NOTES ON KANT’S CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON



Notes on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason

PHIL 202: Modern Philosophy / Tim Black / Fall 2008

California State University, Northridge

Metaphysics

1. “Metaphysics is speculative cognition by reason that is wholly isolated and rises entirely above being instructed by experience” (p. 7).

2. Metaphysics is not yet on “the secure path of a science.”

3. Kant proposes a revolution (see p. 9): “If our intuition had to conform to the

character of its objects, then I do not see how we could know anything a priori about that character. But I can quite readily conceive of this possibility if the object (as object of the senses) conforms to the character of our power of intuition.”

Things in Themselves and Things as Appearances

1. Things in themselves are things as they are outside of and independently of human

sensibility.

2. Things as appearances are things as they are in and for human sensibility.

A Priori & A Posteriori

1. A priori cognitions are “those that occur absolutely independently of experience”

(p. 15).

2. Otherwise, a cognition is an a posteriori one.

Analytic & Synthetic

1. Analytic judgments are those in which “the predicate B belongs to the subject A

as something that is (covertly) contained in this concept A” (p. 16).

2. Synthetic judgments are those in which the concept “B, though connected with

concept A, lies quite outside it” (p. 16). These judgments include experiential judgments (e.g., Everything that happens has its cause) and mathematical judgments (e.g., 7 + 5 = 12).

How is synthetic a priori knowledge possible?

Independent of experience Not independent of experience

|Within a concept |Analytic |X |

| |a priori | |

|Beyond a concept |Synthetic |Synthetic |

| |a priori |a posteriori |

Short answer: Since “objects (as objects of the senses) conform to the character of our

power of intuition,” we can learn things about the nature and character of the world by examining our minds and, in particular, by examining the form of appearances.

Transcendental Aesthetic: The science of all principles of a priori sensibility.

Mind’s operations

Sensibility Not sensibility

Sensation Pure Intuition

(A posteriori) (a priori)

[the mere form of

appearance]

Transcendental Aesthetic

Two Forms of Sensible Intuitions (Pure Forms of Sensibility)

1. Space

A. Space is an a priori form of appearance; an a priori intuition (see p. 30).

B. Space is not an empirical concept abstracted from outer experiences. Rather, it is

a precondition of outer experiences, the condition for the possibility of outer experiences.

C. The concept of space underlies all—but only—the objects of outer experience (or

outer appearances).

D. Space is not a property of things in themselves or a relation between things in

themselves (see p. 31). That is, space is transcendentally ideal.

E. Space is not a property of things as appearances (see p. 31). That is, space is

empirically real.

2. Time

A. Time is an a priori form of appearance; an a priori intuition.

B. Time is not an empirical concept abstracted from outer experiences. Rather, it is a

precondition of experiences, the condition for the possibility of experiences.

C. The concept of time underlies all the objects of experience, whether outer

experience or inner experience.

D. Time is not a property of things in themselves or a relation between things in

themselves. That is, time is transcendentally ideal.

E. Time is not a property of things as appearances. That is, time is empirically real.

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