The New School
Fall Semester 1999
Society and Culture 0461
This is a brief exercise in the critical analysis of a philosophical position. I want you to reconstruct in your own words the general position attributed to Kant in the section entitled "Kant's Systematic Restatement: Liberal Humanism as Critical Rationalism", and offer your own critical response to Kant's position.
Keep your summary brief. You don't need to discuss every detail of Kant's view or examine every premise. Instead, focus on one or two of the more problematic aspects of his position and explore them in some depth. Two or three pages is sufficient to summarize his stance and to offer your brief critique.
Be sure to read carefully the handouts entitled "Critical Response" and "What is an argument?" in preparation for this exercise. If you have questions about the nature of an argument or the critical analysis of a text, please let me know.
All papers must be typed. You will be graded on the form and content of your paper, so pay close attention to both appearance and grammar. All papers must be double-spaced with one-inch margins with the appropriate endnotes or footnotes (as you prefer). If you need additional instructions or guidelines, see me.