The Imperative

"... a more compelling reading of Kant than any I have ever seen." —David Farrell Krell

In this provocative book, Alphonso Lingis argues that not only our thought is governed by an imperative, as Kant had maintained, but, rather, our sensual, sensing, perceiving, and emotional life is continually regulated by imperatives that come to us from the world around us. Through a series of phenomenological sketches drawn from life experiences, Lingis shows that there are directives in the natural world and in our interactions with others that govern our thought and behavior.

"... a more compelling reading of Kant than any I have ever seen." — David Farrell Krell

In this provocative book, Alphonso Lingis argues that not only our thought is governed by an imperative, as Kant had maintained, but, rather, our sensual, sensing, perceiving, and emotional life is continually regulated by imperatives that come to us from the world around us. Through a series of phenomenological sketches drawn from life experiences, Lingis shows that there are directives in the natural world and in our interactions with others that govern our thought and behavior.

Alphonso Lingis is Professor of Philosophy at Pennsylvania State University. His publications include The Community of Those Who Have Nothing in Common, Abuses, and Foreign Bodies.