Notes on Jones' Kant

(Originally Written April 30, 2006 in Book 3)

Kant & The 19th Century
W.T. Jones

18th Century Philosophers:
-optimistic
- 'Best of all possible worlds'
- 'Whatever is, is right'

Then optimism was shattered. The French Revolution produced Napoleon, the industrial revolution produce over-crowded urban centers and Hume destroyed the basis for knowledge.

Counter scientific movements began.

In steps Kant

Kant

Answers to Hume's critique and shows a priori knowledge of nature is possible, limit science's scope so faith is not squeezed out (two main goals).

Both were accomplished in Kant's "Copernican revolution" of the theory of knowledge.

Theory of Knowledge:

Minds are not contemplators of independent objects. The objects are constructs in which the activity of the mind plays an essential part.

Double thesis - 1) Since cognition includes construction things not in this constructive activity are unknowable. 2) There is a realm of reality that is inaccessible to human minds because they did not participate in its construction.

Post-Kantian philosophers have been either one of two things. Either they agreed with point 1 or point 2.

Why do I love Kant so much?

"[Schopenhauer] resenting - as most subsequent philosophers have - his (Kant's) elaborate, indeed compulsive architectonic, whereby everything is divided into threes and fours and categories and concepts are invented merely to satisfy Kant's craving for symmetry" (Tanner, 2).