Audiobook · read by volunteers
On the Popular Judgment: That may be Right in Theory, but does not Hold Good in the Praxis
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)
Read by D.E. Wittkower · 4 chapters · 2 h 12
About the book
Does a sound idea in theory always work in practice? Immanuel Kant takes on this old question in a three-part essay, asking whether what holds in principle can be set aside when reality gets in the way. He applies the question to ethics, to the state and to relations between nations, and he defends the thinker's right to speak for the common good. The essay was written for a wider public, and it shows a philosopher thinking about political life. In four short chapters, in a translation by John Richardson and read by a LibriVox volunteer, you can hear a classic argument unfold in about two hours. The writing is concise, the examples are concrete and the conclusions are daring. For anyone curious about how philosophy meets politics, it is a rewarding and accessible place to start.
Introduction
Immanuel Kant (1724 to 1804) spent his whole life in the Prussian city of Königsberg, where he taught philosophy and produced the works that changed European thought: the Critique of Pure Reason and its companions on ethics and judgment. Late in his career he also wrote shorter essays on politics and history, intended for a wider public, and this piece belongs to that group.
The essay is known under several titles, depending on the translator. It appears as On the Popular Judgment, On the Old Saw, or On the Common Saying. Whichever title is used, the subject is the relation between theory and practice, which Kant examines in three parts: in the field of morality, in politics within the state, and in the relations among states and peoples. His main claim is that a theory that fails in practice is usually an incomplete theory, and that the thinker is entitled to criticize what is done in practice.
This recording uses the translation by John Richardson, and is divided into four chapters, for a total of around two hours. It suits listeners who want a first taste of Kant's political philosophy without the heavy technical machinery of the great critiques. Ideas about duty, justice and the rights of citizens are presented in plain argument, and a modern reader will find much to discuss. The reading is careful, which helps with the long sentences. Kant also discusses the duties of rulers and the rights of the people, and the reader will notice how often he returns to the idea that public criticism is a service to the community. The essay remains a lively starting point for discussions of ethics and government.
Public domain
Immanuel Kant died in 1804: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text