Left-Kantianism in the Marburg School.

• Superior document: New Studies in the History and Historiography of Philosophy Series ; v.13
• Author: Widmer, Elisabeth Theresia.
• Place / Publishing House: Berlin/Boston : : Walter de Gruyter GmbH,, 2023.; ©2024.
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: New Studies in the History and Historiography of Philosophy Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (154 pages)
• Other title: Frontmatter --; Acknowledgments --; Contents --; Introduction: Marburg Left-Kantianism in Context --; 2 Friedrich Albert Lange's Left-Kantianism --; 3 Hermann Cohen's Embedded Account of Ethical Rationality --; 4 Cohen's Functionalist Critique of Capitalism --; 5 Stammler, Natorp, Cassirer --; 6 Summary and Conclusion --; Abbreviations --; Bibliography --; Index
• ISBN: 3111331849
• Hierarchical level: Monograph

Widmer sheds light on a neglected aspect of the Western philosophical tradition. Following an era of Hegelianism, the members of the neo-Kantian "Marburg School," such as Friedrich Albert Lange, Hermann Cohen, Rudolf Stammler, Paul Natorp, and Ernst Cassirer defended socialism or left-wing ideals on Kantian principles. In doing so, Widmer breaks with two mistaken assumptions. First, Widmer demonstrates that the left-Hegelian and Marxist traditions were not the only significant philosophical sources of socialist critique in nineteenth-century Germany, as the left-Kantians identified problems of normativity that the left-Hegelians could not adequately address. Second, Widmer challenges the prevailing assumption that the political philosophies developed in the Marburg School can be comprehensively characterized as a unified school of "ethical socialism." By showing that they varied fundamentally regarding their political views and their philosophical foundations of socialism, Widmer fills a gap in the studies of neo-Kantianism that is long overdue.