Single Idea 5296

[catalogued under 16. Persons / F. Free Will / 5. Against Free Will]

Full Idea

Kant made the materially motivated determinations of the will of the French bourgeois into pure self-determinations of the "free will", of the will in and for itself.

Clarification

The 'bourgois' are the middle classes

Gist of Idea

Kant made the political will into a pure self-determined "free" will

Source

report of Immanuel Kant (Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals [1785]) by K Marx / F Engels - The German Ideology §II

Book Reference

Marx,K./Engels,F.: 'The German Ideology', ed/tr. Arthur,C.J. [Lawrence and Wishart 1985], p.99


A Reaction

This is the social determinism of Marx and Engels. Most commentators would say that Kant was taking the idea of "free will" from religion rather than politics, but presumably Marx would merely reply "same thing!"