Sovereign reason : autonomy and our interests of reason / Adam Cureton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cureton, Adam Steven, 1981- author.

Series:

Oxford scholarship online.

Oxford scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Reason--Philosophy.

Reason.

Autonomy (Philosophy).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (582 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2025]

Summary:

Explores the idea that our reason includes an expansive set of governing abilities, substantive motives, and substantive principles. It argues that this conception of reason is consistent with commonsense and Kantian ideas, and it discusses issues such as generosity, coercion, deception, and friendship.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Contents

1 Introduction: Reason and its Discontents

1.1 Reason in Reflective Common Sense: Abilities, Motives, and Principles of Reason

1.1.1 Abilities of Reason

1.1.2 Motives of Reason

1.1.3 Principles of Reason

1.2 Theories of Reason: Humean, Formalist, Kantian, and Rationalist

1.2.1 Humean Theories of Reason

1.2.2 Formalist Theories of Reason

1.2.3 Kantian Theories of Reason

1.2.4 Rationalist Theories of Reason

1.3 Reason in Theory and Practice: The Content Criterion

1.3.1 Refine Common Sense

1.3.2 Develop Theories of Reason

1.3.3 Assess Theories of Reason by Reflective Common Sense

1.4 Methods: Reflective Common Sense and Kant

1.4.1 Common Sense and Kant

1.4.2 The Kantian Tradition

1.5 Aims

1.5.1 Abilities of Reason

1.5.2 Motives of Reason

1.5.3 Principles of Reason

1.5.4 Kant

1.6 Limits

1.7 The Sovereignty Conception of Reason

1.7.1 Abilities of Reason

1.7.2 Motives of Reason

1.7.3 Principles of Reason

1.8 Structure

1.9 Final Remarks: Further Issues about my Approach to Kant

PART I BASIC FEATURES OF THE SOVEREIGNTY CONCEPTION OF REASON

2 Introduction to Part I

2.1 Four Questions: Subjects, Abilities, Motives, and Requirements of Autonomy

2.2 Sovereign Reason

2.3 Human Reason

2.4 Other Features of the Power of Reason

3 Scope of Rational Self-Governance

3.1 Powers of Mind: Abilities and Principles

3.2 A Partial Model of Human Powers of Mind: Sense, Imagination, Understanding, Judgment, Attention, Signification, Choice, Feeling, and Desire

3.2.1 Sense

3.2.2 Imagination

3.2.3 Understanding

3.2.4 Judgment

3.2.5 Attention

3.2.6 Signification

3.2.7 Choice

3.2.8 Feeling

3.2.9 Desire.

3.3 Some Connections among Human Powers of Mind

3.4 Final Remarks

4 Governing Abilities of Reason

4.1 Sovereignty: Governing Abilities

4.2 Legislative Abilities: Formulate, Issue, and Connect Incentives with Laws

4.2.1 Formulate Laws

4.2.2 Issue Laws

4.2.3 Connect Incentives with Laws

4.2.4 Illustrations of our Legislative Powers of Reason

4.2.4.1 Legislating a Moral Law of Reason

4.2.4.2 Legislating a Prudential Law of Reason

4.2.4.3 Legislating a Theoretical Law of Reason

4.3 Executive Abilities: Interpret, Apply, Enforce, and Police Laws

4.3.1 Interpret and Apply Laws

4.3.2 Enforce Laws

4.3.3 Police Laws

4.3.4 Illustrations of our Executive Powers of Reason

4.3.4.1 Executing a Moral Law of Reason

4.3.4.2 Executing a Prudential Law of Reason

4.3.4.3 Executing a Theoretical Law of Reason

4.4 Judicial Abilities: Establish Courts, Attribute and Impute Acts, Apply Laws, and Assign Consequences

4.4.1 Establish Courts

4.4.2 Attribute and Impute Acts

4.4.3 Apply Laws to Cases

4.4.4 Assign Consequences

4.4.5 Illustrations of our Judicial Powers of Reason

4.4.5.1 Adjudicating a Moral Law of Reason

4.4.5.2 Adjudicating a Prudential Law of Reason

4.4.5.3 Adjudicating a Theoretical Law of Reason

4.5 Final Remarks

5 Interests of Reason

5.1 Interests: Desires, Emotions, Feelings, Ends, and all Other Motives

5.2 Interests of a Mental Power: Interests that Arise from or are Part of a Power of Mind

5.2.1 Interests that Arise from a Mental Power

5.2.2 Interests that are Part of a Mental Power

5.3 Interests of Reason: Interests that Arise From or Are Part of the Power of Reason

5.3.1 Interests that Arise from the Power of Reason

5.3.2 Interests that are Part of the Power of Reason

5.3.3 Rational Interests and Interests of Reason.

5.4 Formal Interests of Reason: Interests in Governing Ourselves by Reason

5.5 Substantive Interests of Reason: Interests in Things Apart From Governing Ourselves by Reason

5.6 Final Remarks: Kant on Substantive Interests of Reason

6 Laws of Reason

6.1 The Autonomy Restriction: Laws of Reason Must Be Based Only in the Power of Reason

6.2 Laws of Reason: Principles that Are Constitutive of the Power of Reason

6.3 Formal Laws of Reason: Laws that Concern Consistency and Coherence within a Person

6.4 Substantive Laws of Reason: Laws that Do Not Only Concern Consistency and Coherence within a Person

6.5 The Abstract Principle of Justifiability: Generalizing the Categorical Imperative

6.6 An Interpretive Schema: The Sovereignty Conception of Reason's Partial Principle of Justifiability

6.6.1 Nature, Grounds, and Relation to Other Principles

6.6.2 Logical Form

6.6.3 Domain

6.6.4 Normative Status

6.6.5 Connection Between Normative Status and Justifiability

6.6.6 Object of Justifiability

6.6.7 Scope of Justifiability

6.6.8 Modality of Justifiability

6.6.9 Responses Required for Justifiability

6.6.10 Factors that Influence Responses

6.6.11 Criteria of Justifiability

6.7 Final Remarks

7 The Sovereignty of Reason

7.1 Autonomy: Governing All of our Mental Powers

7.2 Autonomy: Governing Ourselves by All Laws of Reason

7.3 Autonomy: Governing Ourselves through Interests of Reason

7.4 Comparisons: O'Neill, Hill, and Rawls

7.4.1 Onora O'Neill

7.4.2 Thomas E. Hill, Jr.

7.4.3 John Rawls

7.5 Final Remarks: Summary of the Sovereignty Conception of Reason

PART II APPLICATIONS OF THE SOVEREIGNTY CONCEPTION OF REASON

8 Introduction to Part II

8.1 Substantive Interests of Reason: Illustrations, Methods, and Limits

8.1.1 The Interests of Reason We Will Explore.

8.1.2 Methods

8.1.3 Limits

8.2 Laws of Reason and The Qualified Justifiability Argument: Illustrations, Methods, and Limits

8.2.1 The Qualified Justifiability Argument

8.2.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

8.2.3 Methods

8.2.4 Limits

8.3 Final Remarks

9 Explanation, Unity, Specificity, Affinity, and Harmony

9.1 Explanation: Interests and Laws of Reason

9.1.1 Interests of Reason

9.1.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

9.2 Unity: Interests and Laws of Reason

9.2.1 Interests of Reason

9.2.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

9.3 Specificity: Interests and Laws of Reason

9.3.1 Interests of Reason

9.3.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

9.4 Affinity: Interests and Laws of Reason

9.4.1 Interests of Reason

9.4.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

9.5 Harmony: Interests and Laws of Reason

9.5.1 Interests of Reason

9.5.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

9.6 Final Remarks: Systematic Unity and Harmony in an Ideally Rational World

10 Rational Nature

10.1 Rational Nature: Abilities, Interests, and Principles of the Power of Reason

10.2 Protecting Rational Nature: Interests and Laws of Reason

10.2.1 Interests of Reason

10.2.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

10.2.3 Conflicting Presumptions

10.3 Developing Rational Nature: Interests and Laws of Reason

10.3.1 Interests of Reason

10.3.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

10.3.3 Doubts about Perfecting Other People

10.4 Exercising Rational Nature: Interests and Laws of Reason

10.4.1 Interests of Reason

10.4.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

10.4.3 Conflicting Interests and Laws

10.5 Final Remarks: Creating Rational Nature

11 Knowledge, Error, and Enlightenment

11.1 Representing the Truth: Interests of Reason

11.1.1 Understanding

11.1.2 Insight

11.1.3 Knowledge

11.2 Minimizing Error: Interests of Reason.

11.3 Thinking for Oneself: Interests of Reason

11.4 Truth, Error, and Enlightenment: Laws of Reason

11.4.1 Presumptive Laws Concerning Ourselves

11.4.2 Presumptive Laws Concerning Others

11.4.3 Presumptive Laws Concerning Freedom of Thought

11.4.4 Presumptive Laws Concerning Communication

11.5 Final Remarks: Conflicts

12 Freedoms

12.1 Negative Freedom: Interests and Laws of Reason

12.1.1 Interests of Reason

12.1.2 Developing the Power of Choice

12.1.3 Impairing the Power of Choice

12.1.4 Using the Power of Choice

12.2 Motivational Freedom: Interests and Laws of Reason

12.2.1 Interests of Reason

12.2.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

12.3 Deliberative Freedom: Interests and Laws of Reason

12.3.1 Interests of Reason

12.3.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

12.4 Freedom of Action: Interests and Laws of Reason

12.4.1 Interests of Reason

12.4.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

12.5 Character Freedom: Interests and Laws of Reason

12.5.1 Interests of Reason

12.5.2 Presumptive Laws of Reason

12.6 Final Remarks: Sovereign Freedom

13 Happiness

13.1 Happiness

13.1.1 Choosing our Conception of Happiness

13.1.2 Ingredients of our Conception of Happiness

13.1.3 Defining our Conception of Happiness

13.1.4 Happiness of Human Beings

13.2 Specifying our Conceptions of Happiness: Interests and Laws of Reason

13.3 Promoting the Happiness of Everyone: Interests and Laws of Reason

13.3.1 Ends of Happiness

13.3.2 Promoting Happiness

13.3.3 Right to Pursue Happiness

13.3.4 Avoiding Needs

13.3.5 Harmonize our Happiness with the Happiness of Others

13.3.6 Other Presumptive Laws of Reason

13.4 Further Issues about Promoting the Happiness of Everyone

13.4.1 Utilitarianism

13.4.2 Immoral Conceptions of Happiness

13.4.3 Promoting Our Own Happiness.

13.4.4 Maximizing Happiness.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on January 17, 2025).

ISBN:

0-19-196025-X

0-19-269427-8

OCLC:

1484918739