Spinoza, Kant, Practical Reason

Spinoza is typically classified as a 'Continental Rationalist', and taught in a sequence that also includes Descartes and Leibniz. For sure, Descartes influences Spinoza, and Spinoza influences Leibniz. However, what sharply distinguishes Spinoza from the other two is that his notion of 'Reason' is, more properly, 'Practical Reason', in which respect, his closer historical peer is, rather, Kant. Nevertheless, Kant's only reference to Spinoza in relation to Practical Reason does not appear until the Critique of Judgment--he rejects Spinoza's thesis that Virtue is its own reward. But, since Virtue for both means Rational conduct, Spinoza is, on this issue, the more consistent Rationalist, because he affirms, while Kant denies, that Reason is a sufficient Good. Otherwise, since it is generally accepted that Spinozist 'Reason' is only Theoretical, the Critique of Pure Reason is generally taken as an implicit critique of Spinozism. Furthermore, even qua Practical, Spinozist Reason seems to exemplify what Kant variously classifies as 'technical' or 'prudential', i. e. a mere means to personal non-rational ends, in contrast with 'moral', which alone for Kant qualifies as 'Pure Practical Reason'. On the other hand, Spinoza's assertion that "the good which each follower of virtue seeks for himself, he will desire also for others" expresses the same content as Kant's Principle of Pure Practical Reason, so Spinozist Reason is also 'moral' in the Kantian sense. Thus, Kant, but not Spinoza, draws a distinction between self-interested and impersonal Practical Reason, thereby implying a disagreement between the two as to the essence of Practical Reason. The ground of the disagreement is theological--for the Pantheist, natural and divine Practical Reason are one and the same, while for the Theist, they are not--so Kant, but not Spinoza needs to distinguish between supernatural Practical Reason from natural Practical Reason, as expressed in his distinctions between 'moral' and 'prudential', and 'categorical' and 'hypothetical', among others. Hence, Kant's most significant advance with respect to Spinoza on the topic is to formulate Practical Reason in imperatival terms.