Bringing representations to distinctness : German Rationalist method, the Critical Philosophy, and the case in the Appendix
The so-called âamphibolyâ section of Kantâs Critique of Pure Reason is a section that has remained relatively understudied in commentaries and literature on the Critique. In this brief appendix to the Transcendental Analytic, Kant puts forward a charge against his German Rationalist heritage â the philosophical tradition of Leibniz, Wolf, Baumgarten â claiming for this heritage the error of an âamphiboly of the concepts of reflectionâ. When the precise nature of this charge is appreciated, it is possible to see that both the recognition of the error and the identifcation of its correction play a crucial role in the Critical philosophy itself. In this study, it is my aim to bring to light certain signifcant details of Kantâs case in the appendix and the crucial ways in which these play a subsequent role in the Critique itself. The study begins with an examination of the case in the appendix, focussing on what I take to be a crucial line of reasoning found in its introductory passages. Thereafter, the study divides broadly into two parts. In the frst part, I examine the line of reasoning insofar as it concerns a claimed error in the German Rationalist tradition. I show that the error is to be
Robertson, Helen Sarah
Bringing representations to distinctness : German Rationalist method, the Critical Philosophy, and the case in the Appendix. The so-called âamphibolyâ section of Kantâs Critique of Pure Reason is a section that has remained relatively understudied in commentaries and literature on the Critique. In this brief appendix to the Transcendental Analytic, Kant puts forward a charge against his German Rationalist heritage â the philosophical tradition of Leibniz, Wolf, Baumgarten â claiming for this heritage the error of an âamphiboly of the concepts of reflectionâ. When the precise nature of this charge is appreciated, it is possible to see that both the recognition of the error and the identifcation of its correction play a crucial role in the Critical philosophy itself. In this study, it is my aim to bring to light certain signifcant details of Kantâs case in the appendix and the crucial ways in which these play a subsequent role in the Critique itself. The study begins with an examination of the case in the appendix, focussing on what I take to be a crucial line of reasoning found in its introductory passages. Thereafter, the study divides broadly into two parts. In the frst part, I examine the line of reasoning insofar as it concerns a claimed error in the German Rationalist tradition. I show that the error is to be
bringing representation german rationalist method critical_philosophy case appendix so_called section kant critique_pure_reason section remain_relatively understudied commentary literature critique brief appendix transcendental analytic kant put_forward charge german rationalist heritage philosophical_tradition leibniz claim heritage error concept reflection precise_nature charge appreciate possible_see recognition error correction play_crucial_role critical_philosophy itself study aim_bring light certain detail kant case appendix crucial way play subsequent role critique itself study begin_examination case appendix focus take crucial line reason find introductory passage thereafter study_divide broadly two_part part_examine line reason insofar concern claim error german rationalist tradition show error