The seminar will be held at the Open University\u2019s campus at Walton Hall, in meeting room 5, Wilson A, from 2pm \u2013 4pm, Wed 1 March 2017.<\/p>\n
Professor Stella Sandford (Kingston University)\u00a0<\/strong>\u2018Kant, Teleology and Natural History: \u201cRace\u201d in the Critique of Pure Reason\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Abstract: As the fact and the nature of Kant\u2019s controversial essays on race become better known, the question of their relationship to his major philosophical works is extremely vexing. Starting with the critical philosophy, and recognising the application of aspects of it in the essays on race, still allows, in principle, for their separation, isolating and marginalizing the topic of \u2018race\u2019 in Kant\u2019s oeuvre. Starting instead with Kant\u2019s \u2018natural history of the human races\u2019, this talk will suggest that there are ways in which Kant\u2019s work on race may be more tightly woven into the critical philosophy that has hitherto been recognized, giving aspects of the critical philosophy \u2013 specifically Kant\u2019s philosophical claims concerning the necessity of teleological judgement in both the Critique of Pure Reason<\/em> and the Critique of the Power of Judgement<\/em> \u2013 its lead, and perhaps even its practical motivation. Although this does not mean that the critical philosophy is hopelessly compromised (study of it will remain important and productive), this does mean that the place of \u2018race\u2019 in Kant\u2019s oeuvre will need to be reconsidered.<\/p>\n