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A 2001 reinterpretation of early modern German intellectual history, treating the civil and metaphysical philosophers as rival intellectual cultures.
List of contents
Preface; Acknowledgments; List of abbreviations and texts used; Note on conventions; Introduction; Part I. Rival Enlightenments: 1. University metaphysics; 2. Civil philosophy; Part II. Civil and Metaphysical Philosophy: 3. Leibniz' political metaphysics; 4. Pufendorf's civil philosophy; 5. Thomasius and the desacralisation of politics; 6. Kant and the preservation of metaphysics; Postscript: the kingdom of truth and the civil kingdom; List of references; Index.
About the author
Ian Hunter is a children's author who lives on the south coast of England, UK, with his partner and their two cheeky cats (aka writing mascots). He loves anything creative and can usually be found writing, planning an adventure holiday, or escaping to a fantasy world. Ian's debut novel, 'Fyn Carter and the Agents of Eromlos', was shortlisted in the Children's category for a Selfies Book Award 2025. He has many more stories to tell and is excited to share them with children and young-hearted adults like him everywhere.
Summary
Rival Enlightenments, first published in 2001, is a major reinterpretation of early modern German intellectual history. Ian Hunter treats the civil philosophy of Pufendorf and Thomasius and the metaphysical philosophy of Leibniz and Kant as rival intellectual cultures or paideiai. Combining careful scholarship with vivid polemic, Hunter presents insights for philosophers and historians alike.
