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Rating: 
Summary: A must read for serious scholars of 3rd Critique
Review: Allison's book provides a wealth of interesting and semi-interesting arguments on the Critique of Aesthetic Judgment. The book is important in engaging with Guyer and the tradition of analytic aesthetics. It responds to many of the lacunas in Guyer's *Kant's Theory of Taste*, particularly as regards the status of judgments of taste as reflective. However, Allison by no means goes far enough in explaining the import of this status. Those interested in the 3rd Critique are adivsed to get Makkreel's much more readable work if they wish to understand the reflective character of aesthetic judgments, including their contribution to reflective interpretation. Also, Allison at times goes too far in attacking Guyer, leaving Guyer able to readily deal with many of Allison's points, and thereby continue his own critique of Kant.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Overview of K's CPJ
Review: The standard texts on this topic are by Guyer, Barnham, Crawford, and Ginsborg (dissertation). The Guyer text is thorough and rigorous--a quite careful reading and interpretation of the Third Critique--I recommend it along with Allison's recent work. (Allison and Guyer sometimes disagree on important points....) Allison is an astute and keen defender of Kant (see his Transcendental Idealism/Yale UP). This new book is aptly in line with his best scholarship and cautious reading. I highly recommend it. Allison's text is divided into four parts. First, he deals with Kant's "Conception of Reflective Judgment," whereby I recommend that you also review B. Longuenesse's book on judgment (Princeton UP). Allison's interpretation here differs from L's, and he clearly states how his view is unique, as well as a more balanced comprehension of the conncetion between the reflective judgment of taste and the epistemic role of reflection. I daresay, the second part of the book is the most important (Chs. 3-8); it deals with the quid facti/quid juris distinction in the domain of taste. Chs. 6-8 are quite useful, especially ch. 8, which is on "the Deduction of Pure Judgments of Taste." An understanding of this material is crucial to a more certain grasp of K's Third Critique. Part 3 deals with the connection between judgments of taste and moral judgments. Ch. 10 discusses the mirror-like connection between 'duty' and pure 'aesthetic judgments.' Part 4 discusses genius and K's notions on sublimity. For specific coverage on this topic, see Crowther on the Kantian Sublime (Oxford UP) in conjunction with this chapter.
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