Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Material Reason and Formal Reason

As has been previously discussed, the pattern One-Becoming-Many can be characterized as Material Logic.  Accordingly, what can be called Material Reason is the source of such thinking.  So, one product of Material Reason is setting an example, which can be called 'Examplification'. Now, Examplification can also be analyzed as the universalization of personal behavior, and, thus, as in accord with the conditions of Kant's Categorical Imperative.  Nevertheless, even though he recognizes that Examplification is a dimension of a production of Genius, he still subordinates Genius to the Universalist condition of Taste.  More specifically, Taste consists in universal Pleasure, which is possible only as a response to the formal features of a product of Genius.  Thus, what is exposed in the purported conflict between Genius and Taste is a conflict between two kinds of Reason: Material and Formal.  Indeed, that what Kant calls 'Pure Reason' is actually Formal Reason is evident from his pervasive use of 'Form' throughout his system, plus, that his Pure Practical Reason is actually Practical Formal Reason is a focus of Hegel's criticism of Kantian Morality.  So, the introduction of the concept of Material Reason exposes this limitation of Kant's system.

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