Kant's Observations and Remarks

Kant''s Observations of 1764 and Remarks of 17645 (a set of fragments written in the margins of his copy of the Observations) document a crucial turning point in his life and thought. Both reveal the growing importance for him of ethics anthropology and politics but with an important difference. The Observations attempts to observe human nature directly. The Remarks by contrast reveals a revolution in Kant''s thinking largely inspired by Rousseau who ''turned him around'' by disclosing to Kant the idea of a ''state of freedom'' (modelled on the state of nature) as a touchstone for his thinking. This and related thoughts anticipate such famous later doctrines as the categorical imperative. This collection of essays by leading Kant scholars illuminates the many and varied topics within these two rich works including the emerging relations between theory and practice ethics and anthropology men and women philosophy history and the ''rights of man''.