Debates about unity have played a prominent role in philosophy. They appear in many guises, for instance, as questions about the unity of nature, the unity of knowledge and science, and the unity of human action.
An important background to questions such as these can be traced back to Immanuel Kant and the post-Kantian philosophers. According to Kant, human reasoning is intrinsically unity-seeking. The unity of nature, knowledge and action, insofar as it can be achieved at all, is grounded in the unifying activity of the rational agent. Kant’s conception has been the starting point for many thinkers ever since. From Fichte, Schelling, Hegel and the German Romantics to the neo-Kantians, the search for unity, and the attempt to make sense of this search, have become central tasks of philosophy. According to these thinkers, to understand the universe and ourselves, our scientific aspirations and our moral-political ambitions, we need to shed light on the central role the idea of unity plays in our theoretical and practical endeavours.
The aim of this network is to examine these conceptions of unity as well as their limitations. To do so, we focus on three sets of questions:
The DAAD Network on German philosophy provides an international platform for the exploration of these questions. Led by Angela Breitenbach, it brings together researchers in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge with core network partners and other experts from around the globe. In two workshops and a final conference, to take place in 2016 through 2018, we will examine conceptions of unity in German philosophy and their lasting impact on contemporary philosophy.
The network is supported by the DAAD Cambridge Research Hub with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office.
An important background to questions such as these can be traced back to Immanuel Kant and the post-Kantian philosophers. According to Kant, human reasoning is intrinsically unity-seeking. The unity of nature, knowledge and action, insofar as it can be achieved at all, is grounded in the unifying activity of the rational agent. Kant’s conception has been the starting point for many thinkers ever since. From Fichte, Schelling, Hegel and the German Romantics to the neo-Kantians, the search for unity, and the attempt to make sense of this search, have become central tasks of philosophy. According to these thinkers, to understand the universe and ourselves, our scientific aspirations and our moral-political ambitions, we need to shed light on the central role the idea of unity plays in our theoretical and practical endeavours.
The aim of this network is to examine these conceptions of unity as well as their limitations. To do so, we focus on three sets of questions:
- What are the conceptions of unity employed by Kant and the post-Kantians? Do these philosophers present one coherent notion, or do they propose different models of unity?
- What role can these conceptions of unity legitimately play in philosophy? Can they be justified in the face of the apparent disunity of the world, our knowledge, and actions?
- What are the implications for philosophical discussions today? Can historical insights shed light on current disputes about unity and disunity?
The DAAD Network on German philosophy provides an international platform for the exploration of these questions. Led by Angela Breitenbach, it brings together researchers in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge with core network partners and other experts from around the globe. In two workshops and a final conference, to take place in 2016 through 2018, we will examine conceptions of unity in German philosophy and their lasting impact on contemporary philosophy.
The network is supported by the DAAD Cambridge Research Hub with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office.