ABSTRACT
What makes a philosopher ‘great’? This chapter argues that, if the concept has any use, it should be influence of a philosopher (not actual influence) on later philosophy. A philosopher’s greatness in this sense often depends on misunderstandings of the philosopher’s thought. As applied to Kant’s moral philosophy, much of his greatness depends on such misunderstandings—some of them hostile, others charitable. But some of Kant’s greatness does depend on the actual content of his ideas, chiefly the idea that every human being has equal dignity.
