Abstract

This is a marvelous book. Langton offers a fresh interpretation of Kant, the main tenets of which she states in a few bold propositions and then goes on to elaborate with great clarity and care. She supports her interpretation with a wealth of citations accompanied by insightful commentary. The “Humility” of her title is the thesis that we can have no knowledge of the intrinsic properties of things, which is Langton’s gloss on the Kantian slogan that we can have no knowledge of things as they are in themselves. The central argument she finds in Kant for this thesis proceeds from premises to which I believe many contemporary philosophers would give their assent. It is therefore an argument to which we should give careful consideration.