The "Spirit" And the "Letter" of the Moral Law (I). Text and Commentary in the Hermeneutics of German Idealism Cover Image

„Duh“ i „slovo“ moralnog zakona. Tekst i komentar u hermeneutici nemačkog idealizma (I)
The "Spirit" And the "Letter" of the Moral Law (I). Text and Commentary in the Hermeneutics of German Idealism

Author(s): Vladimir Ž. Milisavljević
Subject(s): Philosophy
Published by: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju
Keywords: commentary; idealism; interpretation; letter; spirit; text

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to shed light on different aspects of the hermeneutical problem in post–Kantian philosophical “constellation”. In this domain, the problem of the relationship between the text and its commentary is theorized in terms of the antithesis between “Spirit” and “Letter”, which clearly has religious roots. Therefore, the first part of the paper examines the historical origins of this antithesis, as well as its application in philosophical discussions which developed by the end of the 18th century about the problem of finding the “true” interpretation to Kant’s philosophy. The second part of the text, which is to be published in the next issue of this review, brings the duality of spiritual and literal interpretation into closer connection with the topics of Kant’s moral philosophy.

  • Issue Year: 20/2009
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 143-158
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Serbian