Essay The Critical Philosophy of Immanuel Kant - 2525 Words

The Critical Philosophy of Immanuel Kant Criticism is Kants original achievement; it identifies him as one of the greatest thinkers of mankind and as one of the most influential authors in contemporary philosophy. But it is important to understand what Kant means bycriticism, or critique. In a general sense the term refers to a general cultivation of reason by way of the secure path of science (Bxxx). More particularly, its use is not negative, but positive, a fact that finds expression in the famous expression, I have therefore found it necessary to deny knowledge to make room for faith (Bxxx). Correspondingly, its negative use consists in not allowing ones self to venture with speculative reason beyond the limits of†¦show more content†¦This interpenetration finds its expression in judgements that are a priori and yet synthetic, on the one hand, and yet synthetic and a priori on the other. Kant thought that he could attain this goal only by way of a changed point of view (Bxvi) referred to as a Copernician revolu tion. On the supposition, thus far considered valid, that all our knowledge must conform to objects (Bxvi), a priori judgements that enlarge Mans knowledge synthetically are impossible. Here, one needs the opposite assumption, according to which we suppose that objects must conform to our knowledge (Bxvi); only in this way we are able to have knowledge of objects a priori determining something in regard to them prior to their being given (ibid.) Consequently, we can know a priori of things only what we ourselves put into them (Bxviii); this means that the process of knowing a priori has to do only with appearances, and must leave the thing-in-itself as indeed real per se, but as not known by us (Bxx). Since, however, all of metaphysics aims at the thing-in-itself, speculative reason, by which, as had been said, we never transcend the limits of possible experience (Bxix), is unable to rise to the metaphysical level. Kants Critique of Knowledge Kant perfects his criticism of knowledge in the Critique of Pure Reason, which moves from transcendentalShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Immanuel Kants Arguements in The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals†542 Words   |  3 PagesControversies course textbook, Immanuel Kant argues that the view of the world and its laws is structured by human concepts and categories, and the rationale of it is the source of morality which depends upon belief in the existence of God. In Kant’s work, categorical imperative was established in order to have a standard rationale from where all moral requirements derive. Therefore, categorical imperative is an obligation to act morally, out of duty and good will alone. 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