A Commentary on Kant's Critique of Practical Reason (Phoenix Books) [Paperback]

Lewis White Beck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0226040755 | ISBN-13: 978-0226040752

When this work was first published in 1960, it immediately filled a void in Kantian scholarship. It was the first study entirely devoted to Kant's Critique of Practical Reason and by far the most substantial commentary on it ever written. This landmark in Western philosophical literature remains an indispensable aid to a complete understanding of Kant's philosophy for students and scholars alike.

This Critique is the only writing in which Kant weaves his thoughts on practical reason into a unified argument. Lewis White Beck offers a classic examination of this argument and expertly places it in the context of Kant's philosophy and of the moral philosophy of the eighteenth century.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226040755
• ISBN-13: 978-0226040752
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not an Easy Read, June 8, 2009

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Reader From Aurora - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Commentary on Kant's Critique of Practical Reason (Phoenix Books) (Paperback)

'A Commentary on Kant's Critique of Practical Reason' (CPR) by Lewis White Beck was originally published in 1960, and re released by Phoenix Books in 1996. For those unfamiliar with the author Beck is a well known and respected Kantian scholar.

The second of Kant's three critiques, CPR provides a detailed exposition of the great man's moral philosophy. Kant posits that `pure' practical reason is a superior guide to moral behavior than either practical or applied reason. While Kant's ethical writings serve as the foundation for much subsequent moral philosophy, CPR has spawned few detailed commentaries compared to Kant's other major works. While at first glance this situation may seem odd, it is in large part due the text's accessible nature and the popularity of Kant's other moral writings. With regard to accessibility, by Kantian standards, CPR is a clear and well written text, and, as such, the reader/student requires limited assistance. While on the latter point, the shorter `Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals' is often the entry point to Kant's moral writings.

While Beck's commentary is a welcome addition to Kantian scholarship it is less than ideal as a guide. Ironically, the author's style (arguably more opaque than Kant's translated German) is his biggest challenge. His cumbersome prose combined with an overuse of technical language results in a difficult read. Even being familiar with CPR, it was a hard, and often tedious, task attempting to understand Beck's arguments.

Overall, while not a bad book it is probably only for serious Kantians. The non-expert reader may find that reading CPR in conjunction with a good philosophical dictionary/encyclopedia (e.g. Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy or the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (on-line)) to be a more fruitful approach.

5.0 out of 5 stars A contrary position, February 1, 2012

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Michael - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Commentary on Kant's Critique of Practical Reason (Phoenix Books) (Paperback)

I am in the process of reading The Critique of Practical Reason and Beck's Commentary, and while I find the second Critique in some respects more difficult than I did the first, Beck's book is, for me, very helpful. I find his prose to be as clear as academic philosophical analysis of Kant can be (assuming clarity in that regard is possible, and it does seem to be in some cases), and on top of that it is very detailed and well annotated. Yes, it is an older commentary, but it still seems to be the best available commentary that is specific to the second Critique (although it's clear that one cannot grasp Kant's moral philosophy without understanding the Groundwork and at least the Metaphysics of Morals, and Beck recognized that). There are more recent commentaries on the Groundwork (Guyer's is excellent) and on Kant's moral philosophy as a whole, but I am very glad to be reading Beck's lucid, detailed work along with the second Critique. Highly recommended.