Habermas on the Hegelian Critique of Kant

Abstract

In my paper I will point out that Habermas’ interpretation of the Hegelian critique of Kant’s moral philosophy (laid out in an essay titled “Does Hegel's Critique of Kant Apply to Discourse Ethics?”) is misleading: Hegel actually has a more favourable opinion of the Kantian practical reason than Habermas himself. Habermas argues that the Sollen ignores its current normative and institutional environment (forms of order of objective spirit) and that the Kantian justification process of norms is monological. I will refute these claims. I will clear up that the insights that Habermas identifies as the most relevant moments in the discourse-ethical surpassing of the categorical imperative are already implied in Kant’s political ethics.