Call for papers
Kant’s Philosophical Context: Mendelssohn, Lessing, and the Enlightenment
For Kant, Mendelssohn’s philosophy represents the “final legacy” of dogmatic metaphysics and simultaneously its “most perfect accomplishment” (AA 10: 428–9): Thus, Mendelssohn embodies the culmination of a school condemned to obsolescence. Such assessments by Kant about preceding authors were pivotal in shaping the narratives that became dominant in the history of modern philosophy. Recently, notable efforts have been made to expand, rethink, and rewrite the understanding of this history beyond the canonical accounts focused on what Kant termed the “Copernican revolution in philosophy.” This dossier aims to contribute to these historiographical lines by offering articles on Mendelssohn and Lessing, two of the most influential figures of the Enlightenment that, being seen as figures of the “dogmatic era,” were overshadowed by Kant.