Kant on historiography and the use of regulative ideas.
In this paper, I examine Kant's methodological remarks in the 'Idea for a universal history' against the background of the Critique of pure reason. I argue that Kant's approach to the function of regulative ideas of human history as a whole may still be fruitful. This approach allows for regulative ideas that are grand in scope, but modest and fallibilistic in their epistemic status. Kant's methodological analysis should be distinguished from the specific teleological model of history he developed on its basis, however, because this model can no longer be appropriated for current purposes.
Kleingeld
Pauline
P
Institute for Philosophy, P.O. Box 9515, 2300 RA Leiden, Leiden University, The Netherlands. p.kleingeld@let.leidenuniv.nl
D028663:Ethical Theory; D006663:Historiography; D049671:History, 18th Century; D040821:Human Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D010684:Philosophy / Q000266:history*