Ernst Cassirer's Philosophy of Culture: An Economic Assessment of Scope and Limitations

Cassirer's philosophy of culture has been examined through various disciplines. Until now, however, no such assessment has taken place within the field of economics. In this paper, I attempt to develop this unexplored task through the economic concepts of commodity, money, capital, and culture. I argue that these concepts can help to draw an updated concept of capitalism and power relations created through capitalist planning. I also claim that these concepts can contribute to understanding the historical specificity of capitalist culture, by understanding it as an historical process of social production. I conclude that these concepts are able to defy Cassirer's view of capitalism as a system in which economic prosperity and political liberty could be achieved in a universal manner. Finally, I demonstrate that these concepts can shed light on Cassirer's failed quest to find a coherent universal culture within capitalism.

Automated summary

This paper examines Cassirer's philosophy of culture in the field of economics by exploring the economic concepts of commodity, money, capital, and culture. It argues that these concepts can help to understand the historical specificity of capitalist culture and challenge Cassirer's view of capitalism as a universal system. Ultimately, the paper concludes that these concepts shed light on Cassirer's failed quest to find a coherent universal culture within capitalism.