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While watching CNN this morning, I heard an excerpt from the speech given by President Obama at his first state dinner. What immediately caught my attention was the fact that Obama seemed to have quoted Immanuel Kant:
While it would be rather too much to claim that Obama is a Kantian based on this one phrase, it is certainly interesting.
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Four points occur to me:
1/ the quote is a corruption of what Kant actually said, viz:
“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing wonder and awe: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.”
2/ Does he write his own speeches?
3/ Did he know it was derived from Kant?
4/ If he does not know he is quoting a philosopher then it is purely accidental.
Could there be some worry here if he is going to base his judgements on Kant’s recommendations for moral behaviour? There could be a problem for a politician so far as mendacity is concerned, in this connection.
Interestingly, there is supposed to be an Indian proverb that says “The most beautiful things in the universe are the starry heavens above us and the feeling of duty within us.” So, perhaps he was not actually paraphrasing Kant, but simply quoting this proverb.
When arguing for his categorical imperative, Kant asserts that “I am never to act otherwise than so that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law” and offers as proof that ” the common reason of men perfectly coincides with this.” Perhaps the fact that his view of the starry heavens and duty is also expressed in an Indian proverb indicates that he is right about this. Or that he happened to hear the proverb. :) It would be interesting if Kant were influenced by this proverb.
It makes sense that this would be an Indian proverb, rather than a Kant quote, since he was hosting the Indian Prime Minister.
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Outside the scripted events Obama is halting and stilted. Can he have had much time to read philosophy? His speeches are mostly uplift ie.hot air. The curious silence about him from the liberal blogs betokens a sinking feeling I think.
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Are we not all influenced through our sense’s..