of modern aesthetics. This GuideBook discusses the Third Critique section by section, and introduces and assesses:
- Kant's life and the background of the Critique of Judgment
- the ideas and text of the Critique of Judgment, including a critical explanation of Kant’s theories of natural beauty
- the continuing relevance of Kant’s work to contemporary philosophy and aesthetics.
This GuideBook is an accessible introduction to a notoriously difficult work and will be essential reading for students of Kant and aesthetics.
Preface. Introduction 1. The Pleasure in Pure Beauty 2. The Sublime and the Infinite 3. The Fine Arts and Creative Genius 4. Beauty’s Confirmation of Science and Morality 5. Living Organisms, God and Intelligent Design. Conclusion: The Music of the Spheres and the Idealization of Reason
Biography
Robert Wicks is Associate Professor in Philosophy at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
'This is a superb treatment of Kant’s Third Critique in its entirety – in depth, in careful analysis...' – Donald W. Crawford, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
'The clarity of Wicks’s presentation and analysis will prove invaluable to all students and teachers of Kant’s text.' – Rachel Zuckert, Northwestern University, Illinois, USA
