Kant and the epistemology of metaphysics
I argue in this thesis that the topic of Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason is an epistemology of metaphysics. This has important consequences for how the argumentative structure of the work should be understood. While the Critique constitutes an indispensable part of Kantâs philosophy in general and his ethics in particular, it is doubtful whether it is fully successful as it stands. In a footnote to his Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science Kant hints at an alternative argumentative strategy to establish the claims of the Critique, but he seems not to have developed this in the subsequent 2nd edition of the Critique. In this thesis I present a critical reconstruction of this alternative argumentative strategy applied to the central topics of the Transcendental Analytic. I claim that it is the aim of the Transcendental Analytic as a whole to provide a justification for the claim that pure concepts â Categories â are validly applied to objects of experience. Following Kantâs hint in the footnote to the Foundations, I argue that this can be established directly from an analysis of the forms of empirical judgements, and that claims about space and time as forms of intuition and considerations
Sundt-Ohlson, Eilert
Philosophy
Kant and the epistemology of metaphysics. I argue in this thesis that the topic of Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason is an epistemology of metaphysics. This has important consequences for how the argumentative structure of the work should be understood. While the Critique constitutes an indispensable part of Kantâs philosophy in general and his ethics in particular, it is doubtful whether it is fully successful as it stands. In a footnote to his Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science Kant hints at an alternative argumentative strategy to establish the claims of the Critique, but he seems not to have developed this in the subsequent 2nd edition of the Critique. In this thesis I present a critical reconstruction of this alternative argumentative strategy applied to the central topics of the Transcendental Analytic. I claim that it is the aim of the Transcendental Analytic as a whole to provide a justification for the claim that pure concepts â Categories â are validly applied to objects of experience. Following Kantâs hint in the footnote to the Foundations, I argue that this can be established directly from an analysis of the forms of empirical judgements, and that claims about space and time as forms of intuition and considerations
kant epistemology metaphysics argue topic kant critique pure reason epistemology metaphysics important consequence argumentative structure work understood critique constitute indispensable part kant_philosophy general ethic particular whether fully successful stand footnote metaphysical foundations natural_science kant hint alternative argumentative strategy establish claim critique seem developed subsequent edition critique present critical reconstruction alternative argumentative strategy applied central_topic transcendental analytic claim aim transcendental analytic whole provide justification claim pure concepts categories applied object experience following kant hint footnote foundations argue establish directly analysis form empirical judgement claim space_time form intuition consideration