L’accezione kantiana di Bestimmung des Menschen e la sua prima ricezione (1784-1793)

The Kantian view of the vocation of man ("Bestimmung des Menschen") is an important step within the German reflection on man and his role in the world. The historical perspective Kant chooses in his essays of the 1780’s introduces new elements in a wider debate, that begins in the middle of the century and is independent of the transcendental revolution. The problem that Kant addresses by using the expression "Bestimmung des Menschen" is one the common attention was paid to long before the publication of the "Kritik der reinen Vernunft". In this way, Kant deals with a concept that other, precritical philosophers had already dealt with. The aim of this essay is to show that the precritical genesis of the "Bestimmung des Menschen" influences the reception of its Kantian version. The Kantian essays of the 1780’s are read, discussed and accepted by authors, that are not in the same moment or in the same way interested in the transcendentental point of view.