1\11^ \1
^1!|A`i\`
J1!`1JJ 1\1 J1J
IaHL aHC
Lc ICc C
NcLaCV5IC5
Studics in Contincntal Thouzht
CENERAL EDITR
C H SL L I S
CNS1 INC EDITRS
Robcrt crnasconi
Rudoll crnct
ohn . Caputo
avid Carr
Ldward S. Cascy
Hubcrt L. rcy|us
on Ihdc
avidFarrclI KrcII
Villiam L. Mcridc
. . Mohanty
Mary RawIinson
Tom Rockmorc
CaIvin . Schraz
Rcincr Schrmann
Charlcs L. Scott
Thomas Shcchan
Lcnorc nzsdor| Robcrt Sokolowski
lphonso Linzis rucc N Vilshirc
avid Vood
3IlIu MCIUCyCI
Knt and
thc oblcm o
Mctaphysics
|.(| |1..a. |a|..1
JV1^'i1J1i D
IChaIC 1aL
Indiana Lnivcrsity Ircss
111 11J 11J11111
I0D8I8lIDR D lDIS DDK W8S 8I000 DV 9I8RlS Dm lD0 ID9I8m DI I8RS8lIDRS D lD0 P8lIDR8
R0DWm0Rl DI lD0 Mum8RIlI0S, 8R IR00DR00Rl 000I8 890RCV, 8R0 fDm Rl0I P8lIDR0S.
uDISD00 IR L0Im8R 8S w | JwrrJ9|+w J+r+|wvr|. tIIRl0, V0Im0DIl0 Pu890, 1VV1
1VJ3 DV NIllDIID DSl0Im8RR, tI8RKuIl 8m N8IR.
DIS DDDK IS 8 DuDIC8lIDR D
R0I8R8 1RIV0ISIlV I0SS
1 PDIlD NDIlDR blI00l
lDDmIR9lDR, R0I8R8 +J++-3JVJ 1bP
DllD.HIuDI0SS.IR0I8R8.00u
+| +J+JrJ+rr U-+Z-JV
JrJ+rr 1Z-33-JV31
rJ+rr9v+ww|| IuDDI00IWIR0I8R8.00u
1VV, 1VVJ DV R0I8R8 1RIV0ISIlV I0SS
P II9DlS I0S0IV00
PD D8Il D lDIS DDDK m8V I0DID0uC00 DI ulIIZ00 IR 8RV DIm DI DV 8RV m08RS, 00ClIDRIC DI
m0CD8RIC8, IRCu0IR9 DDDlDDDVIR9 8R0 I0CDI0IR9, DI DV 8RV IRDIm8lIDR SlDI890 8R0 I0UI0V8
SVSl0m, WIlDDul D0ImISSIDR IR WIIlIR9 Dm lD0 DuDISD0I. D0 PSSDCI8lIDR D Pm0IIC8R 1RIV0ISIlV
I0SS0S b0SDulIDR DR 0ImISSIDRS CDRSlIlul0S lD0 DRlV 0XC0DlIDR lD lDIS DIDDIDIlIDR.
D0 D8D0I uS00 IR lDIS DuDIC8lIDR m00lS lD0 mIRImum I00uII0m0RlS D Pm0IIC8R P8lIDR8 bl8R08I0
DI RDIm8lIDR bCI0RC0S~0Im8R0RC0 D 8D0I DI IIRl00 IDI8IV N8l0II8S, PPb Z3V.+-1V+.
N8Ru8CluI00 IR lD0 1RIl00 bl8l0S D Pm0IIC8
Library of Cong~ss Catalogng-in-Pblication Data
M0I00990I, N8IlIR 1V~1VJ
8Rl uR0 08S IDD0m 00I N0l8DDVSIK. R9ISD|
8Rl 8R0 lD0 DIDD0m D m0l8DDVSICS N8IlIR M0I00990I . U8RS8l00 DV bICD8I0 8l. 3lD 00.
0R8I900.
D. Cm. ~ lblu0I0S IR LDRlIR0Rl8 lDDu9Dl)
RCu00S DIDID9I8DDIC8 I00I0RC0S.
bP-13` VJ--Z33-33ZJ-V 8K. D8D0I).
bP-13. VJ--Z33-Z1J- DDK.. 8lK. D8D0I)
1. 8Rl, mm8Ru0, 1JZ+1+~LDRlIIDulIDRS IR m0l8DDVSICS. Z. N0l8DDVSICS. . Il0.
. b0II0S.
ZJVV.N3t3313 1VVJ
1`.VZ-~CZ1 V-+Z3
3 J V 3 1Z || 1 V
LODlCDlS
TRANSLATR S NTRD1 CTIN TTHE FITH EDITIN ix
TRANSTRS INTRD1CTIN T THE F1 RTH EDITIN xi
REFERENCES T VRKS F KANT AND HE D ECCER xv
FREFACE T THE F1RTH EDITIN xvii
FREFACES T THE FIRST, SECN , AND THIRD EDTlNS xix
Introducton
Thc Thcmc and Structurc o[ thc Invcstgaton !
cuo]cld|ogc] t|c|dcac] aFuodamcotal Dotclc t|rcug| t|c|otcrctat|co
c] t|cCritiquc o|urc Rcason asala,|ogc] t|cgrcuod]crMctap|,s|cs
FAR1 NE
Thc Startng Pont [or thc Layng o[ thc Ctound [or Mctaphyscs J-! 2
h 1 . Thc TradonaI Conccpt o[ Mctaphyscs J
h Z. Thc Pont o[ Dcparturc [or thc Layng o[ thc Cround [or
TradtonaI Mctaphyscs
h J. Thc Layng o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphyscs as Crtquc o[ Purc
Rcason" 9
FAR1 1
Cart|ng Dut thc Layng o[ thc Cmund [or Mctaphyscs ! J-BB
A. THECHARACTERIATIN F THEDIMENSINF C NC-ACK |NEEDED
FRCARRY INC 1TTHE LAYINCFTHE CR1ND FRMETAFHYS CS !
I . THEESSENT AL CHARACTERISTICS F THE FIELD F RICN !
h 1. Thc Lsscncc o[ KnowIcdgc n CcncraI !
h . Thc Lsscncc o[ thc Fntudc o[ KnowIcdgc ! B
h . Thc Cround [or thc Sourcc o[ thc Layng o[ thc Cmund [or
Mctaphyscs
2
Cn|cn|s
II. THE MANNER FNVEILINC THE RICIN
h 7. Thc DutInc o[ thc Stagcs n thc Layng o[ thc Cround
[or DntoIog
h 8. Thc Mcthod [or RcvcaIng thc Drgn
. THE STACES F CARRY INCT THE FR ECTIN F THE INNER
FSSIILITY F NTLCY
THE FIRST STACE IN THE CRND-Y INC THE ESSENTIALELEMENTS
F F RE KNVLEDCE
A) FRE INTITIN IN FINITE KNVINC
h 9. Thc LIucdaton o[ Spacc and Tmc as Purc Intutons
h 1 . Tmc as thc UnvcrsaI Purc Intuton
) FRE THINKINC IN FINITE KNVINC
h1 1 . Thc Purc Conccpt o[ Undcrstandng |Noton}
h1Z. Notons as DntoIogcaI Prcdcatcs |Catcgorcs}
THE SECND STACE F THE CRND-LAY INC
2
2
2B
JJ
JJ
J I
JI
J
J
J
J9
THE ESSENTIAL NITY F FRE KNVLEDCE I
h13. Thc Ducston Conccmng thc LsscntaI Unty o[ Purc KnowIcdgc 2
h1 1. Thc DntoIogcaI Synthcss J
h1. Thc PmbIcm o[ thc Catcgorcs and thc RoIc o[
TransccndcntaI Logc
THE THIRD STACE F THE CRNDLAY INC. THE INNER FSSIILITY
F THE ESSENTIAL NITY F NTLCICAL SYNTHESIS
h1. Thc LIucdaton o[ thc Transccndcncc o[ Fntc Rcason
as 8asc Intcnton o[ thc TransccndcntaI Dcducton
h17. Thc Two Ways o[ thc TransccndcntaI Dcducton
a} Thc Frst Way
b} Thc Sccond Way
h18. Thc ItcmaI Form o[ thc TransccndcntaI Dcducton
THE FRH STACEFTHE CRND-LAYINC. THE CRND
FRTHE INNERFSSIILITY FNTLCICA KNVLEDCE
h1 9. Transccndcncc and Makng-ScnsbIc
hZ. Imagc and Schcma
hZ1 . Schcma and Schcma-Imagc
hZZ. Thc TransccndcntaI Schcmatsm
hZ3. Schcmatsm and Subsumpton
B
DJ
DJ
DD
D7
J
2
J
D
B
72
77
Con|cn|s VII
THE FIFTH STACE FTHE CRNDAY INC THE FLLESSENTIAL
DETERMINATIN FNLCCALKNVLEDCE BJ
hZ1. Thc Hghcst Synthctc PrncpIc us thc FuII Dctcrmnuton
o[ thc Lsscncc o[ Trunsccndcncc B !
hZ. Trunsccndcncc us thc Luyng o[ thc Cmund [or
Mctaphvsica Gcncralis BD
FAR1 1HREE
Thc Luyng o[ thc Cround [or Mctuphyscs n Its DrgnuIty
A. THE EXFLICIT CHARACTERIATIN F THE CRNDAID
INTHECRNDYINC
hZ. Thc Formutvc Ccntcr o[ DntoIogcuI KnowIcdgc
us TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton
hZ7. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton us thc
Thrd 8usc FucuIty
. THETRANSCENDENTAL FVER F IMACINATIN AS
B9- !2
B9
B9
9
RT FTHSTEMS 97
hZ8. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton und Purc Intuton 99
hZ9. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton und
ThcorctcuI Rcuson ! J2
h3. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton und PructcuI Rcuson ! J9
h31. Thc DrgnuIty o[ thc PrcvousIy Lud Cround und Kunt\
Shrnkng-8uck [rom thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton ! !2
C. THE TRANSCENDENTA FVER F IMACINATIN AND THE FRLEM
FHMAN FRE REASN ! 2J
h3Z. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton und
Its RcIuton to Tmc ! 2 !
h33. Thc Inncr TcmporuI Churactcr o[ thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[
Imugnuton ! 2J
u} Purc Synthcss us Purc Amrchcnson ! 2D
b} Purc Synthcss us Purc Rcproducton ! 2 7
c} Purc Synthcss us Purc Rccognton !2B
h31. Tmc us Purc Sc-A[[ccton und thc TcmporuI Churactcr
o[ thc ScI[ !J2
h3. Thc DrgnuIty o[ thc PrcvousIy Lud Cround und
thc ProbIcm o[ Mctuphyscs ! J 7
III Cn|cn|s
FART FLR
Thc Layng o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphyscs n a RctrcvaI !J-! 7J
A. THE Y INCFTHE CR1NDFRMETAFHYSI S IN ANTHRFLCY !
hJ. Thc PrcvousIy Lad Cround and thc Outcomc o[ thc Kantan
Layng o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphyscs !
hJ7. Thc Idca o[ a PhIosophcaI AnthmpoIogy !
hJ8. Thc Ducston Conccmng thc Human Lsscncc and thc Authcntc
RcsuIt o[ thc Kantan Cmund-Layng I DJ
. THE FRLEM F FINIT1 DEI N H1 MAN EINCSANDTHE
METAFHY Sl S F DASEIN ! DJ
hJ9. Thc ProbIcm o[ a PossbIc Dctcrmnaton o[ Fntudc
n Human 8cngs ! DJ
h1. Thc OrgnaI Workng-Out o[ thc Ducston o[ 8cng as
thc Way to thc PmbIcm o[ Fntudc n Human 8cngs I DD
h11. Thc Undcrstandng o[ 8cng and Dascn n Human 8cngs I DB
. THE METAFHY S S F DASEIN AS F1NDAMENTAL NTLCY ! 2
h1Z. Thc Idca o[ a FundamcntaI OntoIogy I 2
h1J. Thc Inccpton and tkc Coursc o[ FundamcntaI OntoIogy I
h11. Thc CoaI o[ FuudamcntaI OntoIogy I 7
h1. Thc Idca o[ FundamcntaI OntoIog and thc
Lritiquc o Furc Kcason ! 7J
. NTES N THE KANTK
AFFLNDICLS
II. ERNSTASSIRER. FHILSFHY F SYMLI FRMS. FART V.
MYTHI ALTH1 CHT. ERLIN, ! 92
III. DAVS LE 1RES. KANT S CRl!lQU PUR AND THE TASK F
I 7D
! BJ
A LAY INCFTHE CR1ND FRMETAFHY SI S I 9I
I DAVS DISF1TATIN ETVEEN ERNST ASS RERAND MARTIN HEIDECCER I 9J
N DEREHT'SAND ASSIRER'S R T1 ES FTHE KANTK 2JB
VI. N THEHISTRY F THE FHILSFHI AL HAIRSIN E !B 2I J
REFERENES FRAFFENDIES 2 IB
EDITRS AFTERVRD 2! 9
TRANSLATR'S NTES 22J
TRANSLTR`S INTRDLCT!N T THL FIFTH LDITIN
JHIS VCuUC ICDICUuCCS UV DICVICuS II8HS8IICH C Ko|aod ||cPtohlcm c]
Mc|ap|,s|cs |WHICH W8S O8SCU CH IHC CuIIH CUIIICH C !CIUC22CI5 LCIU8H
ICXI), CXD8HUCU IC IHCuUC IHC HCW U8ICII8S 8UUCU WHCH IHC OCCK W8S
DuOISHCU IH LCIU8H 8S VCuUC J C !CIUC22CIS CCCCICU WCIKS |Ccsam
|ausgahc) IH ! 99 ! , 8HU SIUuI8HCCuSV IHUCDCHUCHIV C IHC CCCCICU
WCIKS8S 8H CXD8HUCU lH CUIIICH. A H8S OCCH CuSICU8!V WIIH IHC ICDuO-
IC8IICH IH IHC LCS8UI8uS28OC C C8CH C !CIUCPCI5 WCIKS IH8I W8S CII2IH8V
DuOISHCU UuIIH2 HIS ICIIUC, IHC LCS8UI8uS28OC CUIIICH |8HU IH IHIS C8SC IHC
IUCHIIC8 IH CUIIICH) H8S OCCH CXD8HUCU IC IHCuUC U8I2IH8 HCI8IICHS IH8I
!CIUC22CI U8UC IH HIS DCISCH8 CCDV C IHC OCCK. JHC PICIWCIU OV IHC
LCIU8H CUIICI, WHICH 8DDC8IS 8I IHC CHU C IHIS VCuUC, CXD8IHS IHC DICVCH-
8HCC C IHCSC U8I2IH8I8. IHCV 8DDC8I IH IHIS VCuUC 8S CCIHCICS UCSI2H8ICU
OV CIICIS, |uSI 8S IH IHC LCIU8H CUIIICH.
!H 8UUIIICH IC IHC U8I2IH8I8, IHIS CUIIICH C IHC r8HIOCCK H8S OCCH CX-
D8HUCU IC IHCuUC CuI HCW 8DDCHUICCS, IHICC C WHICH 8DDC8I HCIC IH LH2ISH
CI IHC ISI IIUC. P28IH, IHC PIC!WCIU OV IHC LCIU8H CUIICI UCSCItOCS IHC
I8IICH8C CI IHCuUIH2 IHCSC ICXIS, 8S WC 8S IHC!U8IICH 8OCuI IHCII CII2IH8
LC!U8H DuOIC8IICH.
PS IHC IC8UCI UI2HI CXDCCI, WIIH SC U8HV VCICCS 8I WCIK IH 8 SIH2C OCCK
|!CIUC22CIS CII2IH8 DuOISHCU ICXI, UV II8HS8ICI5 HCICS IC IH8I ICXI,
!CIUC22CIS SuOSCOuCHI U8I2IH8 HCICS, CCUUCHIS CI CCIICCIICHS OV IHC LCI-
U8H CUIICI, 8HU, H8V, CCUUCHIS CI CC!!CCIICHS OV IHC It8HS8ICI IC IHCSC
HCW U8I2IH8I8), IHC CCHVCHIICHS CI ICHUCIIH2 IHC V8IICuS CVCS C CCUUCH-
I8IV UI2HI OC 8 OII CCHuSIH2. !H IHC IHICICSI C C8!IIV, ! H8VC 8UCDICU IHC
CCWIH2 CCHVCHIICHS.
JHC U8IH OCUV C IHC ICXI 8DDC8IS SuOSI8HII8V 8S II UIU IH IHC DICVtCuS
CUIIICH C UV II8HS8IICH, IHCuUIH2 !CIUC22CIS ICXI, !CIUC22CI5 CCIHCICS IC
IH8I ICXI UC8I2H8ICU OV HuUOCIS, 8HU UV JI8HS8ICIS CICS CCCCICU 8I IHC
O8CK C IHC VCuUC 8S CHUHCICS, UC8I2H8ICU OV HuUOCIS IH OI8CKCIS, ' | !
H8VC U8UC 8 CW CCIICCIICHS IC UV C!t2IH8 II8HS8IICH WHCIC ! H8VC CuHU CI
OCCH HCIICU C UISI8KCS, 8HU ! H8VC ICVISCU SCVCI8 C UV CII2IH8 II8HS8ICI5
CHUHCICS IC ICCCI CH8H2CS U8UC IC IHC LCIU8H ICXI. JHCSC 8IICI ICVISICHS
8IC 2CHCI8V IHUIC8ICU 8S SuCH IH IHC OCUV C IHC HCIC. !H IHC U8IH OCUV C
IHC ICXI, 8HU IH !CIUC22CIS CII2IH8 HCICS 8HU IHC U8I2IH8I8 HCW 8UUCU, !
H8VC KCDI IHC C8IICI CCHVCHIICH C DuIIIH2 LCIU8H WCIUS IH8I 8IC UICuI
IC ICHUCI, CI IH8I H8VC UuIIDC SH8UCS C UC8HIH2, IH II8ICS IH SOu8IC OI8CKCIS
IUUCUI8ICV CCWIH2 IHCII CCCuIICHCC IH IHC II8HS8IICH.
IX
x !runs|u|or: In|rouc|ion |o |nc Ii||n Li|ion
In addition, Hcidczzcrs marzinalia havc bccn inscrtcd at thc |oot o| thc
cazc whcrc thcyoccur, bcIowany|ootnotcs|romthcorizinaI cubIishcdbook.
Thcsc marzinaIia arc dcsiznatcd byIcttcrs within thc body o|thc tcxt. Ccca-
sionally within thcscmarzinalnotcs. thc Ccrman cditor has in|cctcda chrasc
or commcnt, thcsc arc cncloscd in itaIic brackcts. | . ^ny transIators com-
mcnts I havc addcd to thcsc marzinaIia arc in squarc brackcts, ' , and arc
labclcd tr. " Inaddition thc abbrcviations VS and SS uscd in |ootnotcs rc|cr
to thc Vintcr Scmcstcr and Summcr Scmcstcr o| thc acadcmic ycar, usuaIIy
to Hcidczzcr's Iccturcs or courscs durinz thosc scmcstcrs. Thc abbrcviation
C^ rc|crs to thc Ccsamtauszabc, thc collcctcd cdition o| Hcidczzcr's works
bcinz cublishcd by Vittorio Klostcrmann Vcrlaz. Irank|urt am Main. Thc
abbrcviation CPP rc|crs to Kants Cr|t|aac c] Parc Pcasco, tr. lorman Kcmc
Smith |London. MacmiIIan, I 929, I 2th imcrcssion !97J)
I would likc to acknowIcdzc FctcrVarnck o|VandcrbiIt Lnivcrsity |or his
assistancc in transIatinz ^cccndix II. Hcidczzcrs rcvicw o|Lrnst Cassircrs
P||lcscp|,c]5,mhcl|cFcrms, voIumc 2 M,t||calJ|cag|t, |orthisvoIumc. ]his
cssay acccarcd crcviousIy inLnzIishin J|cP|ct,c] J||o||ogLssa,sh,Mart|o
Hc|dcgcr,translation, notcs,and commcntary by. C. Hartand]. C. Maraldo
|loominzton. Indiana Lnivcrsity Frcss, ! 97) , cc. J2-D. Howcvcr, convcn-
tions |or rcndcrinz Hcidczzcrs tcxts in LnzIish havc cvolvcd sincc that timc,
ncccssitatinz a rcworkinz o| that transIation. My cro|ound thanks to Mr.
Varnck |or his cxccllcnt rctransIation o| this cssay, accomcIishcd in a short
timc with Iittlc advancc noticc.
Thc |razmcntary stylc o| a numbcr o|thc mazina notcs. as wcII as o|
^cccndiccs I and rclIccts thccharactcr o|thcCcrman orizinaI.
ichard Ta|t
TRANSLTR`S INTRDICTIN T THL FIRTH LDIT!N
Martin Hcidczzcrs wcll-known and controvcrsial bookKaotaod t|cPtohlcm
c]Mctap|,s|cswashrstpublishcdinCcrmanin I 929withsubscqucntcditions
appcarinzin I9DJ, I9D, and I97J. ^lthouzh thc sccond and third cditions
arc csscntially rcproductions o|thc hrst in thc |ourth and hnal cdition Hci-
dczzcraddcdsomcvcrysi znihcant matcrial tothcbookinadditiontomakinz
scvcral rcvisions tothc orizinaltct. Thistranslationisbascdon thc dchnitivc
|ourth cdition, althouzh it docs takc account o| thc variations in thc carlicr
cditions as appropriatc.
Kaotaodt|cPrchlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs is si znihcantbothas a maor contribu-
tion to twcnticth-ccntury Kant scholarship and as a pivotal work in Hcidcz-
zcr's own dcvclopmcnt in thc pcriod |ollowinz thc publication o|his mor
work, 8c|ogaodJ|mc,in I 927. ^s an intcrprctation o| Kant. Hcidczzcr's book
has attractcd a zrcat dcal o|attcntion as wcll as scholarly controvcrsy sincc
its orizinal publication in I 929. This particular intcrprctation o| Kant was
workcd out in thc ycars immcdiatcly |ollowinz thc appcarancc o| 8c|ogaod
mc, and is zroundcd as wcll in a lccturc coursc |rom I 9272B |now pub-
lishcd as volumc 2D o| Hcidczzcrs Ccsamtausgahc and bcinz translatcd by
Farvis Emadand Kcnncth Maly|orthis publishcr) , inwhichhc attcmptcd to
comc to tcrms with a conncction that hc saw bctwccn Kants chaptcr on thc
Schcmatism and thc problcm o|timc.
Twoothcrsourccs|orthisbookwcrca lccturc dclivcrcdinizainScptcm-
bcr I 92B and, most importantly, a scrics o|lccturcs that Hcidczzcr dclivcrcd
at thc avosHcc|sc|ulcin March I 929. Thc avos lccturc scrics was partic
ularlyimportantbccausc itbrouzht tozcthcrHcidczzcr and Ernst Cassircr,a
notcd authority on Kant and thc cditor o| thc modcm cdition o| Kants
collcctcd works. urinzthis coursc Hcidczzcrand Cassircr dclivcrcd a total
o|scvcn lccturcs ||our by Cassircr, thrcc by Hcidczzcr). and thcy dcbatcd
somco|thcmorccontrovcrsialaspcctso|HcidczzcrsKantintcrprctation|c. z. ,
his cmphasis on thc transccndcntal powcr o| imazination, or his attcmpt to
link his rcadinz o| Kant to thc procct o| a |undamcntal ontolozy that hc
proposcd in8c|ogaod J|mc). In thc prc|acc to thc |ourth cdition o|Kotaod
t|cPrchlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs ,Hcidczzcr pointsoutthcimportancco|thislccturc
scrics|orwritinzthat book |hc bczan to writc itimmcdiatcly a|tcr thc avos
coursc), and hc includcs as appcndiccs to that cdition a summary hc had
madc o| his thrcc lccturcs and a rcport o| his disputation with Cassircr in
conncction with thc lccturcscach dclivcrcd. Thc hnc points o|Kant scholar
ship aircddunzthis disputation |ormavitalparto|thc contcxt o|thisbook.
ln Iatcr writines |scc thc prcIiminary notc to thc third cdition, I -D) l
attcmptcd to rctract thc ovcrintcrprctation l hcrdcu|uog| without at thc samc
timc writine a corrcspondineIy ncw vcrsion o|thc Kant book itscI|
HansecoreHoppcprovidcsan instructivc criticaI ovcrvicwo|thc chanec in
my Kant intcrprctation, rc|crrine to carIicrcriticaI commcnts in thc anthoIoey
lurc|hl|c|c | I-70), pubIishcd byVittorio KIostcrmann, pp. 2B-J! 7.
Thc discussion o| thc TransccndcntaI Fowcr o| Imaeination" sct |orth in
thc Kant book is suppIcmcntcd by Hcrmann Mrchcn inhis Marbure disscr-
tation | ! -2B)cntitIcd, ic EinbiIduneskra|tbciKant,"]a|rhuc|]arP||lcscp||c
uod p|ocmcoclcg|sc|c Fcrsc|uog, voIumc XI |SaaIc Max licmcycr HaIIc,
I -J0). ^n unaItcrcd cdition was pubishcd by Max licmcycr |Tbinecn
I -70) as an o||prnt.
Thc Kant book, writtcn immcdiatcIy a|tcr thc concIusion o| thc sccond
avos Hcc|sc|ulc coursc |March I 7^priI ! -2-), was bascd on thc prcpa-
ratory work | |or that coursc| |scc thc prc|acc to thc hrst cdition).
Thc appcod|x to thc prcscnt cdition contains my summary o| my thrcc
avos Iccturcs on Kants Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco and thc Task o|a ayine o|
thc Cround |or Mctaphysics" |appcarineinthc lavcscrPcvuc, I 7, I -2-, pp.
I -- I -) .
lnaddition thcrc is a rcport on thcdisputationbctwccn Ernst Cassircrand
mc inconncctionwith thc Iccturcs wc hcId. n thrcc Iccturcs, Cassircr spokc
about phiIosophicaI anthropoIoey, spccihcaIIy, about thc probIcm o|spacc, o|
Ianeuaec, and o|dcath
Thc Kantbookrcmainsanintroduction, attcmptcd bymcanso|aqucstion-
abIc diercssion, to thc |urthcr qucstionabiIity which pcrsists conccrnine thc
Cucstion o|cine sct |orth in 8c|ogaod J|mc.
ThcerowineandunacknowIcdecdanxictyinthc |acco|thinkinenoIonecr
aIIows insieht into thc |orect|uIncss o| cine which dctcrmincs thc aec.
l wouId Iikc inparticuIar tothankthc pubIishcr, r. VittorioKIostcrmann,
|or his Ionestandine intcrcst inthis book. My thanks arc aIso cxtcndcd to r.
HiIdceard cick |Vicsbadcn) andr. ricdrich-VihcImvonHcrrmann|rci-
bure im rciseau) |or thc carc|uI handIine o|thc corrcctions.
End o|^ueust I-7J
M. H.
5 Thc tcxt o|thc DaoscrDispu|a|ion i sa transcript compiIcdby. olnow and . Rittcr
who wcrc panicipants in thc avoscoursc. Accordinetoacommunication |rom ollnow, it
is not a word-|or-word protocoI buts rathcr a subscqucnt cIaboration bascd on notcs takcn at
thc t mc. . oIlnow |uishcd thc typcd tcxt orthc purposc o| ypcscttine, and |or thatwc
wouIdthankhim hcc
FRLFACL T THL FIRST LDITIN
Thc csscntiaIs o| thc |oIIowine intcrprctation wcrc hrst prcscntcd in a |our-
hour Iccturc durine thc Vintcr Scmcstcr o| I -272B
Thc prcscnt work is dcdicatcd to thc mcmory o|Max SchcIcr. lts contcnt
wasthcsub|ccto|thcIastconvcrsationinwhich thcauthorwasaIIowcdoncc
aeain to |ccI thc un|cttcrcd powcr o|his spirit.
Todtnaubcre im bad. SchwarzwaId
Fcntccost ! -2-
xIx
FRLFACL T THL SLCND LDITIN
Thiswork.whichwaspubIishcdtwodccadcsaeoandwhichimmcdiatcIysoId
out, appcars hcrc unaItcrcd. lt rctains thc |orm in which it has bccn both
succcss|uI and unsucccss|uI in various ways.
Rcadcrs havc takcn constant o||cnsc at thc vioIcncc o| my intcrprctations.
Thcir aIIceation o| vioIcncc can indccd bc supportcd by this tcxt.
FhiIosophicohistoricaIrcscarchisaIwayscorrcctIysub|ccttothischarecwhcn-
cvcr it is dircctcd aeainst attcmpts to sct in motion a thoueht|uI diaIoeuc
bctwccn thinkcrs. In contrast to thc mcthods o| historicaI phiIoIoey, which
hasitsownaecnda,a thoueht|uI diaIoeuc is boundbyothcrIawsIawswhich
arc morc casiIy vioIatcd. In a diaIoeuc thc possibiIity o|eoine astray is morc
thrcatcnine, thc shortcomines arc morc |rcqucnt.
Thc instanccs in which l havc eonc astray and thc shortcomines o|thc
prcscntcndcavorhavc bccomc so cIcartomc onthc path o|thinkine durne
thc pcriod rc|crrcd to abovc that I thcrc|orc rc|usc to makc this work into a
patchwork by compcnsatine with suppIcmcnts, appcndiccs and postscripts.
Thinkcrs Icarn |rom thcir shortcomines to bc morc pcrscvcrine.
Ircibure im rciseau
]unc !-D0
7
FRLIIMINARY NTL T THL THIRD LDITIN
Thc |oIIowine may scrvc as a euidc |or corrcctIy undcrstandine thc tidc o|
this work Thc probIcm |or Mctaphysics, namcIy thc qucstion conccmine
bcinesas such inthcir totaIity, iswhat aIIows Mctaphysics as Mctaphysics to
bccomc a probIcm. Thc cxprcssion Thc FrobIcm o|Mctaphysics" has two
scnscs.
To suppIcmcnt thc prcscnt work, thc rcadcr shouId rc|cr to thc |oIlowne
o|s J|cscuhc das5c|o |Irank|urt a. M. VcrIae Vittorio KIostcrmann, -J)
and l|c Fragc oac| dcm l|og Zu Kao|s Lc|rc vco dco |raoszcodco|alco
Codsa|zco |binecn VcrIae Max licmcycr, -2).'
Frcibure im rciseau
Sprine -D
xi
lntroduction
Thc Thcmc and Structurc o[ thc Invcstgaton
HC CCWIH2 IHVCSII28IICH IS UCVCICU IC IHC I8SK C IHIC!D!CIIH2 r8HIS
Ct|t|aucc] PurcPcasco8S 8 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS 8HU IHuS C
D8CIH2 IHC D!COCU C UCI8DHVSICS OCC!C uS 8S 8 uHU8UCHI8 CHICC2y
!uHU8UCHI8 LHICC2V UC8HS IH8I CHICC2IC8 8H8VIIC C IHC HHIIC CSSCHCC
C HuU8H OCIH2S WHICH IS IC D!CD8!C IHC CuHU8IICH C! IHC UCI8DHVSICS WHICH
OCCH2S IC HuU8H H8Iu!C. !uHU8UCHI8 LHICC2V IS IHC UCI8DHVSICS C
HuU8H 8SCIH WHICH IS !COuI!CU C! UCI8DHVSICS IC OC U8UC DCSSIOC. II
!CU8IHS uHU8UCHI8V UIC!CHI !CU 8 8HIH!CDCC2V 8HU !CU IHC DHIC-
SCDHIC8. HC IUC8 C 8VIH2 CuI 8 uHU8UCHI8 CHICC2V UC8HS IC UISCCSC IHC
CH8!8CIC!ISIIC CHICC2IC8 8H8VIIC C 8SCIH 8S D!C!COuISIIC 8HU IHuS IC U8KC
CC8! C! WH8I Du!DCSC 8HU IH WH8I W8V, WIIHIH WHICH OCuHU8!ICS 8HU WIIH
WHICH D!CSuDDCSIIICHS, II DuIS IHC CCHC!CIC OuCSIICH. VH8I IS IHC HuU8H
OCIH2! !CWCVC!, D!CVIUCU IH8I 8H IUC8 H!SI U8HICSIS IISC IH!Cu2H IIS DCWC!
IC IuUIH8IC, IHC IUC8 C uHU8UCHI8 CHICC2V WI D!CVC IISC 8HU D!CSCHI
IISC IH 8H IHIC!D!CI8IICH C IHC Cr|||aucc]PurcPcasco8S 8 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU
C! UCI8DHVSICS.
C IHIS CHU, IHC 2CHC!8 UC8HIH2 C IHC IC!U 8VIH2 IHC 2!CuHU 'Ctaodlc
gaog| UuSI H!SI OC C8!IHCU. HC CXD!CSSICHS UC8HIH2 L OCSI IuSI!8ICU I WC
CCHSIUC! IHC OuIUIH2 I!8UC. II IS I!uC IH8I UCI8DHVSICS IS HCI 8 OuIUIH2 C!
SI!uCIu!C 'Cchaudc| IH8I IS 8I H8HU, OuI IS !C8V IH 8 HuU8H OCIH2S 8S 8
H8Iu!8 CCHSI!uCIICH C! 8!!8H2CUCHI. PS 8 CCHSCOuCHCC, 8VIH2 IHC 2!CuHU
. Critiquco]PurcRcon, 2d cd. p. 2 . Thc hrst cd ton|A)andthcsccond |) arcuxtaposcd
2 Kant and thc FmbIcm O Mctaphyscs |i-JI
C! UCI8DHVSICS C8H UC8H IC 8V 8 CuHU8IICH ' uodamco|| uHUC! IHIS H8Iu!8
UCI8DHVSICS, C! !8IHC! IC !CD8CC CHC WHICH H8S 8!C8UV OCCH 8IU WIIH 8 HCW
CHC IHICu2H 8 D!CCCSS C SuOSIIIuIIH2. !CWCVC!, II IS D!CCISCV IHIS !CD!C-
SCHI8IICH WHICH WC UuSI KCCD CuI C IHC IUC8 C 8 2!CuHU-8yIH2, H8UCV IH8I
II IS 8 U8IIC! C IHC OVD!CUuCI !CU IHC CuHU8IICH 'CruodlagcoC 8H 8!C8UV-
CCHSI!uCICU OuIUIH2. L!CuHU-8VIH2 U !8IHC! IHC D!C|CCIIH2 C IHC OuIUIH2
D8H IISC SC IH8I II 82!CCS WIIH IHC UI!CCIICH CCHCC!HIH2 CH WH8I 8HU HCW
IHC OuIUIH2 WI OC 2!CuHUCU. LVIH2 IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSIC8 8S IHC
D!C|CCIIH2 |Lo|ocr]co| C IHC OuIUIH2 D8H, HCWCVC!, IS 828IH HC CUDIV D!C-
UuCIH2 C 8 SVSICU 8HU IIS SuOUIVISICHS. !I IS !8IHC! IHC 8!CHIICCICHIC CI!-
CuUSC!IDIICH 8HU UCIHC8IICH C IHC IHHC! DCSSIOIIIV C UCI8DHy8IC8, IH8I IS,
IHC CCHC!CIC UCIC!UIH8IICH C IIS CSSCHCC. P UCIC!UIH8IICH C CSSCHCC, HCW-
CVC!, IS H!SI 8CHICVCU IH IHC SCIIIH2-!CC C IHC CSSCHII8 2!CuHU.
L8VIH2 IHC 2!CuHU 8S IHC D!C|CCIICH C IHC IHHC! DC88IOIIIV C UCI8DHVSICS
L IHuS HCCCSS8!IV 8 U8IIC! C CIIIH2 IHC SuDDC!IIH2 DCWC! C IHC 8!C8UV-8IU
2!CuHU OCCCUC CDC!8IIVC. VHCIHC! 8HU HCW IHIS I8KCS D8CC IS IHC C!IIC!ICH
C IHC C!I2IH8IIV 8HU SCCDC C 8 2!CuHU-8VIH2.
! IHC CCWIH2 IHIC!D!CI8IICH C IHC Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco SuCCCCUS IH
O!IH2IH2 IC I2HI IHC C!I2IH8IIV C IHC C!I2IH C UCI8DHVSICS, IHCH IHIS C!I2IH8-
IIV C8H CHV !C8!V OC uHUC!SICCU I II W8S 8SC 8!C8UV !COuI!CU C! IHC CCHC!CIC
H8DDCHIH2 C IHC CIIIH2-SD!IH2-C!IH 'Lo|spr|ogcolassco|. IH8I IS IC S8V, I IHC
8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS CCUCS IC OC !CI!ICVCU ' o|cdcr|cl||
JC IHC CXICHI IH8I UCI8DHVSICS OCCH2S IC 8HU I8CIIC8V CXISIS WIIH HuU8H
H8Iu!C, II H8S 8!C8UV UCVCCDCU IH SCUC C!U. !CHCC 8H CXDICII 8yIH2 C
IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS HCVC! 8DDC8!S CuI C HCIHIH2, OuI !8IHC! 8!ISCS
!CU IHC SI!CH2IH 8HU WC8KHCSS C 8 I!8UIIICH IH8I SKCICHCS CuI IHC DC88IOI-
IIICS C 8 OC2IHHIH2 C! IISCl VIIH !CC!CHCC IC IHC I!8UIIICH CHCCSCU IH IISC,
IHCH, CVC!V 2!CuHU-8VIH2 IS, WIIH !CC!CHCC IC WH8I C8UC C8!IC!, 8 I!8HSC!U8-
IICH C IHC S8UC I8SK. JHuS, IHC CCWIH2 IHIC!D!CI8IICH C IHC Cr|||aucc]Purc
PcascoUuSI, 8S 8 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS, SCCK IC O!IH2 IC I2HI
8 Cu!CU UIVISICH.
! JHC SI8!IIH2 DCIHI C! IHC 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS.
2. JHC C8!!VIH2-CuI C IHC 8yIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS.
J. JHC 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS IH IIS C!I2IH8IIy
. JHC 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS IH 8 !CI!ICV8.
to onc anothcr in cxcmpIary |ashion in Raymund Shmidts cdition |Mcincrs FhiIosophishc
ibiothck, 2). nwhat |oIIows, this work wiII aIways bc itcd a ording to both A and .
|Thcsc samcpagc rc|crcncs arc rctaincd by Kcmp Smith in hs EngIish transIation o| thc Cri-
- r.
HL Ll!CLO!lL C! 1HL !OL^ C! ^ \lO^MLl1^l Ll1CLCL1
1HKCLLH 1HL !l1LKKL1^1!Cl C! 1HL CkH0uL Of IukL KON
^5 ^ L1!lL C! 1HL LKCLlO !CK wL1^H15!L5
0r| Lnc
HC bluIlIDP 1OIDl OI lHC
uVIDP O lHC LIOuD0 OI
%CluDHV5IC5
JHC CXDCSIlICH C lHC r8HlI8H Sl8IlIH2 DCIHl C! 8yIH2 lHC 2!CuHU C! UCl8-
DHySICS L COuIV8CHl lC 8HSWC!IH2 lHC OuCSlICH. Hy CI r8Hl UCCS 8yIH2 lHC
2ICuHU C! UCl8DHySICS OCCCUC lHC Ct|t|aacc]PatcPcasco`JHC 8HSWC! UuSl
OC UCVCCDCU lHICu2H 8 UISCuSSICH C lHC CCWIH2 lHICC OuCSlICHS. | ! ) HICH
CCHCCDl C UCl8DHySICS IS CuHU IH r8Hl! |2) H8l IS lHC Sl8IIIH2 DCIHl C!
lHC 8VH2 C lHC 2ICuHU CI lHIS lI8UIlICH8 UCl8DHySICS! |J) Hy L IHIS
2!CuHU-8yIH2 8 CIIlIOuC C Du!C !C8SCH!
h 1. Thc Tmdtonal Conccpt o[ Mctaphyscs
HC HC!I2CH !CU WIlHIH WHICH r8Hl S8W UCl8DHySICS 8HU IH lCIUS C
WHICH HIS 2!CuHU-8yH2 UuSl OC XCU U8y OC CH8I8ClCII2CU tCu2Hy Oy UC8HS
C D8uU28IlCHS UCHHIlICH. Mctap|,s|:acsts:|cot|apt|ma :cgo|t|co|s|amaoac
pt|o:|p|a :cot|ocos." NCl8DHySICS IS lHC SCICHCC WHICH CCUDIISCS lHC DISl
D!IHCIDCS C HuU8H KHCWCU2C. !H lHC CCHCCDl C lHC D!Sl DIIHCIDCS ' ctstco
Ptoz|p|co| C HuU8H KHCWCU2C ICS 8 DCCuI8I 8HU 8l DISl 8 HCCCSS8Iy 8U-
OI2uIly `Admctap|,s|:amtc]ctaotctcotclcg|a, :csmclcg|a,ps,:|clcg|actt|cclcg|a
oatatal|s.
,,
JHC UClIVCS 8HU HISlC!y C lHC UCVCCDUCHl 8HU CCHSCIU8lICH C
2. A. C. aumeartcn Mc|aph,sica, 2dcd. t ! 7+J), . |itcraI transIation "Mctaphysics is thc
scicncc thatcontains thc hrstpr ncipIcs o|human knowIcdec"tr.
J. Ibid. , 2. |itcraI rans ation "noIoey cosmoIoey, psychoIoey, and naturaI thcooeyrc|cr
to mcaphysi"-tr.
aMctaphysicsis thc hrstsccnccin so|aras t compr scsthcdcc s vc erounds orwhahuman
knowinercprcscnts.
J
Kant and thc FmbIcm O Mctaphysics |-7I
IHIS bCHC8SIIC CCHCCDI C UCI8DHVSICS 8IC HCI D!CSCHICU HCIC. P SHCII !CCI-
CHCC IC WH8I IS UCSI CSSCHII8 SHCuU [SuCC IC CCSCH IHC D!CDCU8IIC
CCHICHI C IHIS CCHCCDI 8HU D!CD8!C uS C! uHUCISI8HUIH2 IHC uHU8UCHI8
UC8HIH2 C IHC r8HII8H SI8!IIH2 DCIHI CI IHC 2ICuHU-8VIH2.`
!I IS KHCWH IH8I IHC IHIII8. DuICV ICCHHIC8 UC8HIH2 C IHC CXD!CSSICH
1 1 ouot) |IHC CCCCIIVC ICIU C! IHCSC C PIISICICS IIC8IISCS IH8I WCIC
8I!8H2CU |IH SCOuCHCC 8ICI IHCSC DCCH2IH2 IC IHC P|,s|cs) 8IC! DCC8UC 8
DHICSCDHIC8V IHICIDICICU CH8I8CICIISIIC C WH8I IS CCHI8IHCU IH IHCSC IC-
8I!8H2CU I!C8IISCS. JHIS CH8H2C C UC8HIH2. HCWCVC!. IS HCI 8S H8IUCSS 8S
DCCDC C!UIH8!IV IHIHK. K8IHC!, II CH8HHCCU IHC IHIC!D!CI8IICH C IHCSC IIC8-
IISCS IH 8 SDCCIC UI!CCIICH, 8HU IHCICDV IHC IHICIDICI8IICH UCIC!UIHCU WH8I
P!ISICIC IIC8ICU 8S NCI8DHVSICS. PCVCIIHCCSS. WC UuSI 8SK WHCIHC! WH8I
IS D!Cu2HI IC2CIHCI IH IHC P!ISICICI8H Mc|ap|,s|cs IS UCI8DHVSICS. PUUII-
ICUV r8HI HIUSC SII W8HIS IC 8SSI2H 8 SuDSI8HII8 UC8HIH2 UI!CCIV IC IHC
CXDICSSICH. PS 8I 8S IHC H8UC UCI8DHVSICS IS CCHCCIHCU. II IS HCI IC DC
DCICVCU IH8I II 8ICSC DV CH8HCC DCC8uSC II HIS SC CX8CIV WIIH IHC SCICHCC.
HCW oot IS C8CU P8Iu!C. DuI WC C8H 8!!IVC 8I IHC CCHCCDI C P8Iu!C IH
HC CIHCI W8V IH8H IHICu2H CXDCIICHCC, SC IH8I IHC SCICHCC WHICH CCWS
ICU II IS C8CU NCI8DHVSICS |ICU c1, |taos, 8HU p|,s|ca) !I IS 8 SCICHCC
IH8I IS. SC IC SDC8K, CuISIUC C IHC CU C DHVSICS, WHICH ICS CH IHC CIHC!
SIUC C II.
.,
HC ICCHHIC8 CXDICSSICH IISC. WHICH CCC8SICHCU IHIS DXCU. SuDSI8HII8
IHICID!CI8IICH, SDI8H2 CIIH ICU 8 UIHCuIV CCHCCIHIH2 IHC uHDI8SCU uHUCI-
SI8HUIH2 C IHC W!IIIH2S C IHC cctus at|s|c|cl|cum C!UCICU IH IHIS W8y !H
SuDSCOuCHI bCHC8SIIC HICSCDHV |LC2IC. HV8IC8, LIHIC8), IHCIC W8S HC UISCI-
DIHC CI I8UCWC!K IH WHICH IC IHSC!I DICCISCV WH8I P!ISICIC SIICVC CI HCIC
xpmD otooooio, 8S 8uIHCHIIC DHICSCDHV C! DHICSCDHV C IHC HI2HCSI
CIUC!. c1 1 ouotY IS IHC IIIC C 8 uHU8UCHI8 DHICSCDHIC8 UICu|y
. FoIIowinethcprcccdcnto|H FichIcrs UocrChris|ianWo sOn|o|ogic| ! 920),KantsrcIation
ship to traditionaI mctaphics has rcccntIycomc tobcmorc urecntyand morccomprchcnsivcIy
rcscarchcd. Scc abovc aII thc invcsieation by H. Hcimsocth, "Dic mctaphysischcn Motivc in dcr
AusbiIdune dcs kritischcn IdcaIismus," in Kn|s|udicn, voI. XXIX t !92+), pp. 2 ||. and aIso
Mc|aph,sik und Kri|ik oci A. Crusius, in 8ci|rag zur on|o|ogtschcn \orgcschich|c dcr Krt|ikdcr
Rcincn \cnun]| im I. ]ahrhundcr|, in Schr|cn dcr Kniocrgcr Gc|chr|cn Gcsc||scha]| lll ]ah
Cistcswiss. KI. H|t. J t ! 92). In addition thcrc is thc Ionecr work by M. Vundt, Kan| a|s
Mc|aph,sikcr.in8ci|rag zurGcschich|cdcrdcu|schcnPhi|osophicimach|zchn|cn]ahrhundcr|!92+).
R. Kroncrs \onKan|ois Hcgc|, 2 voIs. | ! 92 ! and !92). prcscnts Kantian phiIosophyinvicwo|
thc historyo|mctaphysics a|tcrKant. nthc hisoyo|mctaphysicsinCcrman IdcaIism scc aIso
NicoIas Hanmann, Dic Phi|osophicdcs dcu|schcn ldca|ismus, Fan I |!92J) and Fart II |!929). A
critiuc o|thisrcscarchisnot possibIchcrc. nc thineshouIdbc notcd,howcvcr |romthc stan,
aII thcscworksadhcrctothcintcrprctationo|thcCri|iquco]PurcRcasonas"Thcoryo|KnowIcdec
or"EpistcmoIoey," and, morcovcr, thcy aIso cmphasic mctaphysics and "mctaphysica motivcs.
5 . M. Hcinc, \or|csungcnKan|socrMc|aph,sikausdrciScmcs|cn.AbhdIe. dcr K. Schsisch.
Ccs. dcVisscnscha|tcn VoIumc XV, phI-hist. KI. !B9. p. . |Scp. S !B.). SccalsoKant,
UocrdicFor|schri||cdcrMc|aph,siksci|lioniz undWo , Wcrkc, VIII, p J0I.
s I . |/- 9
JHIS UICu!V 8SC H8U I!S O8SIS 'Ctuod| IH !HC 8CK C C8II!V CCHCCIHIH2
!HC CSSCHCC C !HC D!COCU 8HU IH !HC HUIH2S 'Lt|coo|o|sscl UISCuSSCU IH !HC
lV8IICuS SCC!ICHS. JC !HC CX!CH! !H8! P!IS!C!C HIUSC H8S 8HV!HIH2 !C S8V
8OCu! !HIS, 8 ICU8IK8OC UCuOIH2 ' Dcppcluogl 8DDC8IS DICCISCV IH !HC UC!CI-
UIH8!ICH C !HC CSSCHCC C !IIS! HICSCDHy ! IS OC!H KHCWCU2C C OCIH2S
8S OCIH2S
|
|v n V) 8HU 8SC KHCWCU2C C !HC UCS! ICU8IK8OC IC2ICH C
OCIH2S |1II1o1ov {cVoc) Cu! C WHICH !HC OCIH2 8S 8 WHCC |xo/ou)
UC!CIUIHCS I!SC.
JHIS Uu8 CH8I8C!CII28!ICH C !HC zpmD Ot/oooo UCCS HC! CCH!8IH !WC
uHU8UCH!8V UICICH! W8VS C !HIHKIH2 !H8! 8IC IHUCDCHUCH! C CHC 8HC!HCI,
HCI U8V CHC C !HCU OC WC8KCHCU CI CIUIH8!CU IH 8VCI C !HC C!HCI, HCI IS
I! CVCH DCSSIOC CI !HC 8DD8ICH! UISuHI!V !C OC H8S!IV ICCCHCICU IH!C 8 uHI!y
! IS C UuCH 2IC8!CI V8uC !C IuUIH8!C !HC 2!CuHUS CI !HC 8DD8ICH! UISuHI!V
8HU !HC U8HHCI IH WHICH OC!H UC!C!UIH8!ICHS OCCH2 !C2C!HCI 8S !HC C8UIH2
D!COCU C 8 HIS! DHICSCDHV C OCIH2S. JHIS !8SK OCCCUCS 8 !HC UCIC
uI2CH! OCC8uSC !HC 8OCVC-UCH!ICHCU UCuOIH2 UCCS HC! HIS! CCCuI WI!H P!IS-
!C!C. K8!HCI, !HC DICOCU C DCIH2 H8S DICV8ICU SIHCC !HC OC2IHHIH2S C
8HCICH! DHICSCDHy
Du! !C ICU8IH WI!H !HC DICOCU C !HC CSSCH!I8 UC!CIUIH8!ICH C NC!8-
DHVSICS, WC C8H 8H!ICID8!C WH8! WCuU H8VC OCCH S8IU. NC!8DHVSICS IS !HC
uHU8UCH!8 KHCWCU2C C OCIH2S 8S SuCH 8HU 8S 8 WHCC. JHIS UCHI!ICH,
HCWCVCI, C8H CHV H8VC V8uC 8S 8H 8HHCuHCCUCH! C !HC DICOCU, !H8! IS, C
!HC OuCS!ICH. H WH8! UCCS !HC CSSCHCC C !HC KHCWCU2C C DCIH2 OV OCIH2S
IC! JC WH8! CX!CH! UCCS !HIS HCCCSS8IiV CDCH uD IH!C 8 KHCWCU2C C OCIH2S
8S 8 WHCC! VHV UCCS !HIS DCIH! 8HCW !C 8 KHCWCU2C C !HC KHCWCU2C C
DCIH2! JHuS, NC!8DHVSICS SIUDV ICU8IHS !HC !I!C CI !HC DHICSCDHIC8
UICu!y
VCS!CIH UC!8DHVSICS 8!CI P!IS!C!C CWCS I!S UCVCCDUCH! HC! !C !HC 8S-
SuUD!ICH 8HU IUDCUCH!8!ICH C 8 DICVICuSV CXIS!IH2 PIIS!C!CI8H SVS!CU, Ou!
I8!HCI !C 8 8CK C uHUCIS!8HUIH2 CCHCCDIH2 !HC OuCS!ICH8OC 8HU CDCH H8!uIC
C !HC CCH!I8 DICOCUS C! OV 8!C 8HU PIIS!C!C. JWC !HCUCS H8VC UC!CI-
UIHCU !HC UCVCCDUCH! C !HC 8OCVC-UCH!ICHCU bCHC8S!IC CCHCCD! C UC!8-
DHVSICS, 8HU 8! !HC S8UC !IUC !HCV H8VC IHCIC8$IH2V HIHUCICU !HC DC55IOII!V
!H8! !HC CII2IH8 DICOCU8!IC C8H OC !8KCH uD CHCC 828IH.
LHC !HCUC CCHCCIHS !HC UIVISICH C !HC CCH!CH! C UC!8DHVSICS 8HU 8IISCS
ICU LHIIS!I8HI!V5 UCVCu! IH!CIDIC!8!ICH C !HC WCIU. PCCCIUIH2 !C !HIS IH!CI-
DIC!8!ICH, CVC!V OCIH2 !H8! IS HC! UIVIHC IS CIC8!CU. !HC Uo|vctsum H !uIH, !HC
HuU8H OCIH2 H8S 8 SDCCI8 D8CC 8UCH2 !HC CIC8!CU OCIH2S !C !HC CX!CH! !H8!
CVCIV!HIH2 UCDCHUS CH !HC S8V8!ICH C !HC HuU8H SCu '5cclco|c|l 8HU I!S
C!CIH8 CXIS!CHCC 'L|s|coz JHCICCIC, 8CCCIUIH2 !C !HIS WCIU- 8HU 8SCIH-
CCHSCICuSHCSS ' wcl| uod Dasc|oshcou|sc|o| , !HC !C!8I!V C OCIH2S IS UIVIUCU
IH!C LCU, P8!uIC, 8HU HuU8HKIHU, 8HU !C C8CH C !HCSC SDHCICS ICSDCC!IVCV
IS !HCH 8ICU JHCCC2V |!HC CO|CC!
l2I
C WHICH IS !HC summumcos), LCSUCC2V
Kant and thc Fmblcm O Mctaphysics ' 9- I0I
8HU SVCHC!C2y JHCV CCHSlIlulC lHC UISCID!IHC C Mc|ap|,s|:a 5pc:|al|s H
CCHlI8Sl. Mc|ap|,s|:a Ccoctl|s |LHlC!C2V) H8S 8S IlS CO]CCl lHC OCIH2 I
2CHCI8! |cos :cmmuoc)
JHC ClHCI lHCUC lH8l IS CSSCHlI8! CI lHC UCVC!CDUCHl C lHC bCHC!8SlIC
CCHCCDl C NCl8DHVSICS CCHCCD IlS lVDC C KHCW!CU2C 8HU IlS UClHCU. bIHCC
IlS CO|CCl IS lHC OCIH2 '5c|codc IH 2CHCI8! 8HU lHC HI2HCSl OCIH2 das |c:|s|c
5c|codcl IH WHICH CVCIVCHC l8KCS 8H IHlCICSl |r8Hl). NCl8DHVSICS IS SCICHCC
C lHC HI2HCSl UI2HIlV. lHC OuCCH C lHC SCICHCCS. PCCCIUIH2!V, lHC lVDC C
KHCW!CU2C Il H8S UuSl 8!SC OC lHC UCSl II2CICuS 8HU lHC UCSl OIHUIH2. JHIS
ICOuIICS lH8l Il OC 8SSIUI!8lCU lC 8H 8DDiCDII8lC IUC8! CI KHCW!CU2C. 8S U8lH-
CU8lIC8! KHCW!CU2C IS ICDulCU lC OC. !l IS I8lICH8! IH lHC HI2HCSl SCHSC 8HU
8 DIICIi OCC8uSC Il IS IHUCDCHUCHl C CH8HCC CXDCIICHCCS. I.C. , Il IS DuIC SCICHCC
C IC8SCH. JHuS lHC KHCW!CU2C C OCIH2S IH 2CHCI8! |Mc|ap|,s|:a Ccoctal|s)
8HU lHC KHCW!CU2C C IlS DIIHCID!C UIVISICHS |Mc|ap|,s|:a5pc:|al|s) OCCCUC 8
SCICHCC CSl8O!ISHCU CH lHC O8SIS C UCIC IC8SCH.
PCW r8Hl 8UHCICS lC lHC DuIDCSC C lHIS UCl8DHVSICS. IHUCCU. HC SHIlS Il
SlI!! uIlHCI IH lHC UIICClICH C Mc|ap|,s|:a5pc:|al|s,WHICH HC C8!!S 8ulHCHlIC
UCl8DHVSICS. UCl8DHVSICS IH IlS HH8! CHU. !H VICW C lHC CCHSl8Hl UISC8I-
II82C C 8!! uHUCIl8KIH2S IH lHIS SCICHCC. IlS IHCCHSISlCHCV 8HU IHCHC8CV.
HCVCIlHC!CSS 8!! 8llCUDlS lC CXlCHU lHC DuIC KHCW!CU2C C IC8SCH UuSl HISl
DC HC!U D8CK uHlI! lHC OuCSlICH C lHC IHHCI DCSSIOI!IlV C lHIS SCICHCC L
C!8IiHCU. JHuS 8IISCS lHC l8SK C 8 2ICuHU-!8VIH2 IH lHC SCHSC C 8H CSSCHlI8!
UClCIUIH8lICH C UCl8DHVSICS. !CW UIU r8Hl uHUCIl8KC lHIS CSSCHlI8! UC!IUIl8-
lICH C UCl8DHVSICS!
h2. Thc Pont o[ Dcparturc [or thc Layng o[ thc Cmund
[or TradtonaI Mctaphyscs
!H UCl8DHVSICS 8S lHC DuIC. I8lICH8! KHCW!CU2C C WH8l IS CCUUCH lC
[8!!| OCIH2S.
'
'
]hc Cr|t|auc c] Purc Pcasco, hovcvcr, civcs no systcm" ol transccndcntal
philosophy, but rathcr it is a trcatisc on mcthod." In this contcxt, hovcvcr,
that docs not sicnily a doctrinc conccrninc thc tcchniquc lor procccdinc. It
sicnihcs instcad thc vorkinc out ol a complctc dctcrmination ol thc vholc
contour"andthcvholcintcrnal, articularstructurc"olontolocy nthislayinc
olthccroundlormctaphysicsaspro|cctionolthcinncrpossibilityolontolocy,
thc complctc skctch ola systcm ol mctaphysics is dravn. "
1hc intcntion olthc Cr|t|aucc] PurcPcasco, thcrclorc, rcmains lundamcn
tally misundcrstood, ilit is intcrprctcd as a thcory olcxpcricncc" or cvcn as
a thcory ol thc positivc scicnccs. ]hc Cr|t|auc c] Purc Pcasco has nothinc to
do vitha thcoryolknovlcdcc.'' Iloncccncrally could allovthc intcrprcta
tion olthc Cr|t|aucc] PurcPcasco as a thcory olknovlcdcc, thcn that vould
bc to say that itis not a thcory olontic knovlcdcc |cxpcricncc), but rathcr a
thcory ol ontolocical knovlcdcc. ut cvcn vith this conccption, alrcady lar
rcmovcd lrom thc prcvailinc intcrprctation ol thc 1ransccndcntal ^csthctic
and^nalytic,vc havcnotcncountcrcdvhatis csscntial, namcly, thatontolocy
asMctap|,s|caCcocral|s, i. c. , as thc basic part 'Cruodstc|| ol mctaphysics as
avholc, iscroundcd 'hcgraodct| ,andhcrc lorthc hrst timcitissccnlorvhat
it is. Vith thc problcm ol transccndcncc, a thcory ol knovlcdcc" is not sct
in placc olmctaphysics, but rathcr thc inncr possibility olontolocy is qucs-
tioncd.
Il its truth bcloncs to thc csscncc ol knovlcdcc, thcn thc transccndcntal
problcmolthcinncrpossibilityolapriorisynthcticknovlcdccis thc qucstion
conccrnincthc csscncc olthctrutholontolocical transccndcncc. tisa mattcr
oldctcrmininc thc csscncc ol transccndcntal truth, vhich prcccdcs all cm-
pirical truth and makcs it possiblc. " Ior no knovlcdcc can contradict it
vithoutlosincall contcnt at thc samc timc, i . c. , all rclation toany ob|cct and
conscqucntly all truth. " Cntic truth ncccssarily ad|ustsitscllto thc ontoloc-
ical. ^ccordincly, thc lccitimatc intcrprctation olthc scnsc olthc Copcrnican
Rcvolution" is rcncvcd. cncc, vith this rcvolution ant lorccs thc problcm
ol ontolocy to ccntcr stacc. othinc can bc prcsupposcd on bchall ol thc
problcmatic ol thc possibility lor oricinal, ontolocical truth, lcast ol all thc
!. A 85| . 87J A 27, J0Jscc aso Locrdic Iortchrittc, pp 2J8, 2J, 29, J0! .
!7. ! l J
! 8. ii.
!9. iii.
20 A !, !85
2! A 2|., 87
!2 Kant and thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics | ! 7-!BI
]a:|umolthctrutholthcpositivcscicnccs. Cnthccontrary thccround-layinc
must pursuc thc a priori synthcsis cxclusivcy in itscll, pursuc it to thc sccd
'Kc|| vhich providcs its cround and vhich aovs that synthcsis to dcvclop
into vhat it is |alovs it t obc possiblc in csscncc).
rom thc clcar insicht into thc pcculiarity ol a layinc ol thc cround lor
mctaphysics Kant says ol thc ||auc c]Putc Pcasco ]his vork is dilhcut
and dcmands a rcadcr rcsovcd to think himscll cradually into a systcm in
vhichnothincyctlicsat itscround ascivcn cxccpt lorrcason itscll, and |vho|
thus sccks to dcvclop knovcdcc lrom its oricinal sccds vithout scckinc thc
support olany lact .
^22
]hus, thc task thcnariscs olshovinc hov this dcvcopmcnt ol thc possi-
biity olontolocy lm its sccds is to bc carricd out.
22. Fr|cyomcnuZucincrcJcn |n||iycn Mc|urhV:i|, s+, Wcr|c, IV, p. 2J.
0r| 1w0
LuIIVIDP Lul lHC uVIDP O lHC
LIOuD0 OI %CluDHV5IC5
In ordcr to pro|cct thc inncr possibility ol ontolocical knovlcdcc, vc must
hrst havc opcncd up a vicv into thc dimcnsion olcoinc back 'D|cos|codcs
Pac|gaogs to thc cround vhich supports thc possibility olvhat vc arc scck
inc in its csscntial constitution. ov, it is thc ncccssary latc ol any rca
incursion into a hithcrto conccacd hcld that at hrst it is dctcrmincd littlc by
littlc. " In thc coursc olthc advancc itscll, thc dircction olan approach is hrst
consolidatcd and thc lcasibility ol thc path is dcvclopcd. cncc, il thc hrst
incursion lrom thc sccurity and unvavcrinc dircctivc lorcc P|c|||ta]| olthc
crcativc opcnincup rcmains opcrativc, thcn to bccin vith vc arc lackinc an
cxplicit, systcmatic uprootinc and markinc ol thc hcld. Indccd, Critiquc
rcquircs knovlcdcc ol thc sourccs, and Rcason must knov itscll "` ^nd
ccrtainly it is throuch thc Critiquc that ant hrst laboriously cxtractcd this
most oricinal scll-knovinc olRcason.
]hc lollovinc intcrprctation, on thc othcr hand, must cxplicitlyinsurc thc
cuidincvicvinadvanccandsoanticipatcthc mainstaccsolthcinncrproccs
sion olthc vholc ol thc crund-layinc, bccausc it |th intcrprctation is not
yctandnolonccrinposscssionolthcoricinaldircctivclorccolthcpro|cctinc.
clorc vc allovthc carryinc-out olthc layinc ol thccroundlor mctaphysics
to bc pcrlormcd, vc must sccurc thc vicv ol that dimcnsion ol thc cround-
layincvhich cocs back. "]his part is thus dividcd into tvo scctions
^. ]hcCharactcrization olthcOimcnsionoloinc-ack |nccdcd lorCar-
ryinc Cut thc ayinc olthc roundlorMctaphysics.
2J. Kunt: hunJ:chrIr|ichcr uch|u, voI. , Mctaphysk tOcs. chrItcn, cd. Frcu. Akad. d.
Vsscnscha|cn III. 5. )!928, Nr. +892.Scc.Erdmann,c|cioncnKuntsur|tischcnFhi|osorhic,
II, 2I 7.
! J
! Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs |20-2! I
8 1hc Staccs ol Carryinc Cut thc Irojcction ol thc Inncr Iossibility ol
Cntolocy.
A. 1HE CHARAC1ERIZA1IN I 1HE DIMENSIN I
CINC-ACK |NEEDEDI IR CARRYINC I1 1HE LAYINC
I 1HE CRIND IR ME1AFHYSICS
1hc task is thc csscntial dctcrmination ol ontolocical knovlcdcc throuch
clucidation ol its oricin in thc sccd vhich makcs it possiblc. ]o that cnd,
clarity must prcvail hrst and lorcmost vith rcspcct to thc csscncc olknovl-
cdcc in ccncral, vith rcspcct to thc placc and manncr olits hcld oloricin. In
thc prcvious intcrprctation ol thc Cr|||auc c] PurcPcasco, it is prcciscly thc
prcliminaryand sulhcicntcharactcrizationolthc oricinal dimcnsionthatvas
undulyncclcctcdorvasmisintcrprctcd.1hcrclorc,aproductivcappropriation
|Aoc|gouog ol its lundamcntal tcndcncy throuch a dctcrmination ol thc in-
tcntions ol thc vork, vhich lluctuatc in any casc, cannot succccd. 1occthcr
vith thc charactcrizationolthc hcld ol oricin, vc mustalso allov thc manncr
olthc unvcilinc ol thc oricin to bc charactcrizcd in its pcculiarit
! 1HE ESSEN1IAL CHARAC1ERIS1ICS
I 1HE IIELD I RICIN
h1. Thc Lsscncc o[ KnowIcdgc n CcncmI
ant docs not discuss thc csscntial charactcristics ol thc hcld ol oricin
cxplicitly or thcmatically, instcad, hc takcs thcm lor crantcd in thc scnsc ol
scll-cvidcnt prcsuppositions. " 1his is all thc morc rcason vhythc intcrprc-
a. DcvcIop morc prcciscybyprocccding |rom thc diIcrcncc bctwccn knowcdgc |Lrrcnn|nis
as rc-rrcscn|iny | \or-s|c||cn| and as Know|cJyc | Wisscn| knowIcdgc |Lrrcnn|nis| as KnowIcdgc
| Wisscn| o| thc gudng conccpt scc VS ! 9J5J Dic Fruyc nuch Jcm Diny. Zu Kun|s hrc von
Jcn|runszcnJcn|u|cn OrunJsd|zcn. GA vo ! p. !J|. |Whu| Is u Thiny, tr. V arton andV
Dcutsch South cnd Gatcway, I 97), p. !J2|| -tr
b. Scc p. !B. Thc rc|crcncc sto Hcidcgcrs notc "c" on at pagc-tr.
h1. |2I -22I ! J
tation shoud not bc pcrmittcd to ovcrok thc prcviously vorkcdout lunc-
tion olthcsc assumptions. "]hcycanbc summarizcd in thc thcsis
]hccround lorthc sourcc '0ucllgruod| lorayincthc croundlormctaphys-
ics is humanpurc rcason, so that it is prcciscly thc humanncss olrcason, i . c. ,
its hnitudc, vhich vilbccsscntia lor thc corc olthis problcmatic olcround
ayinc. cncc, it is vorthvhic lor thc charactcrization ol thc hcld ol oricin
to conccntratc on thc carihcation ol thc csscncc ol thc hnitudc ol human
knovcdcc. ]his hnitudc ol rcason, hovcvcr, in no vay consists only or
primariy in thc lact that human knovinc dcmonstratcs many sorts ol
dchcicncics such as instability, imprccision, and |thc potcntial lor makincl
crrors. Rathcr, this hnitudc lics in thc csscntial structurc olknovcdcc itscll.
]hc tactica imitcdncss olknovcdcc is hrst and lorcmost a conscqucncc ol
this csscncc.
In ordcr to sct lorth thc csscncc ol thc hnitudc ol knovcdcc, a ccncral
charactcrization olthc csscncc olknovinc is rcquircd. ^rcadyinthis rccard,
vhat ant says in thc hrst scntcncc olthc thcmatic discussion in thc Cr|t|auc
c]PurcPcascoisusuay appraiscdmuch tooichty nvhatcvcrmanncrand
byvhatcvcrmcansaknovinc'c|ocLr|cooto|s| mayrclatc to objccts, |otu|t|co
is that throuch vhich it rclatcs itscllimmcdiatcy to thcm, and upon vhich
althoucht as a mcans is dircctcd. "'
n ordcr to undcrstand thc Cr|t|auc c] Purc Pcasco this point must bc
hammcrcd in, so to spcak knovinc is primarily intuitinc. Irom this it at
oncc bccomcs ccar that thc ncv intcrprctation ol knovlcdcc as |udcinc
thinkinc) violatcs thc dccisivc scnsc olthc antian problcm. ^ll thinkinc is
mcrclyinthc scrvicc olintuition.]hinkinc isnot simpyaloncsidc intuition,
aso" at hand, but rathcr, accordinc to its ovn inhcrcnt structurc, it scrvcs
2 A l 9, JJ cmphasis by Kant himscI|).
c. human
d. Scc CFR, J0 prority o|intuition Scc | Ubcr Jicl For|:chi||c Mcincr). p. ! 57.
c. csscntiaIIy Scc p J Scc p. 7. Thc rc|crcncc i sactuay toHcidcggcr marginaI notc "b"
onthatpagc-tr.
|. Scc p !7, "propcrIy spcaking |Thc rc|crcncc is to Hcidcgcr marginaI notc on that
pagc-tr.-whatdocsthismcan ntuitinghcrcmcansthcbcingitscI|hu:bccnmuJcuccurcn|ua
whathasbccn|u|cnin|romwhatisthcrc |-nchmcnJc:| . Knowing| Lr|cnncnl is"primariIy,"i. c. ,
hrstand|orcmost,accordingtothcyrounJo|itscsscnccashnitc)thinkingbcIongs,as somcthing
:cconJu, toprcciscIy |hi: c::cncc, onIy |or that rcason is it somcthing primary ut "sccondary"
is mcant hcrc in thcscnsc o| thc structurc o|thc construction o|thc csscncc, notinthc popuIar
scnsco|"|undamcntaIIysupcr|Iuous.Frcciscybccauscknowingiscrimuri|Vintuition,unin|ui|iny
u|onc is ncvcr |or us knowcdgc In that rcgard, scc thc samc rcIativity with rcspcct to thc
Transccndcnta Acsthctic, p. 7
g. Scc 2I9 Vn|hc|ic untyi nunV consciousncssas"whatisc::cn|iu| inanyknowIcdgc o|thc
ob|cc|o|thc scnscs."ut"synthcsis"thcrc isstiI scrvitudc, i . c. , knowIcdgchcrcisc::cn|iu||V1ni|c.
hinking is ony csscntiaI bccausc intuition as cttingbccncountcrcd isnJumcn|u||V c::cn|iu|
|OrunJwc:cn||ichl . To bc surc, undcrstanding surpasscs intuition-in its nitudc and nccdincss.
An thc grcatcr|hi: priority,aII thc morcunconditionaI thc dcpcndcncyuponintuition. A thc
Icss |rcason todisconncctthcm.
I Kaht ahd thc FmbIcm O MctaphysIcs | 22-2I
that to vhich intuition is primarIyandconstanty dircctcd. Il thinkinc is to
bc csscntiay rcativc to intuition, hovcvcr, thcn both intuition and thinkinc
must havc a ccrtain inhcrcnt rcationship that aovs thcir unihcation. ]his
rcationship, this dcsccndcncy lrom thc samc cass |ccnus), is cxprcsscd in
thc lact that lorboth ol thcm `Pcprcsco|a||coinccncra |rcpracsco|a||c)"isthc
spccics."
In thc hrst pacc, rcprcscntation" hcrc has thc broad, lorma scnsc accord-
inc to vhich onc thinc indicatcs, announccs, prcscnts anothcr. Mov this
rcprcscntinc can bc such that it takcs pacc vith consciousncss." ]hcrc
bconcs to it a knovcdcc ol thc announcinc and ol thc havnc-bccn-an
nounccd by somcthinc |pcrccp||c) Mov ilthc rcprcscntincolsomcthinc oc
curs throuch somcthinc othcr than thc rcprcscntinc, so that thc rcprcscntcd
in this rcprcscntinc is instcad rcprcscntcd as such |i. c. , consciousy"), thcn
such a rcprcscntinc is a rclcrrinc to vhat prcscnts itscl as such in thc rcprc-
scntinc. In this scnsc olobjcctivc pcrccption, " knovcdcc is a rcprcscntinc.
]hc knovinc rprcscntinciscithcr intuition or conccpt ||o|u||usvclccoccp
ms) " ]hc lormcr rcatcs immcdiatcy to thc ob| cct and is sincc, thc attcr
rclcrs to it mcdiatcy by mcans ol a lcaturc vhich scvcra thincs can havc in
common. ' ^ccordinc to thc hrst scntcncc ol thc Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco
quotcd abovc, knoinc is a thinkinc intuitinc. ]hinkinc, hovcvcr, is in
ccncra rcprcscntinc," it is in thc scrvicc ony ol that particuar ob|cct or ol
thc concrctc bcinc itscl in its immcdiacy and it is to bc madc acccssibc to
cvcryonc. Lach olthcsc tvo intuitionand thinkinc isindccd rcprcscntation,
but is not yct knovcdcc. "
"
Irom this onc coud concudc that a rcciproca and indccd luy baanccd
rcationship prcvais bctvccn intuitincand thinkinc. ^s a rcsut, onc maysay
vIth cquajustihcation. knovincis intuitivc thinkinc, and thusatbottom |m
Ctuodc is ccrtainy|udcmcnt.
Incontrast tothis, hovcvcr,vcmustmaintainthatintuition constitutcsthc
authcntic csscncc ol knovcdcc and that, dcspitc thc rcciprocity ol thc rca-
tionship bctvccn intuitinc and thinkinc, |intuition docs posscss authcntic
importancc. ]hisstands out ccary butnot|ust onthcbasisolKant'scxpana-
tion, quotcd abovc, vhichcmphasizcs thcvord Intuition. " Rathcr, onyvith
this intcrprctation ol knovcdcc is it aso possibc to crasp vhat is csscntia
in this dchnition, namcy, thc hnitudc olknovcdcc. ]hat hrstscntcncc olthc
Cr|||aucc]PurcPcascois arcady no onccra dchnition olknovIncin ccncra,
25. A J20, J|.
2. Ibid.
2. Ibid.
2B. crJicFor|schri||c, p. J! 2.
h. Scc A 2I , J2 comparing Lockc and Lcibniz, scnsibiIity and undcrstanding arc "two
compIctcIy diIcrcnt sourccs o|rcprcscntations.
h1. |21-2JI ! 7
but rathcr is arcady thc dctcrminatIon o l thc csscncc ol human knovcdcc.
Cn thc othcr hand, any knovcdcc ol vhat conccrns man In dIstinction
lrom od oranothcr hIchcr spirIt' consists olconccpt and intuItion. "
hc csscncc ol hnitc human knovcdcc Is Iustratcd by thc contrast bc-
tvccn it and thc idca ol inhnitc dIvInc knovcdcc, or |o|u||us cg|oaus
his |syn-
thcss coincdcsvth thc abovcmcntioncdbrincinclorvard"olthc rclcvant
dctcrminatcncss olthc bcincs thcmsclvcs.
]hinkincvhich unitcs vith intuiion in thc vcritativc synthcsis, hovcvcr, L
nov and lor its part namcly, |udcinca unilyinc |synthcsis) in anothcr
scnsc. Kant says. ^|udcmcnt is thc rcprcscntation ola unityolthc conscious-
ncss olvariousrcprcscntations, orthc rcprcscntationolthc rclationshipbctvccn
thc samc, insolar as thcy constitutc a conccpt. "`'udcmcnts arc lunctions ol
unity" i. c , a rcprcscntinc olthcunilyincunity olconccpts in thcircharactcr as
prcdicatcs. ]his unilyInc rcprcscntinc vc namc prcdicativc synthcsis.
]hc prcdicativc synthcsis, hovcvcr, docs notcoincidcvith thatunilyinc in
vhichjudcincprcscntsitscllasthc|oinincolsubjcctand prcdicatc. ]hislattcr
synthcsis olsub|cct and prcdicatc vc namc thc apophantic
^ccordincly, in thc vcritativc sythcsis, vhich in ccncral constitutcs thc
csscncc ol hnitc knovlcdcc, thc prcdicativc synthcsis and thc apophantical
synthcsis arc ncccssarilyjoincd toccthcr into a structural unity olsynthcscs
Mov, ilonc maintains that thc csscncc olknovlcdcc accordinc to Kant is
synthcsis," thcn this thcsis still says nothinc as lonc as thc cxprcssion syn-
thcsis is allovcd to rcmain in ambicuous indctcrminacy
Iinitc intuition, as somcthinc innccd oldctcrmination, is dcpcndcnt upon
thc undcrstandinc, vhich not onlybcloncs to thc hnitudc olintuition, but is
itscll still morc hnitc in that it lacks thc immcdiacy ol hnitc intuitinc. Its
J. A B, 9J.
J7. Scc I . Kant. Logik. inHanuchzu\or|cungcn,cd G .schc, Wcrkc,VIII, !7. p. +08.
h. rieht hcrc. and on thc erounds that thc criticaI conccpto|udemcnt wasintroduccd
. I) Thc csscncc o|ana|,tic and s,n|hc|ir udemcnts |or thcmscvcs- thc csscncc o|ths
di||ccnc both as thc indcx o| thc nitudc o|knowcdec and o||hinking.
hJ. |2-JI I 2 !
rcprcscntInc rcquIrcs thc IndIrcctIon Umocg| ola rclcrcncc to a unIvcrsal by
mcans oland accordInctovhIchthc scvcralpartIcularsbccomc conccptually
rcprcscntablc. ]hIs cIrcuItousncss 'Umocg|g|c||| |dIscursIvcncss) vhIch bc-
loncs to thc csscncc olundcrstandInc Is thc sharpcst Indcx olIts hnItudc.
Hovcvcr,just as thcmctaphysIcal csscncc ol hnItc IntuItIon as rcccptIvIty
nov rctaIns In Itscll thc unIvcrsal, csscntIal charactcr ol IntuItIon In that It Is
cIvInc," so too thc hnItudc ol thc undcrstandInc also IndIcatcs somcthInc
morc olthc csscncc olabsolutc knovlcdcc, namcly an orIcInal IntuItIon an
IntuItIon vhIchlctssomcthIncsprinc lorth. '' Inand throuch IntuItInc, thIs
|oricInal IntuItIon hrstbrIncs lorth thc IntuItablc bcInclrom out olItscll. Cl
courscthc undcrstandInc, rclatcdto hnItcIntuItIonasI tI s, I snomorccrcatIvc
than Is IntuItIon . It ncvcr produccs thc bcInc, but rathcr, as dIstInct lrom
thc takInc-InstrIdc" ol an IntuItInc, It Is a typc olbrincInc-lorth. Cl coursc,
judcmcntaboutbcIncs docs notsImplybrinclorth thc unIvcrsal In vhIchthc
IntuItcd comcs to bc conccptually rcprcscntcd. In tcrms ol Its contcnt, thc
unIvcrsal Is dcrivcd lrom thc IntuItablc. Cnly thc manncrIn vhIch thIs con-
tcnt as a comprchcnsIvclycraspcd unIty applIcs to many Is thc rcsult olthc
undcrstandInc.
In producInc thc lorm ol thc conccpt, thc undcrstandInc hclps to sct lorth
|hc|s|lco| thc contcnt ol thc objcct. In thIs sort ol scttInc" '5|lcos, thc
pcculIar rc-prcscntInc ' \ct-s|lco olthInkInc rcvcals Itscll.'' ]hc mctaphysI-
cal csscncc olthc undcrstandInc, vhIch Is productIvc" In thIs vay, comcsto
bc codctcrmIncd throuch thIs charactcr olthc lrom out ol Itscll" |sponta-
ncIty), but vithout ccttIncto thc hcart olthc mattcr.
]hchnItudc olknovlcdcchasbccncharactcrizcdhIthcrto as IntuItIon that
takcs thIncs In strIdc and that Is thcrclorc thInkInc. ]hIs clarIhcatIon ol
hnItudc took placc vIth rclcrcncc to thc strcturc ol knovInc. y virtuc ol
thc lundamcntal sIcnIhcancc vhIch hnItudc has lor thc problcmatIc ol thc
layinc olthc cround lormctaphysIcs, thc csscncc olhnItc knovlcdcc should
comc to bc IllumInatcd lrom stIll anothcr sIdc, namcly vith a vIcv tovard
vhat Is knovablc In such knovlcdcc.
IlhItc knovlcdccsIntuItIonthattakcsthIncsInstrIdc, thcnthcknovablc
must shov Itscll lrom Itscll. Vhat hnItc knovlcdcc can makc manIlcst lrom
thIs IscsscntIally thc bcIncvhIchshovs Itscll,I . c. , thc appcarInc, appcarancc.
]hc tcrm appcarancc" mcans thc bcInc Itscll as objcct ol hnItc knovlcdcc.
Morc prccIscly statcd only lor hnItc knovlcdcc Is thcrc anythInc at all lIkc
an objcct. It alonc Is dclIvcrcd ovcr to thc bcInc vhIch alrcady Is. InhnItc
togcthcr |Thisnotationiskcycd to thc Gcrman word Stc||cns, which I havctransatcd as
"sctting," as in "sctting |onh", but it is aIso thc "prcscnting" |stc||cn') in "rc-prcscnting" |vor-
stc||cn) a|cwwords atcron. ThcGcrman notation issimpIy thcprchxZu-."which woud rcsut
in thc word Zu-stc||cns" |atachcd as indicatcd. In this contct, Zu-stc||cns shouId bc transIatcd
as somcthing Iikc thc "sctting-togcthcr"-tr.
Oo|cctivit, is 8cing 5c,n| | inthc cmpiricaI scnsc
22 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs 'J ! -J2l
knovlcdcc, hovcvcr, cannot bc opposcd by any such bcinc to vhich it must
conlorm. Such conlorminc-to . . . vould bc a dcpcndcncy-on . . . , and
thcrclorc hnitudc. Inhnitc knovinc is an intuitinc vhich as such allovs thc
bcinc itscll to stand lorth. ^bsolutc knovinc discloscs thc bcinc |in thc act
ol lcttinc-stand-lorth and posscsscs it in cvcry casc only" as that vhich
stands lorth in thc lcttinc-standlorth, i. c. , it is discloscd as a thinc vhich
stands lorth 'als Lot-staod| Insolar as thc bcinc is discloscd lor absolutc
intuition, it is" prciscly in its cominc-intocinc. It is thc bcinc as bcincin
itscl, i . c. , notas obj cct. Strictly spcakinc, thcrclorc, vc do notrcallyhitupon
thc csscncc olinhnitc knovlcdcc ilvc say this intuitinc ishrst produccd in
thc intuitinc ol thc objcct. "
]hc bcinc inthcappcarancc" isthc samc bcincas thc bcincinitscll, and
thisalonc.^sa bcinc, it alonc can bccomc anobjcct, althouchonlylorahnitc
|act ol knovlcdcc. Mcvcrthclcss, it rcvcals itscll in accordancc vIth thc man-
ncr and scopc olthc ability that hnitc knovlcdcc has at its disposal to takc
thincs in stridc and to dctcrminc thcm.
Kant uscs thc cxprcssionappcarancc" in a narrovcr and in avidcrscnsc.
^ppcaranccs inthc vidcr scnsc |phcnomcna) arc a kind olobjcct,"
"
namcly,
thc bcinc itscllvhich hnitc knovinc, as thinkinc intuition that takcs thincs
instridc,makcsapparcnt.^ppcaranccinthcnarrovcr scnsc mcans thatvhich
|in appcarancc in thc vidcr scnsc) is thc cxclusivc corrclatc ol thc allcction
that is strippcd olthinkinc |dctcrmininc) and thatbcloncs to hnitc intuition
thc contcnt olcmpirical intuition. ]hc undctcrmincd objcct 'Ccgcostaod| ol
an cmpirical intuition is callcd appcataocc ^ppcarinc mcans to bc an
Cbjcct ' Dhc|t| olcmpirical intuition.
to physical bcincs
vhicharc at hand, thc othcrcrants it. Hovcan thcsc contradictory asscrtions
bcrcconcilcd` IlKant rcduccstimc aspurcintuitiontothccivcnsolthc inncr
scnscs, i. c , to rcprcscntations in thc broadcst scnsc, thcn in this rcduction
lics an cxtcnsion olprcisclythc possibc scopc vithin vhich itcan lunction
asthcprcliminaryvayolintuitinc.^moncthcrcprcscntationsarcloundthosc
vhich, as rcprcscntations, also alovbcincs to bc cncountcrcd vhich arc not
thcsamc as thc rcprcscntinccrcaturc itscll. Hcncc, Kants rcllcctions takc this
path
ccausc al rcprcscntations, as statcs ol rcprcscntinc, lal immcdiatcly in
timc, vhat is rcprcscntcd in rcprcscntinc bcloncs as such in timc. y thc
dicrcssion into thc immcdiatc vithintimc-ncss ol rcprcscntinc, a mcdiatc
vIthin-timcncss olvhatisrcprcscntcd, i.c. , olthosc rcprcscntations" dctcr
mincdthrouchcxtcrnascnsc, iscivcn. Hcncc, sincc thccxtcmalappcaranccs
arconlymcdiatclyvIthintimc,inoncscnscthcdctcrminationoltimcbconcs
to thcmandin anothcr scnsc it docs not. ]hc arcumcntlrom thcvithintimc-
ncss ol thc cxtcrnal intuitincs as a psychic cvcnt to thc vithintimc-ncss ol
vhat is intuitcd in thcsc intuitincs, bccomcs csscntiay lacilitatcd lor Kant
throuchthcambicuityolthccxprcssionintuition,"orrathcrrcprcscntation. "
Cnthc onc hand, thc cxprcssions mcan statcsol mind, butat thc samc timc
thcy mcan that vhich thcy, as such statcs, havc as thcir objccts.
Vhcthcr this croundinc olthc univcrsality oltimc as purc intition, and
vith it thc croundinc ol its ccntral ontolocica lunction, continucs to bc
valid and canbc dccisivc must hcrc rcmain opcn lor thc prcscnt, as must thc
qucstion ol vhcthcr spacc as purc intuition vas thcrcby displaccd lrom a
possiblc ccntral ontoocical lunction.
Ilin ccncral thc croundinc olthc univcrsality oltimc as purc intuition is
to bc possiblc, this canonlyhappcnilit can b shovn that althouchspacc
and timc as purc intuitions bothbclonc to thc subjcct," timc dvclls in thc
subjcct in a morc oricinal vay than spacc. ]imc immcdiatcly rcduccd to thc
civcns ol inncr scnsc, hovcvcr, is at thc samc timc ony onto ocicaly morc
univcrsalilthc subjcctivityolthc subjcctcxistsinthcopcnncss lor thc bcinc.
]hc morc subjcctivc timc is, thc morc oricina and cxtcnsivc is thc cxpansivc-
ncss 'Lo|sc|to|uog olthc subjcct.
]hcunivcrsal ontolocicallunctionthatKantassicnstotimcatthcbccinninc
. Scc sJ5bcIo p. ! J7||
J Kant and thc FrobIcm ol Mctaphysics | J0-J2
o| thc cround-ayinc can hcncc ony bc su|hcicntly justihcd bccausc it is
prcciscly timc itscl|, and indccd timc in its ontolocica |unction |i.c. , ascsscn-
tia bit o| purc ontoocica knovcdcc), vhich |orccs us to dctcrminc thc
csscncc o| subjcctivity in a morc oricinal vay'
]hc ]ransccndcnta ^csthctic" has as its task to sct |orth thc ontolocical
vhich makcs it possibc to discosc a priori" thc cinc o|bcincs.
]o thc cxtcnt that intuition rctains thc cadinc roc in all knovcdcc onc o|
thc picccs rcquircd |or thc solution o| thc ccncral probcm o| transccndcntal
philosophy" |Cntoocy) has bccn attaincd.
]o vhatcvcr sma dccrcc purc intuitionascsscntia clcmcnt o|ontolocica
knovcdcc bccins to dissipatc, cvcn in thc slichtcst, thcn to just as smal a
dccrcc can thc isoatcd intcrprctation o|onc o| thcsc ccmcnts, alrcady in its
ccmcntary |unction, bc madc visibc. It is not thc climination o| thc ]ran
sccndcnta^csthctic asa provisional occurancc o|thc problcm,but rathcrthc
prcscrvation and rchninc o| its problcmatic vhich must bc thc most propcr
coa |or thc cound-layinc vhich Kant carricd out, providcd that it is ccrtain
o|its ovn task.
irst o|all, hovcvcr, by ookincat it in thc samc vayand isoatinc it vc
must sct |orth thc sccond csscntial ccmcnt o| purc hnitc knovlcdcc purc
thinkinc.
) FLkl THlNKlNG lN FlNl1l KNOWlNG
h1 1 . Thc Purc Concqt o[ Undcrstandng |Noton}
]hc othcr ccmcnt in thc hnitudc o|human knovlcdcc is thinkinc vhich,
as dctcrminativcrcprcscntinc, is dircctcd tovardvhat is intuitcd in intuition
and thus is in scrvicc to intuition aonc. ]hc objcct o|an intuition, vhich is
avays a particuar, is ncvcrthclcss dctcrmincd as such and such" in a uni-
vcrsa rcprcscntation," i .c. , in thc conccpt. ]hc hnitudc o|thinkincintuition
is thcrc|orc a knovinc throuch conccpts, purc knovinc is purc intuition
throuch purc conccpts. It is a mattcr o| cxhibitinc this i| thc |ul csscntia
cxistcncc o|purc knovlcdcc in ccncral is to bc sccurcd. In ordcr to bc abc
7. Scc sJ+ bcIow, p !J2.
B. 7J.
hI I . |J2-JJI J7
to hnd such purc conccpts, hovcvcr, vhat i s rcquircd hrst ol a i s thc
carihcation o|vhat is bcinc soucht undcr this namc.
In thc rcprcscntinc ola indcn, a bccch or a hr as a trcc, lor cxampc, thc
particuar vhich is intuitcd as such and such a thinc is dctcrmincd on thc
basis ola rc|crcncc to thc sort ol thincvhich appics lor many" Indccd, this
appicabiityto many |instanccs charactcrizcsarcprcscntationasconccpt,but
ncvcrthccss it docs not yct hit upon its oricina csscncc. Ior its part, thcn,
thisappicabiity to many | instanccs as a dcrivativccharactcriscroundcd in
thc|act thatrcprcscntcd inthc conccpt is thc onc 'dasL|oc invhichscvcra
objccts acrcc. Conccptua rcprcscntinc is thc aovinc ol thc acrccmcnt o|
manyinthis onc. ]hc oncncssolthisonc mustbcanticipativcykcpt invicv
in conccptua rcprcscntinc, thcrc|orc, and it must aov lor a asscrtions
conccrninc thc many vhich arc dctcrminativc. ]his prciminary kccpinc in
vicvolthc onc vithin vhichthcmanyshoud bc abc to acrcc is thc basic
acto|thclormincola conccpt. KantcasitRclcction. " Itisthcdcibcration
vhcrcbyvariousrcprcscntationscanbccraspcdinonc consciousncss."Such
dcibcratinc achicvcs a unity vhich as such cncompasscs many, so that vith
rc|crcncc to this oncncss thc many can bc ikcncd to onc anothcr compari-
son). ^t thc samc timc,vhat isnot in accordvith thc onc thathas bccn hcd
ottousis disrccardcd|abstractioninthcKantianscnsc).Vhatisrcprcscntcd
in conccptua rcprcscntinc is a rcprcscntation |osc]atas ||caohccmhcd|cd|o
vat|cus |||ogs " In thc conccpt, somcthincis notsimpy rcprcscntcd vhich
tacticay bconcs to many instcad it is this bconcinc, inso|ar as it bconcs,
i. c. , in its oncncss, vhich is rcprcscntcd . Vhat is thus rcprcscntcd as this
cncompassinc onc is thc conccpt, and thus Kant richty says It is a mcrc
tautoocy to spcak olunIvcrsa or common conccpts. "
ccausc thc rcprcscntation is lormcd into a conccpt in thc basic act o|thc
prciminary kccpinc-in-vicv o|thc onc vhich appics to many i . c. , in rclcc-
tion accordinc to Kant, thc conccpts aso arc cacd rclcctcd, i . c. , |thcy arc
rcprcscntations vhich sprinc |orth |rom rclcction. ]hc conccptua charactcr
ola rcprcscntation-vhat is rcprcscntcd in it has thc lorm o|thc onc vhich
appicstomanysprincs lorthcachtimc|romrclcction. Hovcvcr,accordinc
to thc contcnt o|thc dctcrminativc onc, this ariscs lor thc most part|romthc
cmpirica intuitincvhich comparcs andvhich cams |rom that. ]hc oricin o|
thc contcnt 'wasgc|al|' ' o|such cmpirica conccpts is hcncc no probcm.
ndcr thc hcadinc purc conccpt," hovcvcr, a rclcctcd" rcprcscntation
vassouchtvhosc contcnt ' wasgc|al| csscntiay cannotbcrcad lromappcar-
anccs. ^so, its contcnt |lo|al| must bc obtainabc a priorI. Conccpts vhich
9. Lgikvor|csung, VIII, s, p. +02.
70. Ibid. , sI,notc I . p. J99.
7! . Ibid. , notc 2.
JB Kant and thc Froblcm ol MctaphysIcs | JJ-JJI
arc also civcn thcir contcnt ' lo|al|| a priori, Kant calls notions, ccoccp|usda||
aptc'
^rc thcrc suchconccpts`^rc thcylound alrcadyprcparcd inhumanundcr-
standinc` Hov can thc undcrstandinc bc capablc olcivinc a contcnt ' wasgc-
|al|| vhcrc it is only an cmpty lunction ol bindinc-toccthcr, dircctly dcpcn-
dcnt on thc civcn Intuition` ^nd cansucha vhat c|osclc|cswas| vhichvas
rcprcscntcd as civcn comc to bc lound complctcly In thc undcrstandincil, as
itshould happcn, it is isolatcd prcciscly lrom all intuitIon` Ilthc undcrstand-
inc itscll is to bc thc oricin not only ol thc lorm ol cvcry conccpt as such,
but also olthc contcnt oldctcrminatc conccpts, thcn thIsoricin can onlylIc
in thc basic act olconccptlormation as such, in rclcctIon.
Lvcrydctcrmininc olsomcthincassomcthincudcinc) includcsthcunity
ol thc act ol ordcrInc varIous rcprcscntatIons undcr a common onc."'` ]his
act olrcllcctinc unilyinc, hovcvcr, is only possiblc in this vay ilIn itscll itIs
alrcady cuidcd by thc prcliminary rclcrcncc to a unity in licht ol vhich a
unilyincinccncral is possiblc. ]hc rclcctinc itscll, quitc apartlromvhatcvcr
conccpt arIscs lrom its action, Is alrcady thc prcliminary rcprcscntinc ol a
unity vhich, as such, cidcs thc unihcation. Il, accordincly, thc rcprcscntinc
ol unity lics in thc rcllcctinc itscll, thcn this mcans. rcprcscntinc ol unity
bcloncs to thc csscntial structurc ol thc basIc act olundcrstandinc.
]hc csscncc ol undcrstandinc is oricInal comprchcndinc orcraspinc. ]hc
rcprcscntations ol thc cuidinc unity lic alrcady prcparcd in thc structurc ol
thc act olundcrstandincasrcprcscntincunihcation. ]hcsc rcprcscntcdunitics
arc thc contcnt 'lo|al|| olthc purcconccpts. ]hc contcnt ' wasgc|al|| olthcsc
conccpts is thc unity vhich in cach casc makcs a unIhcation possiblc. ]hc
rcprcscntinc ol thcsc unitics is In Itscll alrcady conccptual a priori on thc
crounds olits spccihc contcnt 'lo|al|s| . ]hc purc conccpt no lonccr nccd bc
cndovcd vith a conccptual lorm, itis itscll this lorm in an oricinal scnsc.
Hcncc thc purc conccpts do not hrst arisc bymcans olan actolrcllcction,
thcyarcnotrcllcctcd conccpts. Rathcr,thcybcloncinadvancc tothccsscntial
structurc ol rcllcction, i. c. , thcy arc rcprcscntations vhich act in, vith, and
lor rcllcction, I . c. , rclcctincconccpts. ^ll conccpts ccncrally, no mattcr lrom
vhcrc thcy may takc thcirmatcrial '5|c| , arc rcllcctcd, i . c. , rcprcscntation|sl
raiscd to thc locicalrclation ol ccncral applIcabIlIty ct thcrc arc conccpts,
thc cntircscnsc olvhichistobcnothincothcrthanonc rcllcction oranothcr,
to vhich occurrinc rcprcscntations can bc sub|cct. ]hcy can bc callcd con
ccpts olrclcction |ccoccp|ustccc|co|cs) and bccausc cvcry kind olrclcction
occurs in|udcmcnts, so thcy bccomc thc mcrc actIon ol thc undcrstandinc
72. Ibid., . p. 0! Scc asoA J20, J77.
7J. A B, 9J.
a. asic act -rcprcscntine unt,~gathcring
hI 2. |JJ-Jc| J9
vhIch, inthc |udcmcnts applicd to thc rclation, arc apprchcndcd absolutcly
in thcmsclvcs as crounds lor thc possIbIlIty ol|udcinc."
Hcncc thcrc arcpurcconccptsInthcundcrstandincassuch,andthcanalysis
olthc laculty olundcrstandinc itscll" must brinc to licht thcsc rcprcscntations
vhicharc co-constitutIvc olthc csscntial structurc olrclcction.
h 1Z. Notions Dntological Prcdicatcs tCatcgorics}
1hc purc undcrstandinc in Itscll yiclds a manilold, thc purc unitics ol
possiblc unihcation. ^nd il indccd thc possiblc vays ol unihcation udc-
mcnts)constItutca closcd cohcsIvcncss, i. c. , thc closcdnaturc olundcrstand-
inc Itscll, thcn in purc undcrstandincthcrc lics conccalcd a systcmatic totality
olthc manIloldncssolpurcconccpts. Hovcvcr. thIs totalItyIs thcnthcsystcm
olthosc prcdicatcsvhich lunctIon in purc knovlcdcc, i. c. , vhichstatc somc-
thinc about thc cinc ol bcIncs. 1hc purc conccpts havc thc charactcr ol
ontolocical prcdIcatcs, vhich havc bccn callcd catccorics" sincc ancicnt
timcs. 1hc 1ablc ol]udcmcnts is thus thc oricin ol thc catccorics and thcir
tabc.
1hIs orIcIn ol thc catccorics has oltcn bccn disputcd and alvays vill bc.
1hc primary ob|cction ccntcrs around thc qucstionablc naturc olthc sourcc
olthc oricIn ' tsptuogsaucllc| Itscll, around thc 1ablc ol]udcmcnts as such
and thc sulhcicncy ol its croundinc. In lact, Kant docs not dcvclop thc
manIlold naturc olthc lunctons In|udcmcnt lrom thc csscncc ol thc undcr-
standinc. Instcadhcprcscntsa hnIshcdtablcvhIchIsorcanizcd accordincto
thc lour primary momcnts" ol Cuantity, Cuality, Rclation, and Modality
Vhcthcr and thc cxtcnt to vhich thcsc lour momcnts arc croundcd In thc
csscncc olthc undcrstandinc is likcvisc not indicatcd Vhcthcr In ccncral
thcy can bc croundcd throuch purc, lormal locIc Is qucstIonablc.
Inccncral, thcn,thc charactcr olthis1ablc ol]udcmcntsIsunccrtain. Kant
hImscll vacillatcs, callinc It at tImcs a transccndcntal tablc," and at othcr
timcs a locical tablc ol|udcmcnts. " ^s such, docs not thc charcc vhich
Kant madc conccrnInc^ristotlcs 1ablc olCatccorics also apply to hIs ovn
1ablc oludcmcnts
7. rdma, Rc|cioncn , p. 55 InKants handschri|t|ichcrNach|a, voI. . o. 505 ! .
75. Logi|vor|csung, s20,p. 0B.
7. A 7J, 9B.
77. Pro|cgomcna, s2!
3. how so
b nthatrcgard sccKIauscich, Dic\o||stdndig|citdcrKantischcnUrtci|sta'c|, 9J2, scc it
rcgardmyIccturcs ad cxcrcscs |rom !929J2.
0 Kant and thc FrobIcm ol Mctaphysics | J-JB
ut i tis not tobcdccidcd hcrc vhcthcr and tovhat cxtcnt thc lrcqucnt
criticisms ol thc Kantian ]abc ol]udcmcnts arc |ustihcd and vhcthcr thcy
cvcn so much as hit upon thc dchcicncy ol thc cround. Rathcr, vc must scc
that such a critiquc ol thc ]abc ol]udcmcnts, as supposcd ritiquc ol thc
sourcc ol thc oricin ol thc catccorics, has arcady lundamcntay misscd thc
dccisivc probcm. Mot onyarcthc catccoricsnotdcduccd ahgclc||c|| tacticay
lrom thc ]abc ol ]udcmcnts, but in no vay can thcy havc conduccd
|ctgclc||c| to it,' '
' and lor this rcason. bccausc at thc prcscnt stacc ol thc
discussion ol thc isoatcd ccmcnts ol purc knovcdcc, thc csscncc and thc
idca olthc catccoryinccncra hasnotyct bccndctcrmincdand indccd cannot
cvcn bc madc into a pobcm.
ut il in principc thc qucstion conccminc thc oricin ol thc catccorics
cannot yct arisc at this point, thcn thc ]abc ol]udcmcnts must havc anothcr
lunction than that spccihcdabovc in thc prcparation olthc qucstion conccrn-
inc thc possibiity ol ontoocica knovcdcc.
It sccms casy to bc satishcd vith thc task poscd by thc hrst stacc ol thc
croundayinc,lorvhat is morcobvousthanthcccmcntsolpurcknovcdcc,
purc intuition, and thc purc conccpt, prcscntcd sidc by sidc` ct, cvcn vith
this isoation, lrom thc vcry bccinninc vc must not osc sicht ol thc lact that
purc hnitcknovcdcchasbccomcaprobcm. ]hisvassaidcaricr. thcsccond
ccmcnt, purc thinkinc, is csscntiay subscrvicnt to intuition. ^s a consc-
qucncc, dcpcndcncy on purc intuition is not sccondary or suppcmcnta to
purc thinkincbutbconcscsscntiayto it. Ilthc purc conccpt is apprchcndcd
initiay as notion, thcn thc sccond ccmcnt ol purc knovcdcc has by no
mcans yct bccn attaincd in its ccmcntary charactcr. Cn thc contrary, it has
bccn shorn ol thc dccisivc, csscntia momcnt, namcy, thc inncr rclcrcncc to
intuition. ]hc purc conccpt as notion is thcrclorc ony a lracmcnt ol thc
sccond ccmcnt olpurc knovcdcc.
^s onc aspurc undcrstandinc isvicvcd vithrccardto its csscncc, i. c. , its
purc rcatcdncss to intuition, anoricinolthc notionsasontoocicaprcdicatcs
cannotbc unvcicd at a. Hcncc thc]abc ol]udcmcntsisnotaso thc oricin
olthc catccorics," but rathcr is mcrcy thc cuidinc tcxt lor thc discovcry ol
a thc conccpts ol thc undcrstandinc. In it vc shoud hnd cidancc con-
ccrninc thc coscd totait ol purc conccpts, athouch it cannot crant thc
unvciinc ol thc lu csscncc ol thc purc conccpts as catccorics. Vhcthcr thc
]abc ol]udcmcntsas Kant introduccs and prcscnts it can indccdaso assumc
|ust this imitcd lunction ol skctchinc out a systcmatic unity ol thc purc
conccpts olthc undcrstandinc rcmains opcn hcrc
Irom vhat has bccn prcscntcd it has |ust nov bccomc ccar thc morc
radicay onc sccks to isoatc thc purc ccmcnts ola hnitc act ol knovcdcc,
thc morc compcinc bccomcs thc impossibiity olsuch an isoation and thc
morc obtrusivc is thc dcpcndcncy ol purc thinkinc on intuition. Vith that,
hovcvcr, thc artihciaity ol thc hrst point ol dcparturc lor a charactcrization
hI2. |J8-J
ol purc knovlcdcc is rcvcalcd. Iurc conccpts, thcn, can only bcdctcrmincd
asontolocical prcdicatcs ilthcyarc undcrstood as bascd on thc cssco||aluo||,
ol hnItc, purc knovlcdcc.
1HL SLCND S1ACL I 1HL CRIND-IAYlNC.
1HL LSSLN1lAI INl1Y I FIRL KNVILDCL
hcisolatcdpurc clcmcnts olpurc knovlcdcc arc timc as univcrsal, purc
intuition and thc notions as vhat is thoucht in purc thinkinc. Il, hovcvcr,
thc considcration vhich isolatcs thc clcmcnts isnot cvcn allovcd to comprc-
hcnd thcm lully as such, thcn itis all thc morc likcly thatvcvill notbc ablc
to achIcvc its unity throuch a supcrvcnicnt linkinc ol thc isolatcd parts. 1hc
problcm ol thc csscntial unity ol purc knovlcdcc is madc morc prccisc,
hovcvcr, ilvc do not allov thc mattcr to rcst vith thc nccativc charactcrIza-
tion that this unity cannot bc a bond strctchInc bctvccn thc clcmcnts vhich
is mcrclyan altcrthoucht.
hc hnitudc ol knovlcdcc dircctly dcmonstratcs a pcculiar inncr dcpcn-
dcncyolthinkincuponintuition, orconvcrscly a nccdlorthc dctcrmination
ol thc lattcr by thc lormcr. hc pull ol thc clcmcnts tovard onc anothcr
indicatcsthat thcirunitycannotbc latcr" thanthcyarc thcmsclvcs,but rathcr
that It must havc applicd to thcm carlicr" and must havc laid thc cround lor
thcm. hIs unity unitcs thc clcmcnts as oricinal in such a vay that cvcn at
hrstin thcunitinc, thc clcmcnts as suchsprInclorth, and throuch it thcyarc
maintaincd In thcir unIty In spitc olhis point oldcparturc lrom thc isolatcd
clcmcnts, to vhatcxtcntdocs Kant ncvcrthclcss succccdinmakincthisoric-
inal unity visiblc`
Kant civcs thc hrst charactcriatIon ol thc orIcInal, csscntial unity ol thc
purc clcmcnts, vhich is prcparatory lor all lurthcr clucidation, in thc third
scction ol thc hrst chaptcr ol thc ^nalytic ol thc Conccpts," namcly, in thc
part bcarinc thc hcadinc Cn thc Iurc Conccpts ol thc ndcrstandinc, or
CatccorIcs."' ndcrstandinc thcsc paracraphs isthckcytoundcrstandincthc
Ct|||aucc] Putc Pcasco as a layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics.
ccausc thc notions, as bcloncinc to thc hnitudc olknovlcdcc, arc rclatcd
csscntially to purcintuitionandbccausc thisrclatcdncssolpurcintuitionand
purc thinkinc at thc samc tImcconstitutcsthc csscntialunity olpurc knovl-
cdcc, thc csscntial dclimitation olthc catccorIcsinccncralIsat thc samc timc
7B. A 7B0, !02!05, in itisdcignatcdas s!.
2 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' 59-0I
thc cucidation olthc inncr possibiity ol thc csscntia unity ol ontoocica
knovcdcc. It is no a mattcr ol prcscntinc Kants ansvcr to thc qucstion
conccrninc thc csscntia unity olpurc knovcdcc by mcans olthc intcrprcta
tion ol thc abovc-namcd scction. Iirst, ol coursc, thc qucstion itscl sti
rcquircs lurthcr carihcation.
h tJ. Thc Ducstion Conccming thc Lsscntial Unity o[ Purc KnowIcdgc
Il thc ccmcnts olhnitc, purc knovcdcc arc csscntiay dcpcndcnt upon onc
anothcr, thcn this arcadykccps thcm lrom attachincto onc anothcr, thcir unlty
is ikc an altcr-thclact toccthccss. so to spcak. vcn thc lact that thc unity ol
thc ccmcnts ics at thc root |olthis , and hov this is so, has bccn conccacd
and madc unknovabc by thc prcccdinc isoation. Il. hovcvcr, an anaysissccs
thc tcndcncylorunvclincthc oricinaunitythrouchtoitscnd, thlsncvcrthccss
docs not cuarantcc a compctc craspinc ol it. Cn thc contrary, in icv ol thc
rlcor vith vhich thc isoationvas carricdout,andthc pccuiarityolthc sccond
ccmcnt vhich cmcrccs sti morc ccary it is to bc cxpcctcd that this isoation
can no onccr bc compctcy undonc, so that in thc cnd thc unity vi not bc
cxprcssy dcvcopcd on thc basis ol its ovn most oricln.
]hat thc unity is not to bc thc rcsut ol a coision ol thc ccmcnts, that
instcad it is nov itscllto bc thc oricina unilyinc. is announccd by naminc it
synthcsis."
ovinthc lustructurcolhnitcknovcdcc,hovcvcr,varioussynthcscshavc
ncccssariy paycd o ol onc anothcr ' ]o thc \crltativc Synthcsis bconcs thc
rcdicativc, into vhich in tu thc ^pophantica has bccn incorporatcd. Vhich
olthcsc synthcscs is mcant vhcn thccsscntiaunityolpurc knovcdcc is askcd
about` ^pparcnty thc \critativc. lor ithas to do vith thc unity olintuitionand
thinkinc. ]hosc vhich rcmaln, hovcvcr, arc ncccssariy incudcd in it.
]hc csscntia unity ol purc knovcdcc, hovcvcr, oucht to lorm thc unity
ol thc toccthcrncss ol a thc structura synthcscs as a vhoc. Icncc thc
\critativc Synthcsis maintains a priority in thc qucstion conccrnincthc csscn-
tia unity ol purc knovcdcc ony insolar as thc probcm ol synthcsis ls
conccntratcd in it. ]his docs not cxcudc thc possibiity that it isorlcntcdust
as ncccssariy tovard thc rcmaininc lorms ol synthcsis. Vith rccard to thc
qucstion conccrninc thc csscntia unity olontoocica knovcdcc. morcovcr,
it rcvovcs around thc purc \critativc Synthcsis. Vhat is askcd about is thc
oricina union ol purc, univcrsa intuition |timc) and purc thinkinc |thc
notions) . ov purc intuition in itscl hovcvcr-as thc rcprcscntinc ol a
79. Scc abvc, s7, p. 2, and s9, p. J |.
h I 1. |c0-c2I J
unIhcd vholc-Is alrcady somcthinc likc an IntuItInc unilyinc. ]hus Kant
spcaks vith|ustIhcatIon ola SynopsIs" In IntuItIon. ^t thc samc timc, thc
analysis ol thc notIon as a rclcctinc conccpt" has provcn that purc thInkinc
as rcprcscntInc thc purc unitics is In Itscll orIcInay cIvInc ol unity and In
thIs scnsc it Is synthctic. "
]hc problcm olthc purc vcrItatIvc or ontolocIcal synthcsis must hcncc bc
broucht tothc qucstIon. Hovdocs thc orIcInal vcrItatIvc) synthcsis" olthc
purc Synopsis and thc purc rclcctInc |prcdIcatIvc) synthcsIs appcar` ^lrcady
lrm thc lorm olthis qucstIon vc micht asscss thc synthcsIs bcInc soucht as
onchavInca truly supcriorcharactcrIlIndccd itisto unitc suchthincsvhIch
In thcmsclvcs alrcady dcmonstratc synthctIc structurc. ]hc synthcsIs bcInc
soucht must lrom thc hrst alrcady havc bccn on a par vith thc lorms ol
SynthcsIs" and Synopsis" vhIch arc tobc unihcd, it must itscll lorm thcsc
oricinally in thc coursc olunilyincthcm.
h t1. Thc DntoIogcaI Synthcss
]hc qucstIon conccrninc thc csscntIal unIty ol purc IntuItion and purc
thInkincis a conscqucncc olthc prcvious isolatIon olthcsc clcmcnts. Hcncc
thc charactcr olthcIr unity may bc skctchcd outInItiallyIn such a vay that
It shovs hov cach ol thcsc clcmcnts structurally supports thc othcr. ]hcy
IndIcatc scams Fugco| vhich point In advancc to a havinc-bccn|oincd to-
ccthcr |loc|oaodctgc]agtcs| . ]hc critatIvc SynthcsIs, thcn, Is that vhich not
only dovctaIls thc clcmcnts| oIncdtoccthcratthcsc scams, butIsrathcrvhat
hts" thcm toccthcr In thc hrst placc.
Vith this vc havc thc hrst indication that apparcnty cvcrythinc about
synthctic structurcs in ccncra vhich shovs in thc csscntia construction ol
knovcdcc is broucht about throuch thc povcr olimacination. ov, in par-
ticuar and abovc a. hovcvcr, it is a mattcr ol thc csscntia unity ol purc
knovcdcc, i . c. , ol purc synthcsis. " t is cacd purc il thc manilod . . . is
civcnapriori ."Icncc. thc purc synthcsis hts inviththatvhich,assynopsis,
unihcs in purc intuition.
^tthc samc timc.hovcvcr,it rcquircs us to takc a ook at a cuidincunity.
Icncc to purc synthcsis pcrtains thc lact that. as rcprcscntinc unilyinc. it
rcprcscnts in advancc thc unity vhich bconcs to it as such, i . c. , in ccncra.
cncra-rcprcscntinc |Allgcmc|o-\cts|cllco) ol this unity vhich is csscntiay
pccuiar to it. hovcvcr. mcans. vith rcspcct to thc unity that is rcprcscntcd
B. A 7B, 0J talicsar idgr tr.
BJ A 77, ! 0J.
hI 1 |cJ-cJI 9
i ni t. purc synthcsis i sbroucht tothc conccptvhich itscllcivcs it unity ]hus
purc synthcsis acts purcy synopticay in purc intuitionand at thc samc timc
purcyrccctivclyinpurc thinkinc. Irom this itis cvidcnt that thcrcarc thrcc
parts bcloncinc to thc lul csscncc ol purc knovlcdcc. Vhat must hrst bc
civcn to us-vith a vicv to thc a priori knovcdcc ol a ob|cctsis thc
maojcldolpurc intuition thc s,o||cs|solthismaniloldbymcans olthcpovcr
olthc imacinationis thc sccond. butcvcn this docs notyctyicld knovcdcc.
]hcconccptsvhichcivcuo||,to thispurc synthcsis, andvhichconsist socy
in thc rcprcscntation ol this ncccssa synthctic unity, lurnish thc third rcq-
uisitc lor thc knovcdcc ol a proposcd ob|cct 'c|ocs vct|cmmcodco
Ccgcos|aodcs| . and thcy rcst on thc undcrstandinc."
In this triad, thc purc synthcsis ol thc povcr ol imacination hods thc
ccntra position. cvcrthccss. this is not mcntioncd in a supcrhcial scnsc, as
il in thc cnumcration ol thc conditions lor purc knovcdcc thc povcr ol
imacination vas mcrcy bctvccn thc hrst and third. Rathcr, this ccntcr is a
structura onc. In it, thc purc synopsisand thc purc, rclcctincsynthcsis mcct
and|oin toccthcr. ]his|oininc-intoonc is cxprcsscd lorKant in thc lact that
hc discovcrs thc samcncss ol purc synthcsis in thc stickinc-toccthcr 5,o-
|a]|co| olintuition and thc undcrstandinc.
hc samc lunction vhich civcs unity to thc various rcprcscntations |oa
s|oglc)udgmco|asocivcs unityto thc mcrc synthcsisolvariousrcprcscntations
|a |oglc |o|u|||co vhich, cxprcsscd ccncraly, is cacd thc purc conccpt ol
thc undcrstandinc."
"
' Vith this samcncss olthc synthctic lunction, Kant docs
not mcan thc cmpty idcntity ol a tyinc-toccthcr vhich is lorma and vhich
vorks cvcryvhcrc. but instcad thc oricina . rlch vhocncss ol onc vhich is
composcd ol many mcmbcrs and vhich. ikc intuitinc and thinkinc. is a
particulary clhcacious unilyinc and civinc ol unit ^t thc samc timc. this
says. thc modcs ol synthcsis namcd caricr-thc lorma, apophantic |modc
olthc|udcinclunction,andthc prcdicativc modc olconccptua rccction
bconc toccthcr in thc oncncss ol thc csscntia structurc ol hnitc knovcdcc
as thc vcritativc synthcsis olintuition and thinkinc. Icrc samcncss mcans. an
csscntia, structura bconcinctoccthcr.
]hcrclorc thc samc undcrstandincnamcy throuch cxacty thc samc ac-
tionsbymcansolvhichitachicvcsthcocical lormola|udcmcntin conccpts
throuch anaytica unity-also brincsa transccndcnta contcnt into its rcprc-
scntations by mcans ol thc synthctic unity ol thc manilod in intuition in
ccncra. . . ."
"
Vhat nov bccomcs visibc as thc csscntia unity ol purc
knovcdcc is lar rcmovcd lrom thc cmpty simpicity olan utimatc principc.
Cn thc contrary. it is rcvcacd as a mutilorm action vhich rcmains obscurc
81. A 78|. 0.
85 A 79, I 0|.
8 A 9 I05.
Kant and thc Fmblcm O MctaphysIcs | 5-
inltscharactcrasaction asvcas in thc lact thatitsunihcatlon is composcd
olmany mcmbcrs. ]hls charactcrization ol thc csscntla unlty ol ontooclca
knovcdcc cannotbcthcconcuslon. butmustlnstcadbcthc corrccthcg|oo|og
olthc ayinc olthccround lor ontooclcaknovcdcc. ]hlscroundaylnchas
bccn translormcd into thc task olbrlnclnc tolcht purcsynthcsis as such. ut
bccausc it ls an action, lts csscncc can ony bccomc apparcnt to thc cxtcnt
that it ls itscl traccd out ln lts sprnclnc-lorth. lov vc can scc lor thc hrst
timc. lrom vhat lorccs ltscl upon us as thcmc lor thc croundayinc, vhy a
ayinc olthc cround lor ontoocica knovcdcc must bccomc an unvclinc ol
thc orlcln ol purc synthcsis. i. c. . vhy lt must comc to bc unvclcd as such a
synthcsis ln its bcincaovcd-to-sprlnc-lorth.
Ilthc ayinc olthc cround lor mctaphyslcs nov comcs to thc polnt vhcrc
"thc mattcritsclis dccpyvcicd"and hcncc, llamcntsabout this obscurity
arc not aovcd tocmcrcc. thcnso much crcatcr is ournccd to acccpt a short
dcay lor thc sakc ola mcthodooclca consldcration ol thc prcscnt sltuation
rccardinc thc cround-aylnc and olthc lurthcr coursc indicatcd byit.
t5. Thc ProbIcm o[ thc Catcgorics and thc RoIc o[ TransccndcntaI Logic
]hc probcm ol thc csscntia unity olontooclca knovcdcc hrst provldcs
thc basis lor thc dctcrmlnatlon ol thc csscncc ol thc catccorlcs. Il a catccory
as thc namc indlcatcs) ls not ony nor hrst and lorcmost. a modc ol"asscr-
tion."
. but il instcad it can satlsly its ovnmost csscncc as
In |his vay,
vha|cads |o |hc probcm ol |hc purc conccp|s asca|ccorics on |hc |ransccn-
dcn|a | cvc , prcscrvcs |hc charac|cr ola ocica, abci| a |ransccndcn|a-oc-
ica , discussion.
Iinayhovcvcr,|hcorlcn|a|lon|ovard lcgcsand ta||c,vhichcorrcsponds
|o |hclr mcaninc in Vcs|crn Mc|aphysics, boas|s lrom |hc s|ar| ol a priori|y
in |hc ayinc ol |hc cround lor mc|aphysics. In |hc dc|crmina|ion ol |his
croundayinc, |hispriori|y comcs |obc cxprcsscd asa Ct|||aucc]PutcPcasco.
Ior a |ha|, Kan| nccdcd a ccr|ainconcusivc lramcvork lor|hc archi|cc-
|oniccon|roandprcscn|a|ionol|hisvcrycompica|cdvcb olhumanknov
cdcc" |ha| vas hrs| discoscd |hrouchhis anay|ic |hc nccdcd a lramcvork
vhlch a ncvy crca|cd ocic ol purc knovcdcc coud mos| casiy |akc ovcr
lrom lorma ocic.
^s scl-cvidcn| as |his mu|ilacc|cd prcdominancc ol occ" mich| bc in
|hcCt|||aucc]PutcPcasco, |hc looincin|crprc|a|ionol|hca|cranddccisivc
s|accs ol|hc ayinc ol|hc cround lor on|oocy mus| brcak |hrouch |hc archi-
|cc|onic ol|hc cx|rinsic succcssion and pa||crn olprobcms. I|mus| brinc |o
our a||cn|ion |hc impc|us in|rinsic |o |hc probcma|lc |ha| inl|ay aovcd
Kan| |o comc |o such a prcscn|a|ion
1HE 1HlRD S1ACE F 1HE CRIND-LAYlNC.
1HE lNNER FSSllLl1Y F 1HE ESSEN1lAL INl1Y
F N1LClCAL SYN1HESIS
]hc ansvcr, apparcn|y hrmy cs|ablishcd, |o |hc qucs|ion conccrninc |hc
csscn|ia uni|y olon|oocica knovcdcc procrcssivcy dlssovcs vi|h a coscr
dc|crmina|ion ol |his uni|y vi|hin |hc probcm ol |hc possibii|y ol such a
BB B5, I I 7
hI J |c- /0I 19
unihcation. Inpurc synthcsis. purc intuitionandpurc thinkincshoudbc abc
to mcct onc anothcr a priori.
Vhat and hov must thc purc synthcsis itscl bc il it is to satisly thc
rcquircmcnts ol such a unihcation` It is nov a mattcr olcxhibitincthc purc
synthcsis, as it vcrc, in such a vay that it shovs hov it is abc to unily timc
and notion. ]hc scnsc and task ol vhat Kant cas thc ]ransccndcnta Oc-
duction ol thc Catccorics" is thc cxhibition olthc oricina scl-lorminc olthc
csscntia unity ol ontoocica knovcdcc.
]hcrclorc. il thc basic intcntion ol thc Ocduction" ics in thc anaytica
opcninc-up ol thc basic structurc ol purc synthcsis, thcn its truc contcnt
cannot bc cxprcsscd ilit is prcscntcd as `auacs||c)ut|s Irom thc start. thcn,
thc auacs||c)ut|s may not bc takcn as a cuidc lor thc intcrprctation ol this
ccntra Kantian doctrinc. Cn thc contrary thc motivc and macnitudc olthc
|uridica lormuation ol thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction must instcad bc cari
hcd on thc basis olthc tcndcncy olthc probcm propcr to it .
Ior rcasons that vil bc discusscd atcr,
"
' thc prcscnt intcrprctation vl
considcr cxcusivcy thc vorkinc out ol thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction in thc
hrst cdition. Kant rcpcatcdy strcsscd thc dilhcuty" ol thc ]ransccndcnta
Ocduction and soucht to rcmcdy" its obscurlty "]hc divcrsityand compcx
ity ol thc rclcrcnccs, vhich arc avays incrcasincy discoscd in thc contcnt
ol thc probcm itscl, lrom thc start prcvcntcd Kant
s bcinc satishcd vith a
sincc pointoldcparturc lorthc Ocduction,and prcvcntcd hisbcincmoihcd
by a sincc vay ol carryinc it out. ut thc rcpcatcd carrylnc-out itscl sti
shovs Kant struccinc vith thc vork. It oltcn happcns that thc coa tovard
vhichthc]ransccndcntaOcductionstrlvcsissuddcnysccnand statcd ccary
lorthc hrsttimcvhcn |arcady undcrvay ^ndvhatshoud hrstbc prcscntcd
inandthrouchthc anayticaunvciincis mcntioncdbclorchandinarcimi
naryRcmark. " ov thc inncrcompcxity olthc probcm aso civcsrisc to thc
situationinvhichthoscrclcrcnccs. thc carihcationolvhichcauscsparticuar
dilhcuty. lrcqucnty arc trcatcd in a vay vhichovcrcmphasizcs thcm, and in
turnthcy arc dcccptivc in that thcir trcatmcnt inatcs thciractua mcaninc
luncss. ]his appics in particuar to thc discussion ol purc thinkinc in thc
vhoc ol thc csscntia unity olpurc knovcdcc.
]hcloovincintcrprctationvinot loovcach olthc tvistcd pathsolthc
]ransccndcnta Ocduction, but vi instcad ay barc thc oricina impctus lor
thc probcmatic. Icrcvith. thc hrst rcqulrcmcnt is to makc sulhcicnty ccar
thc propcr coa olthc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction vith a vicv to thc cuidinc
probcm olthc ayinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics.
89. Sccbclow, J , p. I I l.
J0 Kant and thc Fmblcm oI MctaphysIcs | 70-72l
t6. Thc Llucdaton o[ thc Transccndcncc o[ Fntc Rcason as
8asc Intcnton o[ thc Transccndcntal Dcducton
^ hni|c, knovinc crca|urc can only rcla|c i|scl| |o a bcincvhich i| i|scl| is
no|, and vhich i| also has no| crca|cd, i| |his bcinc vhich is alrcady a| hand
can bc cncoun|crcd |rom ou| o| |scl|. Hovcvcr, in ordcr |o bc ablc |o cn-
coun|cr |his bcinc as |hc bcinc i| is, i| mus| alrcadybc rccocnicd" ccncrally
and in advancc as a bcinc, i. c. , vi|h rcspcc| |o |hc cons|i|u|ion o| i|s cinc.
u| |his implics on|olocical knovlcdcc vhichhcrc isalvays prc-on|olocical,
is |hc condi|ion |or |hc possibili|y |ha| inccncral somc|hinc likc abcinccan
i|scl|s|andinopposi|ion|oa hni|ccrca|urc.
Iini|ccrca|urcsnccd|hisbasic
|acul|y o| a |urninc-|ovard . . . vhich lc|s- somc|hincl -s|and-in-opposi-
|ion.
aturnvhichis praiscd
acaintodayatoonoisiyandvitha tooittcundcrstandincolthcprobcm.
In truth, hovcvcr, thc csscncc olhnitudcincvitaby lorccs us to thc qucstion
conccmincthc conditions lor thc possibiity ola prciminarycinc-oricntcd
tovard thc Cb|cct, i . c. , conccrninc thc csscncc ol thc ncccssary ontoocica
turninc-tovard thc ob|cct in ccncra. ]hus in thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction,
i . c. , inconncction vith thc task olan iuminationolthc inncr possibiity ol
ontoocica knovcdcc, Kant poscs thc dccisivc qucstion, and vhat is morc,
it is thc hrst onc.
^nd hcrc, thcn, it is ncccssary that vc makc ccar to ourscvcs vhat vc
mcan by thc cxprcssion an ob|cct ' Ccgcos|aod| ol rcprcscntations."
It is a
mattcr ol invcsticatinc thc charactcr ol that vhich stands opposcd to us
|co|gcgcos|c||| in thc purc cttinc-stand-acainst |m tc|oco Ccgcos|c|colassco| .
lov vc hnd that our thoucht olthc rcation ol a knovcdcc to its ob|cct
carricsvithitanccmcntolncccssity,vhcrcindccdthis |thcob|cct isvicvcd
9 ! . A !0+.
92. A !0+.
52 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs ' 7J-75|
as that vhlch opposcs so that ourknovlcdcc i snot haphazard or arbitrary,
but is instcad dctcrmlncd a priorl ln a ccrtain vay . . . "' In thc lcttlnc-stand-
acainst as such, somcthinc rcvcals itscll as that vhlch opposcs.
ycmphaslzlnc this rcslstancc, Kant rclcrs to an immcdlatc hnd. Ic docs
not lail to charactcrizc thc uniquc structurc ol this rcslstancc morc closcly
Vc should notc vcll, hovcvcr, that it is not a mattcr hcrc ol a rcsistinc
charactcr in thc bclnc or pcrhaps cvcn ol thc prcssinc ln ol scnsatlons.
Rathcr, it is a qucstion ol thc prcvlous rcslstancc ol clnc. ]hat vhlch is
obcctlvc in ob|ccts
carrlcs vlth lt" a constrint |ncccssity) . y mcans
ol this constralnt, all that is cncountcrcd is lorccd toccthcr ln advancc into
a concordancc vith rclcrcncc to vhich vc can also hrst rclcr toassomcthinc
discordant. Icncc, a scttlnc-lorth olunlty can bc lound in this prclimlnary
and constant dravinc-toccthcr into unity ]hc rcprcscntinc ola rcprcscnta-
tlvc, unilyincunlty, hovcvcr, is thc csscncc olthosc kinds olrcprcscntatlons
vhich Kant calls conccpts. ]hls ls callcd a consciousncss in thc scnsc ol
thc rcprcscntincolunity' ]hc lcttincstand-acainst . . . is hcncc thc prlmal
conccpt" and, to thc cxtcnt that thc conccptual rcprcscntnc comcs to bc
assicncd to thc undcrstandinc, thc prlmal activity ol thc undcrstandinc.
Iovcvcr, as a closcd totality this contains in itscll a multitudc olvays ol
unihcatlon. Conscqucntly, thc purc undcrstandlnc rcvcals ltscllas thc laculty
ollcttinc-stand-acainst . . . . ^s a totallty, thc undcrstandinccivcsin advancc
that vhich is contrary to thc haphazard. Rcprcscntinc unity oricinally,
namcly, as unllylnc, it rcprcscnts to ltsclla conncctcdncss vhich in advancc
rulcs all posslblc cathcrinc toccthcr. ov, hovcvcr, thc rcprcscntation ola
univcrsal condition accordlnc to vhlch a ccrtain manilold |thus, in unilorm
lashlon) can bc posltcd is callcd a tulc"' ]hc conccpt may indccd bc as
impcrlcct or as obscurc as it vants" its lorm is alvays somcthinc that is
univcrsal and that scrvcs as thc rulc."'
. . .
^! ! U
I t says that a modihcations olthc mind . . . arc sub|cct to
tmc . . . as that n vhich thcy must a bc ordcrcd. conncctcd, and broucht
into rcation vith onc anothcr.
^! ! !
It micht initiay sccm strikinc that in
ncithcr thc hrst nor thc sccond vay docs Kant discuss in morc dctai and
cxpicity thc a priori csscntia rcationship olthc purc povcr ol imacination
to timc. Instcad. thc cntirc anaysis is conccntratcd on thc task ol makinc
visibc thc csscntia rcatcdncss olpurc undcrstandinc to thc purc synthcsis
olthc povcr ol imacination. It is thcn throuch this rcatcdncss that its LN "
most naturchnitudc -is most ccary cxprcsscd. It is onyundcrstandinc to
thc cxtcnt that it prcsupposcs or incudcs" thc purc povcr ol imacination.
`!|c ao||, c] appctccp||co |otcla||co |c ||c s,o||cs|sc] ||cpcwctc] |mag|oa||co
is thc aodcts|aod|og and this samc unit vith rclcrcncc to thc |taosccodco|al
s,o||cs|s ol thc povcr ol imacination, is thc patcaodcts|aod|og.
conncctIon
In advancc, hovcvcr, mcans. hrst ol all to lorm somcthInc lIkc rclatIon In
ccncral by rcprcscntInc It. Hovcvcr, thIs povcr-vhIch hrst and lorcmost
lorms" rclatIons-Is thc purc povcr ol ImacInatIon.
^ccordInc to thc ccncral obscrvatIon, "
' tImc as purc unIvcrsal IntuItIon
U at oncc that vhcrcIn | thIncsl can bcjoIncd In ccncral and that vhcrcIn It
L possIblc tolorm conncctIons. ]hc lcttInc- |Itsclll -bccncountcrcd olabcInc,
vhIch should bc capablc olshovinc Itscll In thc conncctcdncss In vhIch It
sands-acaInst, must bc croundcd In thc purc povcr ol ImacInatIon that Is
csscntIally rclatcd to tImc. In thc purc lormInc ol dctcrmInatc rclatIons It
asscrts a normatIvcunIhcatIon, but thIsIs opposcdIn advancc to thc lactthat
vhat Iscncountcrcd Is haphazardlytakcn In strIdc. ]hIs horizon olnormatIvc
conncctIon contaIns thc purc alhnIty" ol appcaranccs. hat thc alhnIty ol
appcaranccs . . . onlybccomcspossIblc by mcans olthIs transccndcntal lunc-
tIon ol thc povcr ol ImacInatIon Is Indccd strancc, bascd solcly on vhat Is
clcarly obvIous lrom vhat vc havc sccn so lar. "
'
^ll conncctInc, hovcvcr, and partIcularly thc purc lormInc olunIhcatIon
In ccncral, structurally Incorporatcs a prcvious rcprcscntInc olunIty ]hIs, Il
thcpurc synthcsIs Is to lunctIon a prIorI, mustItscllbc a prIorI, so that thIs
rcprcscntInc ol unIty constantly accompanIcs all lorminc olunItIcs as InvarI-
ably onc and thc samc. ]hIs hxcd and lastInc" scll, hovcvcr, Is thc I ol
transccndcntalappcrccptIon.ustas tImc bcloncs toallcmpIrIcal IntuItIon,so
thc prcvious lormInc olalhnIty In thc transccndcntal povcr ol ImacInatIon
also bcloncs to thIs samc IntuItIon as an |Instancc ol lcttInc thc bcInc bc
! !J. A 9.
! !+ A ! 20.
! !5. A 99.
! !. A ! 2J.
hI /. |8J-81I J9
cncountcrcd inits ovn oricina ordcr. Iurc appcrccption, hovcvcr, must bc
addcd to this i| thc takincinstridc is to bc capabc o|bcinc sustaincd by a
purc turninctovard, i. c. , a cttinc-stand-acainst o| . . . .
' '
Mov thc hrst vay has shovn, hovcvcr, that transccndcnta appcrccption,
vhich mustbc addcdto purcintuitionthrouchthccsscntia mcdiation o|thc
purc povcr o| imacination, is itsc| not at hand as somcthinc oricina and
isoatcd, andhcncc it aso isnot|ust|oincd to thc purc povcr o|imacination
bccausc thc attcr occasionay nccds it. Cn thc contrary, |orits part cvcn this
transccndcnta appcrccption, as rcprcscntinc o| unity, must havc bc|orc it a
unityvhich |orms itsc|in thc uni|yInc. ^nd thus inthc sccond vay as vc,
cvcrythinc |orccs us to thc point at vhich thc transccndcnta povcr o| im-
acinationasmcdiatorisaovcdtocomc|orvard. Vc thushavcapurcpovcr
o|imacination as a |undamcnta |acuty o|thchumansou vhichscrvcs asa
basis |or a knovcdcc a priori. y mcans o|this, vcbrinc thc mani|od o|
intuition into conncction on thc onchand,andvc brinc this into conncc
tion vIth thc condition o| thc ncccssary unity o| purc appcrccption on thc
othcr.
i l|2|
]hctrIad o|purc intuition, purcpovcr o|imacination,andpurc appcrccp-
tion is no onccr a |uxtaposition o| |acutics. ]houch thc rcvcation o| thc
mcdiatinc|orminco|purcsynthcsis,thc]ransccndcntacductionhascstab
ishcd thc intrinsic possibiity o|thc csscntia unity o|purc knovcdcc. ]his
|orms thc purc cttinc-somcthinc-stand-acainst . . . 'das tc|oc Ccgcos|c|co
lassco vco . . . . and, as this |orminc, it thus hrst makcs cvidcnt somcthinc
ikcanhorizono|ob|cctivity 'Ccgcos|aodl|c||c||l inccncra. ^ndbccausc purc
knovcdccin this vay hrst opcns upthc spacc |or pay ncccssary |or a hnitc
crcaturc and invhich arcation o| cinc or Mot-inc takcs pacc, "
this
|knovcdcc must bc tcrmcd ontoocica.
Mov, sincc hnitudc vas madc conspicuous by thc undcrstandinc, it pays
a spccia c inthc cduction. utprcciscy in thc coursc o|thc hithcr-and-
thithcr movcmcnt o| thc tvo vays, thc undcrstandinc civcs up its prccmi-
ncncc, and throuch thiscivinc-upit rcvcas itsc|inits csscncc. ]his |csscncc
consists o|itshainc tobccroundcdinthc purcsynthcsiso|thctransccndcn-
ta povcr o|imacination vhich is rcativc to timc.
! ! 7. A ! 2+.
! !B. A 2+. Strikingoutthc "and" asproposcd by Erdmann andRichI takcs away |rom thc
coIoquiaI and pcrhaps di|hcuIt prcscntation prcciscy thc dccisic scnsc according to which thc
transccndcntaI powcr olimagination on thc onc hand unihcs purc intuition in itc|and on thc
othcrhand unitcs this withpurc appcrccption.
I 9. A 0.
0 Kaht ahd thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics 'B-Bl
!8. Thc Lxtcma| Form o[ thc Transccndcnta| Dcducton
Ior vhat rcason docs thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction,as a ayincbclorc thc
cycs" ol|ransccndcncc, takc on thc lorm ola `aaacs||c)a|sVhcrcin is |hc
richt . andvhcrc ic thcimits. to this |uridica" posinc olthc qucstion.vhich
to bc surc obtrudcs ony in thc hrst introduction to thc ]ransccndcn|a Oc-
duction and no| in thc coursc oli|s bcinc carricd out`
Kant did not usc dcduction" in thc phiosophica scnsc ol dcdac||c as
opposcd to |o|a||as, but rathcr in a vay that a prolcssor ol av voud
undcrs|and. In a avsuit, richts" arc vaidatcd. and unvarrantcd caims" arc
ovcrrucd. ]o |his cnd, |vo lactors arc ncccssary. hrs|. thc cstabishmcnt ol
thc lacts ol thc casc and thc points ol disputc |aa|d]ac||), and, sccond. thc
cxhibitinc ol vhat. as undcryinc authority.
i. c. , a look vhich
is |hc al|crimacc ol somc|hinc no onccr a| hand or a ook vhich is |hc
prcmoni|ion ola bcinc |yc| |o bc produccd lor |hc hrs| |imc.
`
]hcn, hovcvcr, imacc" canaso havc |hclurancc olmcaninc olookin
ccncra, in vhich casc vhc|hcr a bcinc or a non-bcinc vi bc in|ui|abc in
|his ookis no| s|a|cd.
lovin lac|. Kan|uscd |hc cxprcssion imacc" in a|hrccscnscs as immc-
dia|c ook ol a bcinc, as |hc a|-hand. ikcncss-|akinc ook ol a bcinc. and as
|hc ook ol somc|hinc in ccncra. Morcovcr. |hcsc mcanincs ol |hc |crm
imacc" vcrc no| spccihcaly |akcn up in opposi|ion |o cach o|hcr indccd, i|
is cvcn qucs|ionabc vhc|hcr |hc spccihcd mcanincs and vays ol |hc cinc
olimacc 'das8|ldsc|os arc sulhcicn| |oclarilyvha| Kan| discusscsundcr |hc
hcadincolSchcma|ism. "
]hc bcs|knovn vay olcrca|inc a ook |civincanimacc) i s|hc cmpirica
in|ui|inc ol vha| shovs i|scl. ]ha| vhich shovs i|scl hcrc avays has |hc
charac|crol|hcimmcdia|cysccnpar|icuar||hishcrc"). ]o bc surc. |hisdocs
no| cxcudc |hc possibii|y |ha| a mu|i|udc ol such par|icuars mich| bc
in|ui|cd. namcy, as a richcr|hishcrc" lorcxampc, |his par|icuar |o|ai|y ol
|his andscapc. ]his | andscapc is cacd a ook |imacc) , spccics. us| as i|
ooks |o us. ]hus |hc imacc is avays an in|ui|abc |his-hcrc. and lor |his
3 Scc Phi|o:orhi:chcrAuzriycr l. I 925l2 Linc. i|J uuJLrcuurui:, p J02|l.
Kant and thc Fmblcm oI MctaphysIcs |9J-9|
rcasoncvcrylikcncss |orcxamplc,aphotocraph
rcmainsonlya transcrip
tion o|vhat shovs itscl|immcdiatcly as imacc. "
Movthc cxprcssionimacc"likcvisc isuscd|rcqucntlyinthissccondscnsc
as likcncss. ]his thinc hcrc, this photocraph vhich s at hand, immcdiatcly
o|crs a lookas this thinc. It is imacc in thc hrst and broad scnsc. ut vhilc
it shovs itscl|, it vants to shov prcciscly that |rom vhich it has takcn its
likcncss. ]oobtainanimacc inthissccondscnscnovnolonccrmcansmcrcly
to intuit a bcinc immcdiatcly, but instcad mcans, |or cxamplc, to buy or to
producc a photocraph.
Itispossiblc toproduccacopy|photocraph)
acain|romsucha likcncss,
a photocraph o|a dcath mask |orcxamplc. ]hc copycan only dircctlycopy
thc likcncss and thus rcvcal thc imacc" |thc immcdiatc look) o|thc dcccascd
himscl|. ]hc photocraph o| thc dcath mask, as copy o|a likcncss, is itscl|an
imaccbut thisisonlybccausc itcivcs thc imacc" o|thcdcadpcrson, shovs
hov thc dcad pcrson appcars, or rathcr hov it appcarcd. ^ccordinc to thc
mcaninc o|thc cxprcssion imacc" hithcrto dclimitcd, makinc-scnsiblc mcans
on thc onc hand thc manncr o| immcdiatc, cmpirical intuitinc, but on thc
othcrhand it also mcans thc manncr o|immcdiatccontcmplationo|alikcncss
in vhich thc look o| a bcinc prcscnts itscl|.
Mov thc photocraph, hovcvcr, can also shov hovsomcthinclikc a dcath
mask appcars in ccncral. In turn, thc dcath mask can shov in ccncral hov
somcthinc likc thc |acc o| a dcad human bcinc appcars. ut an individual
corpsc itscl| can also shov this. ^nd similarl thc mask itscl| can also shov
hov a dcath mask in ccncral appcars,|ust asthc photocraph shovs not only
hov vhat is photocraphcd, but also hov a photocraph in ccncral, appcars.
ut vhat do thcsc loos" |imaccsinthcbroadcstscnsc) o|this corpsc,this
mask, this photocraph, ctc. , novshov` Vhich appcarancc" |o,toO) do
thcy nov civc` Vhat do thcy nov makc scnsiblc` In thc onc vhichapplics
toman thcyshovhovsomcthincappcarsinccncral. "]hisunityapplicablc
to scvcral, hovcvcr, is vhat rcprcscntation rcprcscnts in thc manncr o| thc
conccpts. ]hcsc looks must novscrvc thc makinc-scnsiblc o|conccpts.
]his makinc-scnsiblc can novno lonccr mcan to cct an immcdiatc look,
intuition |rom a conccpt |or thc conccpt, as thc rcprcscntcd univcrsal, can
not bc rcprcscntcd in a tcptacscotat|cs|olat|s,vhich thc intuition ccrtainly
is. or that rcason, hovcvcr, thc conccpt is aso csscntially not capablc o|
havinc a likcncss takcn.
Mov vhat in ccncral is mcant by thc makincscnsiblc o|a conccpt` Vhat
pcrtains to it` Vith this makinc-intuitablc, hov is thc looko|vhat L cmpiri
cally acccssibly at hand or vsualizcdthat is to say, thc look o|its possiblc
likcncsscs-sharcd`
b. Iight-imagc
h20. |1-cI 7
Vc say this housc vhichi spcrccivcd, c. c. , shovs hov a housc inccncra
appcars, and conscqucnty it shovs vhat vc rcprcscnt in thc conccpt housc.
In vhat vay docs thc look o|this housc shov thc hov o|thc appcarnc o|
a housc in ccncral` Indccd, thc housc itsc|o||crs this dctcrminatc ook, and
yctvc arc notprcoccupicdviththisinordcrtocxpcricncchovprcciscythis
housc appcars. Rathcr, this housc shovs itsc| in cxactly such a vay that, in
ordcr to bc a housc, it must not ncccssarily appcar as it docs. It shovs us
ony"thcas . . . " in tcrms o|vhicha housc canappcar.
]hisas, vhichcocsviththcabiitysomcthinchastoappcarcmpiricay,
ol its rccuatinc, i. c. ,
accordinct ohov i t rccuatcs thc prcscntation dictatcd vithin thc prcscntinc
ook. ]hc rcprcscntinc ol thc hov is thc lrcc imacinc" '8|ldco ola mak-
incscnsibc as thc providinc ol an imacc in thc scnsc just charactcrizcd. an
imacinc vhich is not bound to a dctcrminatc somcthinc at hand.
Such makinc-scnsibc occurs primariy in thc povcr olimacination. ]his
rcprcscntationola ccncra proccdurc olthc povcr olimacinationinproidinc
an imacc lor a conccpt I cntitc thc schcma olthis conccpt. "' ]hc lormation
olthc schcma in its luhmcntas thc manncr olmakinc thc conccpt scnsibc
is cacd Schcmatism. ]hc schcma is indccd to bc distincuishcd lrom imaccs.
but ncvcrthccss it is rcatcd to somcthincikc an imacc. i. c. , thc imaccchar-
actcrbconcs ncccssariy to thc schcma. It |thc charactcr olthc imacc) has its
ovn csscncc. t is ncithcrjust a simpcr ook |"imacc" in thc hrst scnsc) nor
aikcncss |imacc" in thc sccond scnsc). Itvithcrclorcbc cacdthcschcma-
imacc 'das 5c|ma-8|ld
hZ1 . Schcma am Schcma-Imagc
^ coscr charactcrization ol thc SchcmaImacc vi carily its rcationshp
to thc schcma and. at thc samc timc, thc typc olrcationship thc conccpt has
to thc imacc. ]hc lormation ol thc schcma '5c|cmah|ldaog is thc makinc-
scnsibc ol conccpts. Iov is thc ook ol thc immcdiatcy rcprcscntcd bcinc
rcatcd to vhat is rcprcscntcd olit in conccpts! In vhat scnsc is this ookan
imacc" '8|ld olthc conccpt! ]his qucstion must bc discusscd vithrcspcct
to tvo kinds olconccpts thosc vhich arc cmpirica and scnsibc |thc conccpt
I 27 A I 10, I 79l.
h2I . |/-I 9
ola doc), and thosc vhich arc purc and scnsibc. mathcmatica |thc conccpt
ola triancc or ol a numbcr).
Kant strcsscs that an ob|cct olcxpcricncc, " i. c. , thcook thatis acccssibc
to us ola thinc vhich is at hand, or an imacc olthc samc," i . c. , a ikcncss
orcopy ola bcincvhich is at hand. ncvcr attains" thc cmpirica conccpt ol
thc samc ]hisnot-attainincmcans, hrst ola, prcscntincitin avayvhich
is not adcquatc. " Iovcvcr, at no timc is this to bc intcrprctcd as mcaninc
that thcrc can bc no adcquatc ikcncss olthc conccpt. ^n cmpirica ook ola
bcinc, vith rclcrcncc to its conccpt , can havc absoutcy no lunction as a
ikcncss. ]his unsuitabiity pcrtains instcad prcciscy to thc schcma-imacc.
vhich in a truc scnsc is thc imacc olthc conccpt. lanythinc, onc coud say
that thc cmpirica ook contains cxacty cvcrythinc vhich thc conccpt aso
contains. ilnot cvcn morc. ut it docs not contain it in thc samc vay that thc
conccpt rcprcscnts it. as onc vhich appics to many Instcad. thc contcnt ol
thc cmpirica ook is civcn as onc lrom amonc many, i . c. , as isoatcd vithin
vhat is thcmaticay rcprcscntcd as such. ]hc particuar has dismisscd thc
possibiity ol bcinc |ust anythinc. but, ncvcrthccss, lor this rcason it is a
possibc cxampc ol thc onc vhich rccuatcs thc possibiity ol bcinc ust
anythinc as such that appics to many n this rccuation. hovcvcr. thc uni-
vcrsahas its ovnspccihc, ccardctcrminacy, and it is in no vay an indctcr-
minatc, dissovinc anythinc and cvcrythinc" n contrast to vhat has bccn
isoatcd.
]hc rcprcscntinc ol thc ruc is thc schcma. ^s such, it ncccssariy rcmains
rcativcto possibcschcma-imaccs. olvhichnouniqucncss canbc dcmandcd.
hc conccpt oldocsicnihcsa ruc accordincto vhichmypovcrolimacina
tion can spccily thc lorm ' Ccs|al| ola lour-lootcd anima inccncra, vithout
bcincimitcd to anyparticuarlormvhichcxpcricnccollcrs to mc, oralso to
any possibc imacc vhich I can prcscnt |occoctc|c. '
]hat thc cmpirica ook docs not attain its cmpirica conccpt cxprcsscs thc
positivc structura rcationship olthc schcma-imacc to thc schcma, accordinc
to vhich it is a possibc prcscntation olthc ruc olprcscntation rcprcscntcd
in thc schcma. ^t thc samc timc. this mcans that, bcyond thc rcprcscntation
ol this rccuativc unity olthc ruc. thc conccpt is nothinc. Vhat ocic rclcrs
to as a conccpt is croundcd in thc schcma ]hc conccpt avays rclcrs
immcdiatcy to thc schcma. "
Kant says ol thc cmpirica ob|cct that it is cvcn css" abc to comc up to
I 2B A ! 1I , ! B0.
!29 bid
!J0. bid
a. Scc Kd| J. L| rrc|sru | . J9, p. 2J |Cririquc o|]uJymcur. tr H crnard lcwork
Halncr rcss. I9J!) , p. !9|
b. cc a|rcadywccanscchowit hasbccn|or thc ocirII
70 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs |99- ! 00I
|hc s|andardsc|byi|sconccp||hanis|hc imacc"ol|hc purcscnsiblcconccp|.
Is i|pcrhaps lor|his rcason |ha||hc schcma-imaccs olma|hcma|ical concc|s
arc morc adcqua|c |o |hcir conccp|s! Cbviously vc arc no| |o |hink hcrc ol
a cocspondcncc in |hc scnsc ol a likcncss ci|hcr. ]hc schcmaimacc ol a
ma|hcma|ical cons|ruc|ion is cqually valid vhc|hcr i| is cmpirically cxac| or
rouchly skc|chcd ou| .
Kan| is obviously |hinkinc ol |hc lac| |ha| a ma|hcma|ical schcma-imacc,
c. c. , a spccihc |rianclc,mus|ncccssarlybcci|hcr acu|c, rich| orob|usc. Vi|h
|ha|, hovcvcr, |hc possibili|y ol bcinc|us| any|hinc is alrcady cxhaus|cd in
|hc casc ol |hc |rianclc vhcrcas i| is crca|cr in |hc casc ol |hc prcscn|a|ion
ol a housc. Cn |hc o|hcr hand, hovcvcr, |hc sphcrc ol|hc prcscn|abili|y ol
an acu|c orrich| |ianclchasa crca|crbrcad|h. ]hisschcma-imacc, |hcn, vi|h
i|s rcs|ic|ion, comcs closcr |o |hc uni|y ol |hc conccp| vi|h |his crca|cr
brcad|h i| comcs closcr |o |hc univcrsali|y ol |his uni|y u| as alvays, |hc
imacc s|illhas|hcappcarancc olanindivdual,vhilc |hc schcma has|hcuni|y
ol|hc univcrsal rlc covcrninc many possiblc prcscn|a|ions "as i|s in|cn|ion. "
Irom |his,vha|i scsscn|ial|o|hc schcma-imacc hrs|bccomcsclcar i|docs
no| cc| |hc charac|cr ol i|s look only or hrs| ol all lrom |hc con|cn| ol i|s
dircc|ly disccmiblc imacc. |hcr, i| cc|s |hc charac|cr ol i|s look lrom |hc
lac| |ha| i| sprincs lor|h and hov i| sprincs lor|h lrom ou| ol |hc possiblc
prcscn|a|ion rcprcscn|cd in i|s rccula|ion |hus, as i| vcrc, brincinc |hc rulc
in|o |hc sphcrc ol possiblc in|ui|abli| Cnly il |hc cxprcssion imacc" is
undcrs|ood in |his scnsc ol |hc schcmaimacc is i| possiblc |o call hvc poin|s
sc| onc al|cr ano|hcr . . . . an imacc ol |hc numbcr hvc
,,
Icncctimcisnotonythcncccssary
!J7 A I 12, I B2
!JB A J20, J77.
I J9. A J! |, ~7.
!10 bd.
b i . c . in thcir obcctiv
7 Kant and thc Fmblcm oI MctaphysIcs | !0- !0J|
purc imacc olthc schcmata ol|hc purc conccp|s ol |hc undcrs|andinc, but
aso thcir soc,purcpossibii|yolhavncaccr|ainook]hisuniquc possibii|y
olhavinc a ccrtain ook shovs itscl in itscl tobc nothincothcr |han avays
us| |imc and |hc tcmpora.
lov ilthccoscdmu|ipici|y olthc purc conccpts olthc undcrstandincL
|o havc i|s imacc in this uniquc possibii|y olhavinca ccr|ain ook, thcn this
imacc 8|ld mus| bc onc vhich is purc and vhich is lormabc h|ldhat| in a
varicty ol vays ]hrouch intcrna scl-rccuation in timc as purc ook, |hc
schcmata olthc notions pass thcir imacc o lrom this and thus ar|icuatc |hc
uniquc purc possibiity olhavinca ccrtain ook into a varic|yolpurc imaccs.
In this vay, |hc schcma|a ol |hc purc conccp|s ol thc undcrstandinc dc|cr
minc" timc. ]hc schcmataarc thusnothincbutaprioridc|ctm|oa||cosc]||mc
accordinc |o rucs "
I A I 5. I B.
I 2. A I JB. I 77.
I J. A I 2. I BI .
I . A I 5, I Bl.
I 5. lbid.
I . A I 2ll. , I B2ll.
h22. lI 0-I 0/I 7
I na ccrtan scnsc. Kant has a rcht to such a apdary prcscntation or l
thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatsm dctcrmlncs ontooclca knovcdcc on thc
bass olts csscncc. thcn thc systcmatcvorknc-outolontolocca knovcdcc
nthc prcscntatonolthc systcmolsynthctc prnciplcs mustncccssarycomc
across thc charactcr olthc schcmatsm a prori and must sct lorth thc corrc-
spondnc transccndcnta dctcrmnatons ol tmc. lov ths aso occurs. a-
thouch ony vithnccrtan mts.'
It scasy to rccocnc. thc morc ccary thc csscnta structurc ol thc ]ran
sccndcnta Schcmatsm and. n ccncra. a that bconcs to thc vhoc oltran
sccndcncc s broucht to cht. thcn a thc morc ccary do thc paths appcar
byvhchto hnd ourvay n thc darkncss olthcscmostorcnastructurcs n
thc dcpths olour sou. " ]hc univcrsa csscncc olthc schcmatsm n ccncra.
and ol thc transccndcntal n partcuar. has ndccd bccn dctcrmncd vth
sulhcicntcart ]hat a lurthcr advancncspossbc. hovcvcr,s dvuccdby
Kant hmscl n thc lolovnc rcmar. ]hat vc may not bc lurthcr dclaycd
by a dryand tcdous dissccton olvhat s dcmandcd bytransccndcntaschc-
mata ol thc purc conccpts ol thc undcrstandnc n ccncra. vc prclcr to
prcscnt thcm accordnc to hc ordcr olthc catccorcs and nconnccton vth
thcm. "
Is t ony thc dryncss and tcdousncss ol ths allair vhch rcstrans Kant
lrom attcmptnc a lurthcr dsscction! ]hc ansvcr to ths qucston cannot as
yct bc cvcn. |Vhcn cvcn. thc ansvcr| v aso carly vhy thc prcscnt
ntcrprctaton rclrans lrom attcmptnc a concrctc unlodnc ol thc Kantan
dchntons ol thc purc schcmata. Iovcvcr. n ordcr to shov that Kants
doctrinc olthc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism s no baroquc thcory but nstcad
scrcatcdout olthc phcnomcna thcmscvcs. I voud kc to cvc anntcrprc
taton-admttcdlyonya shortandrouchonc- olthc transccndcntaschcma
ola catccory. namcy. olsubstancc.
]hcschcmaolSubstanccs thc pcrsstcnccolthc rcantmc. . . . Ior
thc lu clucdaton ol thc schcmatsm ol ths schcma. vc must rclcr to thc
Irst ^nalocy" . c. . to thc rncpc olcrsstcncc.
'
Substancc, asanoton. scnhcs hrstolal|ust. thatvhchlormsthc cround
|subsstcncc) Its schcma must bc thc rcprcscntaton ol that vhch lorms
thc cround, provdcd that t prcscnts tscl n thc purc macc ol tmc. lov
timc, as purc scqucncc olnovs. s avays nov. In cvcry nov ts nov. ]mc
thus shovs ts ovn pcrmancncc. ^s such. tmc s mmutabc and astnc." t
l 7 A I JBl, l 97ll.
I B A l . B
l 9. Scc bcow, J J , p I JJ.
0 A l J. I BJ
I I A IB2. 22ll.
7 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 07- 0BI
"docsnotitsclpass. "' '
Statcdmorcprcciscy. timcisnotoncthincamonc
othcrs vhich asts. Rathcr, prcciscy on thc crounds olthc csscntia charactcr
prcviousy mcntioncdtobcnov, in cvcrynovtimc civcs thc purc ook ol
somcthincikc astincin ccncra. A thispurcimacc |immcdiatc purc "ook),
it prcscnts that vhich lorms thc cround in purc intuition.
]his lunction ol prcscntation, hovcvcr, vi hrst bccomc ccnuincy ccar
vhcn thc lu contcnt ol thc notion "Substancc" is cxamincd vhich Kant
nccccts todohcrc. Substanccisacatccoryol"Rcation |bctvccnSubsistcncc
and Inhcrcncc). It sicnihcs that vhic lorms thc cround lor a "thinc vhich
adhcrcs" c|o Ao|aogcodcs"| ]hus timc is ony thc purc imacc ol thc notion
Substancc il it prcscnts prcciscy this rcation in thc purc imacc.
]imc, hovcvcr, is as scqucncc olnovs prcciscybccausc in cvcry ovinc
nov it is a nov, cvcn anothcr no ^s thc ook olvhat asts, itollcrs at thc
samc timc thc imacc olpurc chancc in vhat asts.
So, cvcn this rouch intcrprctation ol thc transccndcnta schcma ol Sub-
stancc, vhich at its onccst cannot advancc into thc morc oricinastructurcs
must shov vhat is mcant by thc notion Substancc can itsclprocurc a purc
imacc a priori in timc. Ior this rcason, thc objcctivity in thc cttinc-stand
acainst bccomcs disccrnibc and distinct a priori, providcd that Substancc
bconcs to it as constitutivc ccmcnt. ]hrouch this schcmatism thc notion as
schcmatizcd standsinvlcvinadvancc, so that in this prciminaryvicv olthc
purc imacc ol pcrsistcncc, a bcincvhich as such isunatcrabc in thc chancc
can shov itscl lor cxpccncc. "]o timc, itsclimmutabc and astinc, thcrc
corrcsponds in appcarancc that vhich is immutabc in cxistcncc" |i.c. ,
cinc-at-hand).
' It makcs
! 52. A !11. !BJ
! 5J. lbd.
c. SccA 1 I . 5B. "timcitscI|isnotchangcd, but thc, somcthingwhich is in timc."
h2J. |I 08-I I JI 77
pcrccivabc to a hnitc crcaturc thc cinc-in-opposition-to" olob|cctivity
|
l
vhich bconcs to thc hnitudc olthctransccndinc tuminc-tovard.
hZJ. 5chcmatsm and 5ubsumpton
In thc prcccdnc paccs. thc antian doctrinc olthc schcmatism olthc purc
conccpts ol thc undcrstandinc vas intcntionay intcrprctcd in icht ol thc
uniquc oricntation tovard thc inncrmost occurrcncc ol transccndcncc. lov
vith his ayincolthccround lor mctaphysics. hovcvcr. antdocsnotsimpy
loov thc probcmatic. thc impusc lor vhich ariscs ancv vith cvcry stcp.
Rathcr. cvcn vith thc hrst introduction to thc dccisivc ccmcnts olthc doc
trinc. hc cincs hrst ol a to thc most lcasibc. knovn lormuations vhich
shoud cad in a prciminary vay to thc probcm. ]hus thc ]ransccndcnta
Ocduction bccins as a cca action 'Pcc|ts|aodcl| vithin traditiona mctaphys
ics. It is dccidcd by thc prool that thc notions must bc catccorics. i . c. . that
accordincto thcircsscncc thcymust bconc to ]ransccndcncc itsclilthcyarc
to bcabc a priori to dctcrminc cmpirica. acccssibcbcincs. ^tthc samc timc,
hovcvcr. thccondition lor thc usc" olthcscconccpts is hxcd.
]o uscconccptsmcansinccncra to appythcmtoob|ccts. orrathcr-sccn
lrom thcstandpoint olthc ob|ccts -to brincthcsc objccts undcr" conccpts
In thc ancuacc ol traditiona ocic. this usc ol conccpts is cacd sub
sumption.]ousc thc purc conccpts as transccndcnta dctcrminations oltimc
a priori. i . c. . to attain purc knovcdcc. mcans. thc proccssolthc Schcmatism.
Sccn lrom this point olvicv. thc probcm olthc Schcmatism in lact initiay
aovs itsclto bc discusscd quitc adcquatcy in thc tcxtbooks on subsump
tion. ut itmustbcobscrvcd thathcrc -in ontoocica knovcdcc i tis lrom
thc hrst a mattcr ol ontoocica conccpts. and conscqucnty aso a mattcr ol
a pccuiar. i. c. . anontoocica. subsumption. "
^rcady vith thc hrst charactcrization olthc csscntia unity olontoocica
knovcdcc. thcn. ant has not ncccctcd to audc to thc lundamcnta dillcr-
cncc bctvccn brincinc undcr conccpts" |vhich conccms thc ob|ccts) and
brincinctoconccpts"|vhich conccrnsthcpurcsynthcsiolthctransccndcn
ta povcr olimacination). ]hc brincinc to conccpts" olthc purc synthcsis
occurs in thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. It lorms" thc unity rcprcscntcd in
thc notion into thc csscntia ccmcnt ol purc, disccrnabc ob|cctivity In thc
! J1. Scc A 7Bll., !01ll.
3. udgmcnt
b.p|c |somcthing undcr |somcthing
c. "rcccton to what dcgrcc
7B Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' ! ! 0- I ! I l
]ransccndcnta Schcmatism thc catccoricsarc lormcd hrst ola ascatccorics.
Il thcsc arc thc truc prima conccpts. " hovcvcr. thcn thc ]ransccndcnta
Schcmatism is thc oricina and authcntic conccpt-lormation as such.
]hcrclorc. ilKant introduccs thc chaptcr on Schcmatism vith a rclcrcncc
to subsumption. it is bccausc hc vants thcrcby to point to transccndcnta
subsumption as thc ccntra probcm in ordcr to shov that in thc csscntia
structurc olpurc knovcdcc. thc qucstion conccrninc thc innc possibiity ol
oricina conccptuaity as such has burst opcn
]hc cmpirica conccpts vcrc dravn lrom cxpcricncc and arc thcrclorc
homoccncous" vith thc contcnt ol thc bcinc thcy dctcrminc. ]hcir appica-
tion to obccts. i . c. . thcir usc, is no probcm lov purc conccpts ol thc
undcrstandinc, hovcvcr. in comparison vith cmpirical intuitions indccd.
vith scnsibc intuitions in ccncra . arc compctcynonhomoccncousand can
ncvcr bc cncountcrcd in any intuition. lov hov is thc subsumption ol thc
attcr undcr thc lormcr, and conscqucnty hov is thc application ol thc catc-
cory to appcaranccs, possibc or no onc vi say that this | catccory , c. c. .
causaity. can aso comc to bc intuitcd throuch scnsc and is containcd in
appcarancc "
In thc qucstion conccrninc thc possibc usc ol thc catccorics.
thcir particuar csscncc itsclhrst bccomcsa probcm. ]hcscconccpts prcscnt
us vith thc qucstion ol thcir lormation" in ccncra. Icncc, thc tak ol thc
subsumption olappcaranccs undcrcatccorics" is not thc lormua lora sou
tion to thc probcm, but rathcr it contains prcciscly thc qucstion olthc scnsc
in vhich vc can spcak hcrc in ccncra olsubsumption undcr conccpts.
Ilvc takc thc Kantian lormuation olthc probcm ol schcmatism as thc
probcm ol subsumption simpy in thc scnsc olan introduction to thc prob-
cm. thcn it civcs us an indication ol thc ccntra purposc. and vith it an
indication ol thc corc contcnt ol thc chaptcr on Schcmatis.
]o rcprcscnt conccptuay mcans to rcprcscnt somcthinc in ccncra" |m
allgcmc|oco`| . Vith conccpt lormation as such, thc univcrsaity" ' Allgcmc|o-
|c|t'| olthc rcprcscntinc must bccomc a probcm. ut nov, ilthc catccorics
as ontoocica conccpts arc not homoccncous vith thc cmpirical obccts and
thc conccpts ol thosc obccts. thcn ncithcr can thcir univcrsality" bc that ol
a cvcvhich ishichcronybydccrcc olthcunivcrsaityolahichcr.orrathc
ol a hichcst ontic cass" or ccnus. " Vhat charactcr olccncrality" 'Ccoc
al|tt'|docsthc univcrsaity olthc ontoocica|i . c. . thc mctaphysica conccpts
havc ut that is mcrcy thc qucstion Vhat docs thc `gcocal|s' mcan in thc
charactcrization ol Cntolocy as Mctap,s|ca Ccocal|s ]hc probcm ol thc
Schcmatism ol thc purc conccpts ol thc undcrstandinc is thc qucstion con-
ccrninc thc inncrmost csscncc ol ontoocica knovcdcc.
I . A I I 7o|.
d. "samcncss` ascrounds |or univcrsality |A||ycmciuhcir| . samcncss and rcccriou
h2J. |I I I -I I 2 79
Icncc. thc loovinc stands out. IlKant poscs thc probcm olthcconccp
tuaity ol thc prima conccpt in thc Schcmatism chaptcr and ilhc rcsovcs it
vth thc hcp ol thc csscntia dctcrmination ol thcsc conccpts as ]ransccn-
dcnta Schcmata, thcn thc Ooctrinc ol thc Schcmatism olthc purc conccpts
ol thc undcrstandinc is thc dccisivc stacc ol thc ayinc o thc cround lor
Mctap|,s|caCcocal|s
]hcoricntationvithrcspccttothcidcaolsubsumption.asahrstdiscusslon
olthc probcm othc transccndcnta schcmatism, has a ccrtain|ustication.
utthcnKantis aso arcady pcrmittcd tocathcrlrom ita prciminaryskctch
ol thc possibc soution to thc probcm and to charactcrizc thc idca ol thc
transccndcnta schcmatism in a provisiona vay in tcrms olsubsumption. I
thc purc conccpt ol thc undcrstandinc is luy nonhomoccncous vith ap-
pcaranccs, but il it is stil to dctcrminc thcm, thcn thcrcmust bc a mcdiator
vhich bridccs thc nonhomoccncit ]his mcdiatinc rcprcscntation must bc
purc |void olcvcythinc cmpirica) , and indccd on thc onc hand it must bc
|otcllcctaal vhic on thc othcr hand it must bc scos|hlc ]hc !aosccodcotal
5c|cma is such a |mcdiatinc rcprcscntatlon "'
]hisothcristhcbcinc
iscl, vith vhich thc knovinc-thus aso thc j udcinc rcationship vhich
bconcstoit is tobc"inaccord. "Icncc thcknovincmust"cobcyondthat
point at vhichcvcrymcrc thinkinc as such, vhich prcviousy vas bound
toccthcr in itscl, ncccssariy "rcmains. " Kant cas this thc "rcationship" to
thc "vhoy othcr" synthcsis |thc \critativc Synthcsis) . A such, insolar as it
!0. A ! JJ, I9J.
!! A ! J0H . , !B9H.
!2. A !J, !9J|
a. istinguish bctwccn Subcctbcct rcIationship in gcncra and |orma and anaIyticudg
mcnts, thc two arc not thc samc, scc thc highcst principIc o|AnaIyticudgmcnt and ncgativc
dccminationo|a||udgmcnts ingcncra -VS !9JJlJ. |DicFragcnarhdcmDing.ZuKntshc
on dcn transzcndcnta|cn Grundsatzcn. CA voI. !I, p. ! 7J. lWhat ls a !hing? t. V . aton
and cutsch |Soh cnd. Catcway, !97), p. !9H.]
B2 Kaht ahd thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' ! I - I I 7l
knovs somcthnc vhoy othcr. knovcdcc s synthctc. ut nov. hovcvcr.
sncc thc prcdcatvc-apophantc onnc n mcrc thnknc can aso bc cad
synthcss. t s bcst to dstncush thc synthcss spcchc to knovcdcc. vhch
vas donc carcr. as thc onc vhch brncslorth namcy. thc vhoy othcr).
]hsconc-bcyondto thc vhoyothcr."hovcvcr.rcqurcsacncn-thcrc
lat|oocosc|o , n a mcdum" vthn vhch ths vhoy othcr"-that thc
knovnc crcaturc tscl s not and ovcr vhch t s not thc mastcr- can bc
cncountcrcd. ut vth thc loovnc vords. Kant nov paraphrascs vhat t s
that makcspossbc and makcs up ths concbcyondvhch turns-tovardand
vhch cts somcthncbc cncountcrcd. Itsbutonc quntcsscncc 'lohcgt|]!
n vhch a our rcprcscntatons arc contancd. namcy. thc nncr scnsc and
tsa pror lorm. tmc. ]hc synthcss olthc rcprcscntatons rcsts on thc povcr
ol macnaton. but thcr synthctc unty |vhch s rcqurcd lor |udcmcnt)
rcsts on hc unty olappcrccpton "
^saconscqucncc thctradolccmcnts.vhchvasntroduccdnthc sccond
stacc olthc cround-aync aoncvth thc nta charactcraton olthc csscn-
taunty olontooccaknovcdcc.cxpctyrccurshcrc. ]hcthrdandlourth
staccs. hovcvcr. shov hov thcsc thrcc ccmcnts lorm a structura unty vhosc
lormatvc ccntcr s thc transccndcnta povcr ol macnaton. Vhat s lormcd
thcrc. hovcvcr. stransccndcncc. IlKant novrccas ths trad lor thc purposc
ol thc dccsvc cucdaton oltransccndcncc. thcn t may no onccr bc takcn
accordnc to thc st-obscurc succcsson vth vhch thcy vcrc ntroduccd n
thc sccond stacc. athcr. t thc trad must bc luy prcscnt nthctransparcncy
ol ts structurc, vhch s hnay rcvcacd n thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatsm.
^nd l ths hlth stacc nov mcrcy summarcs. thcn thc csscnta unty ol
transccndcncc. hrst ndcatcd n thc sccond stacc ony as a probcm. must bc
takcn as umnatcd and must bc appropratcd as cxpctycucdatcd on thc
crounds olts csscnta possbty
]hus. Kant nov brincs thc vhoc probcm ol thc csscncc ol hntudc n
knovcdcc toccthcr n thc short lormua ol thc `pcss|h|l|t, c] cxpct|cocc
xpcrcncc mcans. hntc. ntutnc knovcdcc olbcncs vhch takcs thcm n
strdc. ]hc bcnc must bc cvcn to knovcdcc as somcthnc vhch stands-
acanst. lov n thc cxprcsson possbty olcxpcrcncc." on thc othcr hand.
thc tcrm possbty has a charactcrstc ambcuty
ossbc" cxpcricncc coudmcan possbc" as dstnct lrom rca. utnthc
possbty olcxpcrcncc. " thc possbc" cxpcricncc s no crcatcr a probcm
l oJ. A I . l 9.
I o lbd
I o. A I ol . I 9|
b. Scc A z I o zoJ. thc Analoccsas cxponcnts thccsscncc olcxponcnts Scc SS I 9J0 l\om
Wc:cu Jcmcu:ch|ichu Frihcir. Liu|ciruuv u Jic Phi|o:orhic. CA,vol J I . p. I z
C. somcthinc-asobcc ol possblc cxpcrcncc
h21. |I I /-I I 8! BJ
than thcactua nstcad hcyboth |arc aprobcm vithrcspcct to vhatmakcs
thcm possibc in advancc. Fossibiity ol cxpcricncc" mcans, thcrclorc. that
vhich makcs a hnitc cxpcricncc possibc, i . c. , that vhich is not ncccssariy
but rathcr possiby actua. ]his possibiity" vhich hrst makcs possibc thc
possiby" is thc pcss|h|l||as ol traditiona mctaphysics. '
' and is sonymous
vith cssco||a or tcal||as Ochnitions ol thc rca 'Pcal-lco|||coco arc takcn
lromthc csscncc olthcmattcr.lromthc initiacroundolpossibiity. "'
' ]hcy
scrvc lorknovcdcc ol thc mattcr accordinc to its inncr possibiity"
olthc
transccndcnta povcr olimacination. ^s oricina. purc synthcsis. it loms thc
csscntia unity olpurc intuition |timc) and purc thinkinc |appcrccption).
]hc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination. hovcvcr. did not hrst bccomc
thc ccntra thcmc in thc Ooc|rnc olthc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. Rathcr.
it arcady |had |ha| status in thc prcccdinc stacc ol thc croundayinc. |hc
]ransccndcnta Ocduction. ccausc it is |o undcr|akc thc oricina unihcation.
it must arcady havc bccn mcntioncd in thc sccond stacc. vith thc hrst
charactcrization ol thc csscntia unity ol ontoocica knovcdcc. ]hc
transccndcnta povcr ol imacnaton s hcncc thc cround upon vhich thc
inncr possibiity ol ontoocica knovcdcc, and vith i| that ol Mc|ap,s|ca
Ccocal|s. is buit.
Kant introduccs thc purc povcrolimacination as an indispcnsablc lunc
tion ol thc sou. "
"
]o ccar thc arcady-aid cround lor mc|aphysics in an
cxpii| vay. thcrclorc. mcans |o dc|crmnc morc prccscy a lacuty ol thc
human sou. ]hat thc ayinc olthc cround lormctaphysics hnay arrivcs at
such a task is scl-cvidcnt." il indccd mctaphysics. in Kants ovn vords.
bconcstohumannaturc. " ^saconscqucncc,thc^nthropoocy"vhichKant
dcat vi|h ovcr thc ycars in his cc|urcs must providc us vith inlormation
conccrninc thc arcady-aid cround lor mctaphysics. "
]hc povc ol
B0. A 2 I B
I B . A B. J
I B2 nhis Marburc disscrtation. DicEinbi|JunysruIr bci Kun| 2B. H Mrchcn undcrtook
thc tasko| prcparinc a monocraphic prcscntationand intcrprctation olKants tcachi ncs conccrn
inc thc powcr ol i macination i n his Anrh+ro|o, i n thc Cririquco|PurcRcuson, in thc Cri|iqu o
]uJymnr.andi nthcothcrwrtincsand |ccturcs. 1hcworkwi||appcarin vo|umc X ol th]uhrbuch
|r Phi|osorhic unJrhdnomcno|oyischc Forschuny. hc prcscnt cxposition is limitcd to what is most
ncccssary |or an cxc|usivc oricntation to thc cuidinc problcm o| thc layinc ol thc cround |or
mctaphysics
I BJ Kant. Anrh+ro|oyic inrrmurischcrHinich| . W|c, vo|. Vlll 2B, p. 5
I B Rcickc. Losc 8|d||cruusKan|sNuch|u I BB. p 2
h20 |I 28-I J0 9I
imacination can" intuit. can" takc thc ook olsomcthinc in stridc. vithout
shovinc thc intuitcd vhichis rclcrrcd to. itscl, asbcinc, and vithoutccttinc
thc ook lrom itsclaonc.
]husvchndinthcpovcrolimacination. tobccinvith.apccuiarnoncon-
ncctcdncss to thc bcinc. It is vithout strincs in thc takinc-in-stridc olooks,
i. c. , itisthc lacutyvhichinaccrtainvaycivcsitsclsuch | looks| .]hcpovcr
olimacinationcan hcncc bc cacd a lacuty ollorminc 'ctmgcodcs8|ldcos|
in a pccuiar doubc scnsc. ^s a lacuty ol intuitinc. it is lormativc 'h|ldcod
in thc scnsc olprovidinc thc imacc '8|d |or look). P a lacuty vhich is not
dcpcndcnt upon thc prcscncc ol thc intuitabc. it luhs itscll. i . c . , it crcatcs
and lorms thc imacc. ]his lormativc povcr" is simultancousy a lorminc
vhich takcs thincs in stridc |is rcccptivc) and onc vhich crcatcs |is sponta-
ncous) In this simutancousy" ics thc propcr csscncc olits structurc. ut il
rcccptivity mcans thc samc as scnsibiity and il spontancity mcans thc samc
as undcrstandinc. thcn in a pccuiar vay thc povcr ol imacination lals bc-
tvccnboth. ]hiscivcsita rcmarkabyiridcsccntcharactcrvhichasocomcs
to ichtin thc antian dctcrminations ol thcsc lacutics. Vith thc division ol
thc lacutics ol knovcdcc into thc tvo lundacnta casscs. hc incudcs
imacination| in scnsibility in spitc ol its spontancit Icncc in this casc.
lorminc in thc scnsc ol providinc imaccs |intuitinc) is dccisivc. a lact aso
rcvcacd in thc dchnition.
Cn thcbasis ol its bcinc vithoutstrincs, hovcvcr. it is lor Kant a lacuty
ol comparinc. shapinc. combininc, distincuishinc. and, in ccncra. ol bind-
inctoccthcr |synthcsis) . Imacininc." thcn. rclcrs to a rcprcscntinc in thc
broadcst scnsc vhich is not in accordancc vith pcrccption. conccivinc ol
somcthinc. concoctinc somcthinc. dcvisinc somcthinc. vondcrinc. havincan
inspiration. and thc ikc. ]hc povcr ollorminc. " `' accordincly. isbroucht
toccthcr vith thc lacuty olvit' and thc povcr ol distincuishinc, vith thc
lacuty ol comparison in ccncra. ]hc scnscs providc thc mattcr lor al our
rcprcscntations. Irom that thc lacuty hrst scts out to lorm rcprcscntations
indcpcndcnty ol thc prcscncc ol obccts. povcr ol lorminc, |mag|oat|c, scc-
ond. thc lacutyolcomparison. vits and thc povcroldistincuishinc. |ad|c|am
d|sctctam third. thc laculty ol combininc rcprcscntations, not immcdiatcy
vith thcir obccts but rathcr by mcans ol a surrocatc. i . c. . |thc lacuty ol|
dcscribinc |thcm| .
'!
ut vith a this association ol thc povcr ol imacination vith thc lacuty
olspontancity. it stil rctains itsintuitivccharactcr Itis sah)cct|csahaspcctam,
i . c. . a lacuty olintuitivc prcscntation. olcivinc. lov thc intuitivc rcprcscnt-
inc ol an obcct vhich is not prcscnt can bc tvolod.
IB Alrcady n Aristotlc`s c Auima. ook CJ. ooo stands "c twccn` ooJ\o and
o
l Bo. rdmann. Rc|cioucu I. p l I B Kau|: hauJ:chrI|ichcNah|a), vol. l l . l . o JJ9. Scc
also |lit, I. Kau|: \orc:u
scroundayinc
up to this point or rathcr thc intcrprctation ol itis oricina and ampc
cnouch to assumc thc cuidancc olsucha lainc-in-bchind. ovcvcr, ony an
actua attcmpt that is carricd out can dccidc that. ]hc vay ol Kants ^nthro-
poocy, vhich at hrst appcars to bc scl-cvidcnt, has rcvcacd itscll to bc thc
vronc vay ^ thc morc ccarly, thcn, thc ncccssity ariscs that vc unlin-
chincy kccp thc lurthcr intcrprctation locuscd on thc phcnomcnon vhich
rcvcas itsclas thc cround lor thc nncr possibiity ol ontoocica synthcsis,
on thc transccndcnta povcr olimacination.
h2/. Thc Trunsccndcntu| Powcr o[ Imuginution thc Third 8usic Fuculty
]o undcrstand thc lacutics ol our mind" as transccndcnta lacutics"
mcans in thc hrst pacc to unvc thcm accordinc to hov thcy makc thc
csscncc oltransccndcncc possibc. Iacutythusdocsnotmcana basic povcr"
' `Cod|]| vhich is at hand in thc sou. Iaculty" nov mcans vhat such
a thinc is abc to do, "
'
^t thc samc tlmc, baslc abllty to do somcthlnc" says that thc purc povcr
ollmaclnatlon ls not rcduclbc to thc purc ccmcnts toccthcr vlth vhlch lt
lorms thc csscntla unlty ol transccndcncc ]hat ls vhy, vlth thc dcclslvc
charactcrzatlon ol thc csscntla unlty ol ontooclca knovcdcc, Kant cx-
prcssy cnumcratcs thrcc ccmcnts. purc lntultlon |tlmc) , purc synthcsls by
mcans olthc povcr ollmaclnatlon and thc purc conccpts olpurc appcrccp
tlon. In thcsamc conncctlon, Kantcmphaslzcs that vcshahcrcaltcrscc"
thcvaylnvhlchthcpovcrollmaclnatlonacts as anlndlspcnsabc lunctlon
olthc sou. vlthout vhlch vc shoud havc no knovcdcc vhatsocvcr."
||
In thc 1ransccndcnta Ocducton, thc prcvlousy namcd trlad olccmcnts
ls dlscusscd ln lts posslbcunlty, and lt ls croundcd throuch thc Schcmatlsm.
Morcovcr, thc lntroductlon olthc ldca ol thc purc Schcmatlsm acaln ylcds
thc samc cnumcratlon olthc thrcc purc ccmcnts ol ontooclca knovcdcc.
^nd hnay, thc dlscusslonolthc hlchcstprlnclpc olasynthctlc|udcmcnts,
l. c. , thc hna dctcrmlnatlon olthc lu csscncc oltransccndcncc, ls lntroduccd
vlth thc cnumcratlon ol thc prclousy namcd thrcc ccmcnts as thc thrcc
sourccs" lor thc posslbllty olpurc synthctlc|udcmcnts a prlor.
..
In opposltlon to thls uncqulvoca charactcrzatlon ol thc transccndcnta
povcr ol lmaclnatlon as a thlrd baslc lacuty aoncsldc purc scnslbllty and
purc undcrstandlnc, acharactcrlzatlonvhlchcrcvlromthc lnncr probcmatlc
olthc Ct|t|aacc!PatcPcascoltscl, thc carlhcatlonvhlch Kant cxplclty cavc
at thc bcclnnlnc and at thc cnd ol hls vork nov spcaks.
1hcrc arc but tvo baslc sourccs olthc mlnd, scnslbllty and undcrstand-
lnc,"thcrc arc ony thcsc tvostcms to ourpovcrolknovcdcc" asldc lrom
thcsc tvo sourccs ol knovlcdcc, vc havc no othcrs. " ` 1hls thcsls corrc
sponds as vc to thc bllurcatlon ol thc vhoc transccndcnta lnvcstlcatlon
nto a ]ransccndcnta ^csthctlc and a ]ransccndcntaoclc. ]hc transccndcn-
ta povcr ol lmaclnatlon ls homccss. It ls not cvcn trcatcd ln thc ]ransccn-
dcnta^csthctlc vhcrc, as a lacuty ollntultlon," ltpropcry bconcs. Cn thc
othcrhand, lt lsa thcmc olthc ]ransccndcnta oclcvhcrc, strlcty spcaklnc,
ltmaynotbcasoncasoclcrcmalnsconhncd tothouchtassuch. utbccausc
lrom thcbcclnnlncthls ^csthctlc and thls oclc arc orlcntcd vlth rcspcct to
transccndcncc vhlch ls not|ust thc sum ol purc lntultlon and purc thlnklnc
I 9I . A I 2.
I92. A 7B. I0.
9J. Scc aovc, h. p. 2~||. Hcrc Hcdccccr has takcn slicht bcics wi th thcsc passaccs.
which hc uotcd corrcctly on pp. -2. otcs ~B. ~9.ad2 -tr
9 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs | !J- !J 7l
but is rathcra particuar. oricina unity vithin vhich thcy |unction ony as
ccmcnts, its tvo-vay rcsut must cad out bcyond itsc|.
Coud this rcsut havc cudcd Kant, or isitatcast consistcntvith hisvay
o| thinkinc that hc supprcsscd thc prcviousy namcd triad o| basic |acutics
in |avor o| thc thcory o| thc duaity o| thc stcms, as it vcrc` 1his is so Iittc
thc casc that Kant instcad spcaks cxpicity o| thc thrcc oricina sourccs o|
thc sou" in thc midst o| thc procrcssion o|his cround-ayinc, both at thc
cosc o| thc Introduction to thc 1ransccndcnta Ocduction and aso at thc
bccinninc o| its actua cnactmcnt |ust as i| hc had ncvcr cstabishcd thc
duaity o| thc stcms.
]hcrc arc. hovcvcr. thrcc oricina sourccs |capacitics or |acutics o| thc
sou) vhich contain thc conditions |or thc possibiity o| a cxpcricncc and
vhich thcmscvcs can bc dcrivcd |rom no othcr |acuty o| thc mind, namcy.
scoscpcwctc]|mag|oat|co,and appctcpt|co . . . . ^ o| thcsc |acutics, bcsidcs
thc cmpirica usc. havc anothcr, transccndcnta usc vhich conccrns mcrcy
thc |orm and vhich is possibc a priori. "
]hcrc arc thrccsub|cctivc sourccs o|knovcdcc, uponvhichrcstthcpossi-
biity o|an cxpcricncc in ccncra and knovcdcc o|its ob|ccts scosc, pcwctc]
mag|oat|co,and appctccpt|co Lach o|thcsc canbcvicvcd ascmpirica. namcy
in thc appication to civcn appcaranccs. ut a priori, a o| thcm arc aso cc-
mcnts, orthc croundvork ' Ctaodlagco| ,vhichthcmscvcs makc thiscmpirica
usc possibc." In both o| thcsc passaccs. thc |act cxpicity ariscs that bcsidcs
thc cmpirica usc o|thcsc |acutics thcrc is aso thc transccndcnta, vith vhich
thc rcationship to ^nthropoocy is dcmonstratcd anc
1hus this triad o|basic |acutics stands in harsh opposition to thc duaity
o|basic sourccs and stcms o|knovcdcc. ct vhat is it about thc tvo stcms`
Isit accidcnta that Kantuscs this imacc to charactcrizc scnsibiityand undcr-
standinc, or is it instcad uscd |ust to indicatc that thcycrov|roma common
root"`
lovthc intcrprctation o|thc croundayinc, hovcvcr, shovs thctransccn-
dcnta povcr o| imacination is not |ust an cxtcrna bond vhich |astcns to-
ccthcr tvo cnds. t is oricinaIy uni|yinc. i. c. . as a particuar |acuty it |orms
thc unity o| both o| thc othcrs. vhich thcmscvcs havc an csscntia structura
rcation to it.
Vhat i| this oricina . |ormativc ccntcr vas that unknovn common root"
o| both stcms` Is it an accidcnt that vith thc hrst introduction o|tc povcr
o|imacination Kant says that vc ourscvcs, hovcvcr. arc scdom conscious
|o|it cvcn oncc"`
I 9. A 9.
I 95. A I I 5.
I 9. A 7B, I0J. hccxpIicit charactcrzation o|thcpowcro|imagnation asabasic |acuIty
must havc drvcn homc thc mcaning o|ths |aculty to Kants contcmporarcs. Thus Fchtc and
SchcIIing, and in his own wayacobi as wcI, havc attrbutcd an csscntiaI roIc to thc powcr o|
imagination. Vhchcr in ths way thc csscncc o|thc powcr o|imagnation as sccn by Kantwas
h2/. |IJ8-I JI
. 1HE TRANSCENDEN1AI FVER F IMACINA1IN AS
RT F TH STEMS
97
I| thc cstabishcd cround docs not havc thc charactcr o| a |oor or basc
vhich is athand, but i|instcad it has thc charactcr o|a root, thcn it must bc
cround in such a vay that it cts thc stcmscrov out |romitsc|, cndincthcm
support and stabiity. Vith that, hovcvcr, vc havc arcady attaincd thc dircc-
tionvc soucht, by mcans o|vhich thc orcinaity o|thc Kantian cround-ay-
inccanbcdiscusscdvithinitsovnparticuar probcmatic. ]hiscroundayinc
bccomcs morc oricina i| it docs not simpy takc thc arcady-aid cround in
stridc, but i|instcad it unvcis hov this root is thc root |or both stcms. ut
this mcans nothinc cssthanthatpurc intuition and purcthinkinc cad back
to thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination.
^nd yct, apart |rom thc qucstion o| its possibc succcss, is not thc qucs-
tionabcncss o|such an undcrtakinc itsc| obvious` ]hrouch such a cadinc-
backo|thchnitccrcaturcs |acuticso|knovcdcctothcpovcro|imacination,
docs not a knovcdcc comc to bc rcduccd to mcrc imacination` Voud thc
csscncc o|thc human bcinc, thcn, not dissolvc into an appcarancc '5c|cio `
Hovcvcr, i|thc oricin o|purc intuitionandpurc thinkincastransccndcnta
|acutics isshovn to bc bascd on thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination as
a |acut this is not to say that vc vant to civc cvdcncc to thc c||cct that
purc intuition and purc thinkinc may bc a product o| thc imacination and,
as such, ony somcthinc imacinary. ]hc unvciinc o| thc oricin vhich has
arcadybccn charactcrizcd mcans, rathcr. thc structurc o|thcsc |acutics has
bccn rootcd in
undcrstandabc.
In thc loovlnc lntcrprctatlon, lt ls truc that thc orlcntatlon contlnucs to
adhcrc to thc vay olthc cround-aylnc vhlch vc havc arcady run throuch,
but thc lndlvldua staccs vl no onccr bc dcscrlbcd. ]hc spcclhc vay ln
vhlchthcpurc povcr ollmaclnatlon, purc lntultlon. and purc thlnklnchanc
toccthcr shoud aso comc to bc unvclcd orlclnay ony to thc cxtcnt that
thc Kantlan cround-aylnc ltsclcontalns lndlcatlons ollt.
hZ8. Thc TransccndcntaI Powcr o[ Imagnaton and Purc Intuton
Kant cas thc purc lntultlons Spacc and ]lmc orlclna rcprcscntatlons "
]hc orlclnal" ls not tobc undcrstood hcrc ontlcay or psychooclcay, and
lt docs not conccrn thc clnc-at-hand or pcrhaps thc lnnatcncss
ol thcsc
lntultlons ln thc sou. Rathcr. thc orlclna" charactcrlzcs thc vay accordlnc
to vhlchthcsc rcprcscntatlons arc rcprcscntcd. ]hc cxprcsslon oriclna" cor
rcsponds to thc ct|g|oat|as' ln thc tltc |ota|tas ct|g|oat|as and mcans. to ct
|somcthlnc| sprlnc lorth. lovolcoursc, as bconclnctohumanhnltudc.thc
purc lntultlons lnthclrrcprcscntlnc cannotaovanybclncs to sprinc lorth.
^nd yct, thcy arc lormatlvc ln thc pccular scnsc that thcy pro-posc 'vct-
stcllco thc ook ol spacc and tlmc ln advancc as totaltlcs vhlch arc ln
thcmscvcs manllod. ]hcytakc thc ook ln strldc, but ln ltsclthls taklncln
strldc ls thc lormatlvc scl-clvlnc olthat vhlch clvcs ltscl. ^ccordlnc to thclr
csscncc. thc purc lntultlons thcmscvcs arc oriclna." l . c. . prcscntatlons ol
vhatlslntultabcvhlch aov somcthlnc tosprlnclorth. cx||h|t|cct|g|oat|a
Inthlsprcscntlnc,hovcvcr,lcsthccsscncc olthc purc povcrollmaclnatlon.
Iurc lntultlon. thcrclorc. can ony bc orlclna" bccausc accordlnc to lts cs-
scncc lt lsthcpurcpovcrollmaclnatlon ltsclvhlch lormatlvcy clvcs ooks
|lmaccs)lrom out olltscl.
' I |
]hc rootlnc olpurc lntultlon l n thc purc povcr ollmaclnatlon bccomcs
luy ccar ll vc ask about thc charactcrolvhat ls lntultcd ln purc lntultlon.
a ccr!any no rclcvan! prcscn!a!ion wi!h rcspcc! to its contcnt o| wha! sprincs |orth Lnr-
:r|nvcns| rom spacc b! ins!cad only indica!cd !hc csscncc olorlcin Lrsrrunvs|
b Scc p. JJ. Rclcrcncc is !o Hcidccccrs marcina no!c "q` onha! pacc-r l
!00 Kaht ahd thc FmbIcm oI Mctaphysks | !2- !JI
Indccd. intcrprctcrs |or thc most part a too o|tcn and all too quicky dcny
that somcthincis intuitcdinpurc intuitioninccncra. that indccditmayonly
bc thc |orm o| intuition. " at is disccmcd in purc intuition is a vhoc
vhich is unihcdinitscl|. althouch it isnotcmpty and vhosc parts arc alvays
|ust limitations o| itscl|. ut this unihcd vhoc must allov itscl| to bc dis-
ccmcd inadvancc rccardincthis toccthcmcss o|itsmani|oldncssvhich is |or
thc most part indistinct. Iurc intuitionoricinay uni|yinc. i . c. . civinc
unity-must ca|c| sicht o| thc unity
]hc totality o| vhat is intuitcd in purc intuition docs not havc thc unity
vhich charactcrIcs thc univcrsality o| a conccpt. ]hc unity o|thc totality o|
intuition. thcrc|orcalsocannotsprinc |orth |romthcsynthcsiso|thc undcr-
standinc." Itis aunityvhichiscauchtsichto|inadvancc inthc imacccivInc
imacininc |m8|ld-gchcodco L|o|ldco| ]hc syn"
!1|
o| thc totaity o| spacc
and timc bcloncs to a |acuty o| |ormativc intuition. ]hc purc synopsis. i| it
constitutcs thc csscncc o|purcintuition, is onypossibc in thc transccndcntal
povcr o|imacination.andthatisal thcmorcsoasthis | transccndcntalpovcr
o|imacinationl is in ccncral thc oricin o|al that is synthctic. "
'
"
Synthcsis"
must bc takcn hcrc in a vay vhich is quitc vidc cnouch to cncompass thc
synopsis o|intuition and thc synthcsis" o| thc undcrstandinc.
In a rcllcction both craphic and immcdiatc, Kant oncc said. Spacc and
]imc arc thc |orms 'Fctmco| o| thc prc-|orminc \cth|ldaog| in intuition."
Inadvanccthcy|ormthcpurclookvhichscrvcsashorIon|orthccmpiricay
intuitablc. ut i| purc intuition, in thc manncr o| its intuitinc. rcvcals thc
spccihc csscncc o|thc transccndcntal povcr o|imacination. thcn isnotvhat
is prc-|ormcd in it as that vhichvas |ocd in thc imacination ||mag|oa||c),
itscl| imacinativc ]his charactcrIzation o| vhat is intuitcd as such in purc
intuition isno |ormaconscqucncc o|thc prcvious analysis. but instcad itics
cncloscd in thc csscntial contcnt o|vhat is acccssibc in purc intuition. ]his
imacinativc charactcr o| Spacc and ]imc thcn, has nothinc unhcard o| or
strancc about it i|vc adhcrc to thc |act that it is a mattcr o| purc intuition
and purc imacination. A vc havc shovn, vhat is |ormcd in thc imacination
is not ncccssarily an ontic appcarancc.
Mov Kant must havc sccn littlc o| thc csscntial structurc o|purc intuition,
indccd. hc voud not havc bccn ablc to crasp it at al. had not thc imacinativc
charactcr o| vhat is intuitcd in it bccomc vIsibc to him. Kant says unambicu-
ousy hc mcrc |orm o|intuition.vIthoutsubstancc. isin itscl|no objcct.but
I 97. A 9|. Kant cxprcssIy says hcrc hat hc has trcatcd thc TransccndcntaI Synopss n thc
ransccndcntaIAcsthctic.
! 9B. A 7B, !0J.
! 99. Erdmann, Rc||xiaca ll, 0B. Kn|s handschri]|lichcr Nach|a|, voI. No. 59J. Vith
rc|crcncc to Erdmannsrcading,Andickcsrcads-crroncousIyin myopinion"conncction" |"\cr
ondung") instcad o "prcomng" ("\orot|dung"). Scc bcIow, J2, p. 2J.
h28. |I 1J-I 1JI ! 0I
is rathcr thc mcrcy|orma condition o|thcsamc |as appcarancc) , aspurc spacc
and purc timc. ^s |orms to bc intuitcd, thcsc arc indccd Somcthinc, but thcy
arc not thcmscvcs ob|ccts vhich can bc intuitcd |s|mag|oar|um)
Vhat L
intuitcdinpurcintuition as such is an cos|mag|oar|um Hcncc on thc crounds
o|its csscncc, purc intuitinc is purc imacination.
1hc cos|mag|oar|umbconcs to thc possibc |orms o|thclothinc," i. c. , to
vhat isnota bcincin thc scnsc o|vhat is athand. Iurc spacc andpurc timc
arc Somcthinc,"butccrtainynotob|ccts.I|oncsaysvithouthcsitationthat
in purc intuition nothinc is intuitcd and hcncc that it acks ob|ccts, thcn in
thc hrst pacc this intcrprctation is ony nccativc, and ambicuous as vc, as
onc asvc havc not madc itccar that Kant uscs thc cxprcssion ob| cct" hcrc
in thc dccidcdy rcstrictcd scnsc accordinc to vhich thc bcinc vhich shovs
itsc|inthc appcarancc is mcant. ^ccordincy, anob|cctisnot|ustanySomc-
thinc."
Iurc intuitions, as |orms to bc intuitcd," arc indccd intuitions vithout
thincs, but thcyncvcrthccsshavcvhatisintuitcd in thcm. Spacc is noth-
inc actua, i. c. , it is not a bcinc acccssibc in pcrccption, but is rathcr thc
rcprcscntation o| a mcrc possibiity o|cinc-toccthcr. "
lovo|coursc thc incination to dcny anob|cct in thc scnsc o|somcthinc
intuitcd topurc intuitionin ccncra thcrcbybccomcsstrcncthcncdin particu-
arby thc |act that onc can rc|crto a ccnuincy phcnomcna charactcr o|purc
intuition-to bc surc, vithout bcinc abc su|hcicnty to dctcrminc this char-
actcr. In thc knovinc rcation to thincs vhich arc at hand and vhich arc
spatiotcmporay" ordcrcd, vc arc dircctcd onyatthis. ut|ora that, spacc
and timc do not aov thcmscvcs to bc laty dcnicd. 1hc positivc qucstion
must thcrc|orc rcad Hov, thcn, arc spacc andtimc thcrc asvc` I|Kant says
thcy may bc intuitions, thcn vc micht rcpy but in |act thcsc vcrc not
intuitcd. Ccrtainy thcyarc not intuitcdin thc scnsc o|a thcmaticapprchcn-
sion, but rathcr thcy arc intuitcd in thc manncr o| an oricina, |ormativc
civinc. Ircciscy bccausc thc purc intuitcd is vhat and hov it is, as csscntia
|or thc |oinc-in accordancc vith thc charactcrizcd doubc scnsc o| thc
purc ookvhichistobc crcatcd-thcpurc intuitinccannotintuit itsintuitcd"
in thc manncr o| a thcmatic, apprchcndinc, takinc-in-stridc o| somcthinc
vhich is at hand.
1hus thc oricina intcrprctation o| purc intuition as purc povcr o|imaci-
nation hrstprovidcs thc possibiity to cucidatc positivcyvhat thc intuitcd is
in purc intuition. ^s prciminary |orminc o|a purc, unthcmatic, and |in thc
Kantian scnsc) unob|cctivc ook, purc intuition makcs it possibc that thc
200 A29I , J7. .SchmidtrcmarksthatinA, |cnstmaytnanum)"appcarsthrccIincshiehcr,
a|tcr "tmc" |Indccd, that is thc way Kcmp SmthtransIatcs t as wcII, aIthoueh I havc choscn to
|oIIow Hcidcgcrs citationcxactIyhcrctr.
20I . Rc|Icxioncn ll, p. 02 Kn|shandsrhn]t|rhctNarh|a, vo V no. JI .
02. A J7.
!02 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics | J- I
cmpirica intuitinc olspa|io-tcmpora thincs vhich movcs vithin its horizon
docs not rs| nccd to intuit spacc and |imc in |hc scnsc ol an apprchcnsion
vhich rst asccrtains thcsc muItpicitics.
lov, it is aso throuch this intcrprc|ation ol purc intui|ion |hat thc tran
sccndcnta charactcr ol transccndcnta intuition is hrst carihcd, ilindccd |hc
inncrmost csscncc ol transccndcncc is croundcd in thc purc povcr ol im-
acination. 1hus, standinc as it docs at thc bccinninc ol thc C||auc c] Puc
Pcasco, thc 1ransccndcnta ^csthctic is lundamcn|ay unintcicibc. It has
ony a prcparatorycharactcrand can bc rcad propcry lor thc rst timc ony|
lrom thc pcrspcctivc olthc 1ransccndcnta Schcmatism.
1husasuntcnabcasthccllor|by|hc MarburcSchooolKan|Intcrprctation
is to apprchcnd spacc and |imc as ca|ccorics" in |hc ocica scnsc and to
absorb thc 1ransccndcnta ^csthctic into |hc ocic, onc ol thc mo|ivcs suc-
ccstcdby that cllor|,hovcvcr, isccnuinc thc insicht, admi||cdynot caricd,
that |hc 1ransccndcnta ^csthc|ic, |akcn by itscl, canno| itsclconstitu|c thc
vhoc ol vhat ics coscd up vithin i| asa possibiity. Hovcvcr, bascd on |hc
pccuar syn"-charactcr olpurc intuition, thc bconcinc-toccthcr ol purc in-
|ui|ion vith |hc syn|hcsis ol |hc undcrstandinc docs no| loov. Ra|hcr, |hc
intcrprctation ol this syn"-charactcr cads to thc oricin ol purc intuition in
|hc |ransccndcn|a povcr olimacina|ion. ^bsorbinc thc 1ransccndcntal ^cs-
thc|ic into thc ocic, morcovcr bccomcs sti morc qucstionabc vhcn t is
shovn |hat thc spccic ob|cct ol thc 1ransccndcnta ocic, purc thinkinc, is
aso roo|cd in thc transccndcn|a povcr olimacination.
utitisnotaqucstionolancarb consummatcdactolknovincvhich
isdircctcdby thinkincitscl. ]hc I" cocsvith" in thc purc scl-oricntinc. ]o
thc cxtcnt that it is itsclony vhat it is in this I think," thc csscncc olpurc
thinkinc as vc as that ol thc I ics in purc scl-consciousncss. " ]his con-
sciousncss" olthc scl, hovcvcr, can onybc cucidatcdbascd on thc cincol
thc scland notthc rcvcrsc, vhcrcby thc attcrmicht bc cucidatcd bascdon
thc lormcr, orrathcr vhcrcby thc attcr micht cvcn bc rcndcrcd supcrluous
throuch thc lormcr.
]hc I think," hovcvcr, is avays an I think substancc, " I think causaity"
or rathcr, in" thcsc purc unitics |catccorics), avaysarcady it mcans"
Kant cxprcssy
says that it acts compctcy dilcrcnty . . . vith crcations ol thc povcr ol
imacination" olthc kind vhich paintcrs and physiocnomists prolcss to havc
in thcir hcads."
throuch arcumcntation, cvcnthouchit pcrhapssccmsccitimatc to
do so. Rathcr, vhat is rcquircd is an cxprcss unvciinc by mcans olan cuci-
dation olthc csscncc olthc practica scl. "
^ccordinc to vhat has bccn said about thc I" ol purc appcrccption, thc
csscncc ol thc scl ics in scl-consciousncss. " ut as vhat and hov thc scl
is inthisconsciousncss,"thisisdctcrmincdbythccincolthcscl, tovhich
its manilcstncss bconcs. ]his manilcstncss is vhat it is ony insolar as it
codctcrmincsthccinc olthcscl. Ilthc practica sclisnovto bc cxamincd
vith rccard to thc cround ol its possibiity, thcn it is vorth hrst dcimitinc
that scl-consciousncss vhich makcs this sclas sclpossibc. Vith thc con-
sidcration olthis practica, i . c. , mora, scl-consciousncss, thcn, vc must in-
vcsticatcthccxtcnttovhichitscsscntiastructurc rclcrsbacktothc transccn
dcnta povcr olimacination as its oricin.
2 I 9. A B00, B2B.
! ! 0 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' I J- I JBI
]hc mora I, thc authcntic sc| and csscncc o| man, Kant aso cas thc
pcrson. In vhat docs thc csscncc o| thc pcrsonaity o| thc pcrson consist`
Icrsonality itsc| is thc idca o|thc mora av" aonc vith thc rcspcct vhich
is inscparabc |rom it. " Rcspcct is susccptibiity" to thc mora av, i. c. , thc
makinc-possibc o| a bcinc-susccptibc to this av as a mora onc. ut i|
rcspcctconstitutcs thc csscncc o|thc pcrson as thc mora sc|, thcn accordinc
tovhathasarcadybccn saiditmust prcscnt avayo|cinc-sc|-conscious.
|77l
]o vhat cxtcnt is it such`
Can it | rcspcct |unction as a vay o| cincsc|conscious i|, accordinc to
Kants ovn dcsicnation, it is a |ccinc"` Iccincs, pcasurabc and unpca-
surabc statcs, indccd bconc to scnsibiity ]o bc surc, this is notjust dctcr-
mincd throuch bodiy statcs, so that thc possibiity o| a purc |ccinc-onc
vhich is not dctcrmincdby thc a||cctions, butrathcroncvhichis sc|-pro-
duccd"-rcmains opcn. '
]hcrc|orc, vc must hrst ask about thc univcrsa
csscncc o| |ccinc inccncra. ]hc cucidation o| this csscncc vi aovusto
dccidc |or thc hrst timc thc cxtcnt to vhich |cclinc" in ccncraland vith
it, rcspcct as a purc |ccinccanprcscnt somcthinc ikc a vay o|cinc-sc|-
conscious.
Lvcn in thc basc" |ccincs o| pcasurc, a pccuiar basic structurc appcars.
Icasurc || isnotj ustpcasurc |orsomcthincand in somcthinc,but rathcr
it is avays at thc samc timc cnjoymcnt '8clust|guog| , i. c. , a vay in vhich
human bcincs cxpcricncc thcmscvcs ascnj oyinc 'hclust|gt . invhichthcy arc
happy 'lust|g| ]hus,in cvcryscnsibc |inthc narrovcrscnsc) andnonscnsibc
|ccinc is |ound this ccar structurc. |ccinc is an instancc o|hainc a |ccinc
|or . . . , and as sch it is at thc samc timc a scl|-|ccinc o|that vhich |ccls.
]hc manncr in vhich sc|-|ccinc |rom timc to timc makcsthc sc|mani|cst,
i . c. , thcmanncrinvhichit cts it bc, vi avays bc codctcincd csscntiay
throuch thc charactcr o|that |orvhich thc |ccinc |bcinc| , in thc sc|-|ccinc
has a |ccinc. lov to vhat cxtcnt docs rcspcct corrcspond to this csscntia
strcturc o||ccinc, and vhy is it a purc |ccinc`
Kant civcs thc anaysis o| rcspcct in thc Cr|t|auc c] Pract|cal Pcasco ]hc
|oovinc intcrprctation vi sincc out ony vhat is csscntia.
Rcspcct as such is rcspcct |or thc mora av. It docs not scrvc |as a basis|
|or thc judcmcnt o| actions, and it docs not hrst appcar a|tcr thc cthica
220. Dic Rcliyion inncrhulb Jcr Orcnzcn Jcr blocn \cuIt, Wcc, voI VI, p. I . |Rcliyion
within thc imits o| Rcuson Alonc, trans. Thcodorc Grccnc and Hoyt Hudson Chicaeo. l9J), p
22|. tr.
22 . OrunJlcyunyzurMctuchVsiJcrittcn,2dcd. , Wcc, voI. IV, p. 257, notc |Kunt.FounJu
tions o| thc MctuchVsics o| Moruls, trans. Lcwis Vhitc cc, cd. Rbcn FauI VoI|||ndianapois,
97B), pp. 202 , noc 2r.
222. KritiJcrcrutischcn \crnun|t . Fa I , ook I, Division J Wcc, voI. V p. 79||. |Mcincr
cdition, cd. VoIndcr Hambure I97), p. B||. Critiuco|Pructicul Rcuson, trans. LcwisVhic
ckndianapois. I 97B) p. 7|I.
hJ0. |I J8-I JI J J J
lact
cmatic ola purc rcason ampihcd in this vay must push asidc
thc povcr olimacination, andvith thatitrcayhrst conccas itstransccndcn-
ta csscncc.
It is unmistakabc that thc probcm ol this distinction bctvccn a hnitc,
rationa crcaturc in ccncra and thc scparatc rcaization ol such a crcaturc,
vhich is thc human bcinc, thrusts itscl to thc lorc in thc ]ransccndcnta
Ocduction olthc sccond cdition. Indccd, thc hrst improvcmcnt" vhichKant
appcnds tothc hrst pacc olthc sccond cdition olhisvork arcadymakcs this
ccar. ]o thc charactcrization ol hnitc knovcdcc, namcy, to that ol hnitc
hJI . |I c-I /0I ! ! 9
intuition, hc adds. at cast to us humans.
,,
1his shoud shov that cvcry
hnitc intuitionisindccd onc vhich takcsthincsin strldc, but that thc takinc-
in-stridc must not ncccssariy bc mcdiatcd throuch thc scnsc orcans, as vith
us humans.
1hc obscurityandstranccncss" olthctransccndcntapovcrolimacination,
olthc cround ccarcd in thc hrst cround-ayinc, and thc shccr povcr olpurc
rcason, vcrc vorkcd toccthcr in ordcr to vci oncc morc thc inc ol vlsion
into thc morc oricina csscncc ol thc transccndcnta povcr olimacination, a
pcrspcctivc vhich vas brokcn opcn, so to spcak, ony lor an instant.
1his is thc quintcsscntia contcnt ol thc obscrvation, arcady onc cstab-
lishcd in Kant intcrprctation on thc basis ol thc lundamcnta probcm olthc
C|t|auc c] Puc Pcasco and vhich lor thc most part has bccn cxprcsscd as
loovs Kant chanccd lrom thc psychoocica" intcrprctation ol thc hst
cdition to thc morc ocica" intcrprctation olthc sccond.
]o bc surc, vc shoud notc that thc cround-aylnc in thc hrstcditionvas
ncvcrpsychoocica, " anymorcthanthatolthcsccondcditionvasaocica"
onc. Cnthccontrarybotharctransccndcnta , i. c. , thcyarcncccssariyobj cc
tivc" as vc as subjcctivc. " ut in thc transccndcnta, subjcctivc cround-
Iayinc olthc sccond cdition, it dccidcd in lavor ol thc purc undcrstandincas
opposcd to thc purc povcr ol imacination in ordcr to prcscrvc thc mastcry
ol rcason. In thc sccond cdition, thc subj cctivc, psychoocica" dcduction
rcccdcs so ittc that, on thc contrary it intcnsihcs prcciscy in thc dircction
olthcpurcundcrstandincasthclacutyolsynthcsis.Itnovbccomcssupcr|u-
ous totracc thc undcrstandincback to morcorlcinapovcrs olknovcdcc."
]hcintcrprctationolthc staccs olthc ayincolthc croundlormctaphsics,
vhichvascarricdoutabovc lrom ancxcusivcoricntationvith rcspcctto thc
hrstcdition olthc C|t|aucc]PucPcasco,had constantyshi|cd thc hnitudc
ol human transccndcncc into thc ccntcr ol thc probcmatic. lov, il Kant
prcscntcdthcprobcmolhnitudcmorccomprchcnsivcyinthcsccondcdition
thouch thc cnarccmcnt ol thc conccpt ol a hnitc, rationa crcaturc that no
onccrcoincidcsvlththcconccptolthchumanbcinc,thcnisthisnotcrounds
cnouch-cvcnviththcintcntion ol |providinc| accntraintcrprctationolthis
vorkto abidc by thc sccond cdition`^ccordincto vhathasbccn said, this
|sccond cdition| isnot thcrclorc bcttcr" bccausc itprocccds morc ocicay"
Cn thc contrary, in a propcry undcrstoodscnscit is cvcn morc psychooci-
ca," namcy |in thc scnsc ol| a morc cxcusivc oricntation vth rcspcct to
purc rcason as such.
In this vay, hovcvcr, did not thc prcccdinc intcrprctation 'lotcpctat|co .
212. JJ
. bccauscundcrstandineandudemcnttscc!9)arc erasd transccndcntaIybc|orchand, i. c.
as rc|crrine o tntuttton
!20 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysks | !70- !72
and cvcn thc ayinc-out 'Auslcguog o|thc transccndcnta povcro|imacina
tion vhich in a morc oricina vay has outcrovn it, discuss|udcmcnt`
utvhy, thcn, did thc hnitud o|purc knovcdcc bcsct thc probcm |rom
thc bccinninc` ccausc mctaphysics, thc ayinc o| thc cround |or vhich it
|thc probcm| rc|crs, bconcs to human naturc. " Conscqucnty, thc spccihc
hnitudc o|human naturc is dccisivc |or thc ayinc o| thc cround |or mcta-
physics. ]hc apparcnty supcrhcia qucstion as to vhcthcr, in thc intcrprc-
tation o| thc Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco, thc sccond cdition dcscrvcs priority in
principc ovcr thc hrst or thc rcvcrsc. is mcrcy thc pac rc|cction o| thc
dccisivc qucstion |or thc Kantian ayinc o| thc cround |or mctaphysics and
thc incrprctation thcrco|. Is thc transccndcnta povcr o| imacination, as
prcviousy aid cround, soid cnouch to dctcrminc orIcinay, i . c. , cohcsivcy
and as a vhoc, prcciscy thc hnitc csscncc o|thc sub|cctivity o|thc human
sub|cct` Crvi thc probcm o| a human purc rcason, throuch thc cimina-
tion o| thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination, arcady havc bccn |ormcd
morc comprchcnsivcy as a probcm and thus havc bccn broucht coscr to a
possibc soution` A onc as this qucstion is not dccidcd. thc morc oricina
intcrprctation o| thc transccndcnta povcr o| imacination bcinc soucht aso
rcmains ncccssariy incompctc.
C. 1HE 1RANSCENDEN1AI FVER I IMACINA1IN
AND 1HE FRIEM I HIMAN FLRE REASN
It shoud hrst bccomc ccar by mcans o| a distinctivc proo| that in thc
Cr|||aucc] Purc Pcasco, as a ayinc o|thc cround |or mctaphysics. it is |rom
thc bccinninc and socy a mattcr o| human purc rcason. ]hc |ormua |or thc
probcm o| thc possibiity o| Mctap|,s|ca Ccocral|s runs. Hov arc synthctic
a priori|udcmcnts possibc`" Kant says thc |oovInc conccrninc thc soution
to this probcm
]hc abovc probcm cannot bc sovcd cxccpt as |oovs that vc considcr
it bc|orchand in rcation to thc human |acutics by mcans o| vhich man is
capabc o|thccxpansiono|hisknovcdccaprioriandvhichin||mconstitutc
vhat onc canspccihcayca||spurc rcason. Iori|vc arc torccocnizcundcr
thc purc rcason o| a crcaturc in ccncra thc |acuty o| knovinc thincs indc-
pcndcnty o| cxpcricncc and thcrc|orc o|scnsibc rcprcscntations. thcn vith
this nothinc at a has bccn dctcrmincd conccrninc thc ccncra manncr in
vhich such knovcdcc vas possibc in this crcaturc |c. c. , in od oranothcr
hichcr spirit) , and thc probcm is thcrc|orc indctcrminatc. ^s |or human
hJ2. |I /2-I /JI ! 2 I
bclncs, in con|ras|, a knovcdcc o l |hc samc consis|s o l conccp| and in|u-
l|lon."
1his passacc is lound in |hc |rca|isc cr d|c Fcrtsc|r|ttc dcr Mctap|,s||
|Cn|hcIrocrcssolMc|aphyslcs"| . Vl|h|hcvorklnc-ou|ol|hls|rca|lsc, Kan|
has ccr|ainy aid |hc probcma|ic ol mc|aphysics as such bclorc us immc-
dla|cyand ln i|s cn|irc|y n aayincol|hc croundlormc|aphysics, |hcn, |hc
spccihc" hnl|udc olhumansubjcc|lvl|yls|hc probcm. | canno|cxis|mcrcy
asapossibc lns|ancc" ola hni|c, ra|iona crca|urc inccncra colncldlncv|h
vha| vas cx|rac|cd ln |hc coursc ol |hc considcra|ion.
1o human hni|udc bconcs scnsibil|y, mcanlnc |hc ln|ul|ion vhich |akcs
|hincs in s|ridc. ^s purc ln|ui|ion, i .c. , purc scnsibii|y i| is a ncccssary
ccmcn| in |hc s|ruc|urc ol |ransccndcncc vhich dis|incuishcs hni|udc.
Human purc rcason is ncccssarly a purc scnsibc rcason. 1his purc rcason
mus|bc scnsibc lni|scl, l|docsno| hrs|bccomc scnslbc ln|hlsvaybccausc
i| is |icd |o a body Ra|hcr, |hc rcvcrsc is |ruc |hc human bcinc, as hni|c,
ra|iona crca|urc, can |hus ony havc" l|s body ln a |ransccndcn|a |l. c. , a
mc|aphysica) scnsc bccausc |ransccndcncc as such ls scnslbc a priorl.
Mov,il|hc |ransccndcn|apovcrolimacina|ionis |obc|hcoricinacround
lor |hc possibii|y ol human subjcc|lvi| namcy, in i|s uni|y and vhocncss,
|hcn i| mus| makc posslbc somc|hinc ikc a purc, scnslbc rcason. Iurc
scnslbil|y, hovcvcr, namcy, in |hc univcrsa mcaninc accordinc |o vhich l|
mus|comc |obccraspcd in|hcayinc ol|hc cround lormc|aphysics, ls|lmc.
Shoud|imcaspurcscnsibii|ys|andlnan oriclnaunl|yvl|h |hc |hlnk
ol purc appcrccp|ion` Shoud |hc purc I , vhlch accordinc |o |hc ccncray
prcvaiincln|crprc|a|ion Kan| paccd ou|sidc ol a |cmporai|y and a |lmc,
bc |akcn as |cmpora"` ^nd a |his on |hc crounds ol |hc |ransccndcn|a
povcr olimacina|ion` Hov in ccncra is |his rca|cd |o |lmc`
hJZ. Thc TransccndcntaI Powcr o[ Imagination and Its RcIation to Timc
1hc |ransccndcn|a povcr ollmaclna|lon has bccn rcvcacd as |hc orlcln ol
purc, scnsibc in|ui|ion. 1hus, i|has bccn provcninprlncipc |ha| |imc, as a
purc in|ul|lon, sprincs lor|h lrom |hc |ransccndcn|a povcr ol imacina|ion.
lcvcr|hccss, a spccihc, anay|ica cucida|ion ol |hc manncr in vhich |imc is
nov croundcd prcclscyin |hc|ransccndcn|apovcrolimacina|ionisrcquircd.
1imc |ovs con|inuay" as |hc purc succcssion ol|hc scqucncc olnovs.
2J. UbcrJic ForrschrirrcJcrMcrurhVsi, VI, p J !2.
2. Scc abovc. N2B, p. 99
25. 29!.
!22 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' ! 7J- !7J|
Iurc intuition intuits this succcssion unobjcctivcy Intuitinc mcans thc tak
inc-in-stridc o|vhat civcs itsc|. Iurc intuition, in thc takinc-in-stridc, cics
itsc| that vhich is capabc o| bcinc takcn in stridc.
]akinc-in-stridc o| . . is undcrstood hrst o|a as thc rcccivinc o|somc
thincat hand or prcscnt. ut thisnarrovconccption o|takincin-stridc, sti
oricntcd vith rcspcct to cmpirica intuition, mustbc kcptscparatc |rom purc
intuition and its charactcr as takinc-in-stridc. It is casiy sccn that thc purc
intuition o| thc purc succcssion o|novs cannot bc thc takinc-in-stridc o|a
prcscncc Aowcscodco I|it vcrc, thcn at most it voud bc abc to intuit
just thccurrcntnov,andncvcrthc scqucncc o|novsassuch andthchorlzon
|ormcd in it. Indccd, stricty spcakinc, inthc mcrc takinc-in-stridc o|a prcs-
cnt momcnt ' c|ocs Ccgcowtt|gco"l it is not possibc to intuit a sincc nov
inso|ar as it has an csscntiay continuous cxtcnsion in its havinc-just-arrivcd
and its cominc-at-any-minutc.
2l
]hc takincin-strldc o|purc intuition must
in itsc|civc thc ook o|thc nov, so that indccd it ooks ahcad to its cominc-
at-any-minutc and ooks back on its havinc-just-arrivcd.
Mov |or thc hrst timc it is unvcicd in a morc concrctc vay that purc
intuition, vhich is trcatcd inthc]ransccndcnta^csthctic, |rom thcbccinninc
cannot bc thc takinc-instridc o|a prcscnt momcnt. In purc intuition, thc
sc|-civincvhich takcs thincs instrldcisinprlncipc not rcatcdtosomcthinc
vhich is onya prcscncc andis rcatcd cast o|a toa bcincvhichis at hand.
Conscqucnty, i| purc intuitinc has this |rcc-movinc charactcr, docs it not
arcady |oov|omthis that at bottom it is thc purc povcro|imacination`
]his |oovs at bcst ony inso|ar as purc intuition itsc||orms that vhich can
bc takcn in stridc in it. Hovcvcr, that this orlcina |orminc, in itsc|and in
particuar, is to bc a ookincat, a ookincahcad and a ookinc-back, indccd
has nothinc to do vith thc transccndcnta povcr o| imacination
I| ony Kant himsc| had not cxprcssy sct |orth this thrcc|od, trinitarian
charactcr o||orminc in thc imacininc o| thc povcr o|imacination
'29I
In his ccturcs on Mctaphysics, namcy in thc Rationa Isychoocy, Kant
anayscs thc |orminc povcr 'h|ldcodc Kta]t in thc |oovinc manncr this
|acuty produccs rcprcscntations cithcr o|prcscnt timc, orrcprcscntations o|
past timc, or cvcn rcprcscntations o||uturc timc. Hcncc thc |ormativc |acuty
'8|lduogsvctmcgco consists o|.
! . ]hc |acutyo|takinc a ikcncss 'Ahh|lduog ,thc rcprcscntationso|vhich
arc o| thc prcscnt timc.]acultas]ctmaod|.
2. ]hc |acutyo|rcproduction 'Nac|h|lduog thc rcprcscntations o|vhich
arc o| a past timc.]acultas |mag|oaod|
J. ]hc|acutyo|prchcuration ' \cth|lduog ,thcrcprcscntations o|vhich arc
o| a |uturc timc.]acultasptacv|dcod|
2o. FOl|z, Knts \or|csungcnocrdicMctaph,sik, p. BB 5CC p. BJ.
hJJ. |I /J-I /cI !2J
]hc tcrm takinc a ikcncss" |Ahh|lduog) rcquircs a bric| cxpanation. I t
docs not mcan thc production o| a ikcncss in thc scnsc o| a copy. Rathcr, it
mcans thc ook vhich vas itsc| cathcrcd immcdiatcy |rom thc prcscncinc
|prcscnt ob|cct.'` ]hc |orminc-|rom 'Ah-h|ldco docs not mcan a |orminc-
accordinc-to 'Nac|-h|ldco , but rathcr |orm-civinc '8|ld-gchcod in thc scnsc
o|thc immcdiatc distincuishinco|thc ook o| thc ob|cct itsc|.
^thouch Kant docs not spcak in this passacc o| thc transccndcnta povcr
o|imacination, stionc pointbccomcsccar. thc |orminc 8|ldco o|thcimac-
ination" ' L|oh|lduo is |o |tscj rcativc to timc. Iurc imacininc, hovcvcr,
vhich is cacd purc bccausc it |orms its |abric 'Cch|ldc |rom out o|itsc|, as
in itsc| rcativc to timc, must hrst o| a |orm timc. ]imc as purc intuition
mcansncithcr|ustvhatisintuitcdinpurcintuitincnor|ustthcintuitincvhich
acks thc ob|cct. " ]imc as purc intuition is thc |orminc intuitinc o| vhat it
intuits|ococ. ]his civcs thc |u conccpt o|timc |or thc hrst timc.
Iurc intuition, hovcvcr, canony |ormthcpurc succcssion o|thcscqucncc
o|novs assuchi|in itsc|it isa ikcncss-|orminc, prchcurinc, andrcproduc-
incpovcro|imacination. Hcncc it is in no vaypcrmissibctothinko|timc,
cspcciay in thc Kantian scnsc, as an arbitrary hcd vhich thc povcr o|
imacination |ust ccts into |or purposcs o| its ovn activity, so to spcak. ^c-
cordinc timc mustindccdbctakcnaspurcscqucncco|novsinthchorizon
within vhich vc rcckon vith timc. " ]his scqucncc o|novs, hovcvcr, is in
no vaytimc in its oricinaity Cn thc contrary, thc transccndcnta povcr o|
imacination aovs timc as scqucncc o| novs to sprinc |orth, and as this
cttinc-sprinc-|orth it is thcrc|orc oricina timc.
ut is it possibc to si|t out such a vidc-rancinc intcrprctation o| thc
transccndcnta povcr o|imacination as oricina timc |rom Kant |cvintima-
tions` Vith thc un|orcsccabc conscqucnccs vhich in thc cnd voud rcsut
|rom this intcrprctation, it must bc croundcd morc concrctcy and sccurcy
hJJ. Thc Inncr TcmporaI Charactcr
o| thc TransccndcntaI Powcr o| Imagnaton
In thc hrst cdition, thc povcr o| imacination vas tcrmcd thc |acuty o|
snthcsisinccncra. "I|thcinncr, tcmporacharactcro|thcpovcro|imacina-
tion is nov to bc cmphasizcd, thcn vc must invcsticatc vhcrc it is that Kant
cxprcssy trcats synthcsis. ]his occurs in thc scction vhich prcparcs thc vay
|or thc carryinc-out o| thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction accordinc to thc tvo
vays prciousy prcscntcd, a scction cntitcd. Cn thc a priori rounds |or
thc Iossibiity o| Lxpcricncc. "' ]hc ocation o| thc thcmatic anaysis o|
27. A 9D||.
!2 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 7- I 7Bl
synthcsisassuchisthusnotarbitrary. ^ndilinparticuar Kant sti dcscribcs
thc discussion olsynthcsis asa prciminary rcmark, vc shoud not thcc-
lorc think ol it as a casua and at bottom supcrluous obscrvation. Instcad,
vhat vas trcatcd thcrcin must bc kcpt in vicv lrom thc start lor thc 1ran-
sccndcnta Ocduction and thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. ]hc 1ransccndcn-
ta Ocduction, hovcvcr, asthc third stacc olthc cround-ayinc, has asitstask
to shov thc inncr possibiity lor thc csscntia unity olontoocica synthcsis.
1hc thrcc ccmcnts ol purc knovcdcc arc. purc intuition, purc povcr ol
imacination, and purc undcrstandinc. 1hcirpossibc unity, i. c. , thc csscncc ol
thciroricina unihcation |synthcsis), is thc probcm. Hcncc, an cucidation ol
thc synthcsis vth a vicv tovard thcsc thrcc ccmcnts olpurc knovcdcc is
rcquircd.
^ccordincy Kant dividcshisIrciminary Rcmark into thrcc scctions.
I . Cn thc Synthcsis ol^pprchcnsion in Intuition.
2. Cn thc Synthcsis olRcproduction in Imacination.
J . Cn thc Synthcsis olRccocnition in Conccpts. "
Movarc thcsc modcs olsynthcsis thrcc innumbcrbccausc thcrc arc thrcc
ccmcnts bconcinc to thc csscntia unity ol purc knovcdcc` Cr docs this
tripicity ol modcs olsynthcsis havc a morc oricinacround, onc vhichat thc
samctimccucidatcsvhy,cspcciayasvaysolpurc synthcsis,thcyarc unihcd
in ordcr to lorm" thc csscntia unity olthc thrccccmcnts olpurcknovcdcc
on thc crounds ol thcir morc oricina unity`
^rc thcrc thrcc modcs ol synthcsis bccausc timc appcars in thcm and
bccausc thcy cxprcss thc thrcclod unity oltimc asprcscnt, havinc-bccn, and
luturc` ^nd il thc oricina unihcation ol thc csscntia unity ol ontoocica
knovcdcc occurs throuch timc, but il thc cround lor thc possibiity olpurc
knovcdcc is thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination, thcn is this not rc-
vcacd as oricina timc`
^nd yct, by naminc thc sccond olthc thrcc modcs olsynthcsis Synthcsis
olRcproductioninImacination, "Kantarcadysays that thc povcrolimacina-
tion is just onc ccmcnt amonc othcrs and that it is in no vay thc root ol
intuition and conccpt 1hat turns out to bc thc casc.
ut|ust as indisputaby thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction, vhich throuch this
anaysis olthc thrcclod synthcsis is to havc providcd thc lundamcnt, shovs
that thc povcr ol imacination rcprcscnts not just onc lacuty amonc othcrs,
but rathcr thcir mcdiatinc ccntcr. ]hat thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacina-
tion is thc root ol scnsibiity and undcrstandinc vas admittcdy hrst shovn
in thc morc oricina intcrprctation. Mo usc can bc madc ol this rcsut hcrc.
Instcad, thc vorkinc-out olthc inncr tcmpora charactcr olthc thrcc modcs
ol synthcsis shoud producc thc utimatc, dccisivc prool lor thc lact that thc
27a. A 9B.
hJJ. |I /8-I /I !2J
intcrprctation olthc transccndcnta povcr olimacination as thc root olboth
stcmsis not onypossibc, but aso ncccssary. ora ccncraundcrstandinc ol
thcKantian anaysis olthcthrcc modcsolsynthcsis, scvcra pointsmusthrst
bc carihcd, and thcy must cuidc us in vhat loovs.
irst, Kant's manncr olcxprcssion rcquircs coscr dctcrmination. Vhat is
mcantbySynthcsisol"^pprchcnsion, Synthcsisol"Rcproduction,Synthcsis
ol" Rccocnition` It docs not mcan that apprchcnsion ctc. arc subjcct to a
synthcsis nor that apprchcnsion, orrathcr rcproduction and rccocnition, con
summatca synthcsis. Rathcr, it mcansthatsynthcsisas suchhas thc charactcr
olcithcrapprchcnsion orrcproduction or rccocnition. Hcncc thc cxprcssions
mcan. Synthcsis in thc modc ol ^pprchcnsion, Rcproduction, and Rccocni-
tion orsynthcsisasapprchcndinc, as rcproducinc, as rccocniinc. 1hus Kant
trcatssynthcsis i. c. , thc lacuty olsynthcsis, vith rccard tothcsc thrccmodcs
as pccuiar to it inspccihc vays.
Sccond, it isvorthnotinc. thcmodcs olsynthcsis hrstcomc to bc carihcd
in thcindividua scctionsthrouch a dcscriptionolthc manncrin vhich thcy
lunctionincmpiricaintuition,incmpiricaimacininc,andincmpiricathink-
inc. 1his prcparatory charactcriation, hovcvcr, is intcndcd to shov that in
purc intuition, in purcimacination, and inpurc thinkinc, thcrc is arcady in
cach casc a corrcspondinc purc apprchcndinc, purc rcproducinc, and purc
rccocniincsynthcsis vhich is aso constitutivc. Vith that, it is shovn at thc
samc timc that thcsc modcs olpurc synthcsis constitutc thc condition lor thc
possibiity olcmpirica synthcsis in thc knovinc rcation to thc bcinc.
1hird, it is vorth notinc that thc propcr coa ol thc intcrprctation ol thc
thrccmodcs olsynthcsis -cvcn ilit is not avays lormuatcd ccarycnouch
and in advanccics in dcmonstratinc thcirintrinsic andcsscntiabconcinc-
toccthcr in thc csscncc ol purc synthcsis as such.
^nd hnay vc may not lorcct , as Kant himscl cxprcssy rcquircd, that
throuchout vhatloovs" it mustbcquitclundamcnta". aourrcprcscnta
tions . . . arc sub|cct to timc. " ut il a intuitinc, imacininc, and thinkinc
rcprcscntincs arc covcrncdby thc thrcclod synthcsis, thcn is it not thc timc-
charactcr ol this synthcsis vhich makcs cvcrythinc unilormy submissivc in
advancc`
a) Frc Svnthcsis as Frc Apprchcnsion
In cmpirica intuition as thc immcdiatc takincin-stridc ol a this-hcrc," a
manilod is avays rcvcacd. 1hus, vhat thc ook attaincd by this intuition
prcscnts contains" manilodncss. 1his can ncvcr bc rcprcscntcd as such a
manilod . . . , ilthc mind docs notdillcrcntiatc timc in thc scqucncc olonc
2B. A 9B- ! 00.
!2 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | ! 79- I B! I
imprcssion upon anothcr. " I ndistincuishinc timc, our mind must alrcady bc
sayincconstantlyandin advancc novand novandnov," in ordcr to bc ablc
to cncountcr nov this and nov that" and nov al this in particular. " Cnly
in such a dillcrcntiatinc ol thc nov docs it hrst bccomc possibc to run
throuch" and cocctivcly takc up thc imprcssions.
Intuition is ust a rcprcscntation ol thc manilod-a rcpracsco|a|c s|ogu-
s -il, as that vhich takcs thincs in stridc, it takcs up and comprchcnds
thc ocrinc ol thc manilold cxacty" and at oncc. Intuition is in itscll syn-
thctic. " 1his synthcsis has thc pcculiarity that vthin thc horizon ol thc suc-
ccssion olthc scqucncc olnovs, it takcs up cxacty" thc ollcr olthc imprcs-
sion ol cach look |imacc). It is an immcdiatc lorminc-lrom 'Ah-h|ldco| in
thc scnsc alrcady clarihcd.
utvc aso ncccssarilyhavc a purc, apprchcndincsynthcsis, bccauscvith-
out it thcrc isno vay vc could havc thc rcprcscntation oltimc, i . c. , this purc
intuition. 1hc purc, apprchcndinc synthcsis docs not hrst takc placc vithin
thc horizon ol timc, but instcad it hrst lorms prcciscly thc likc ol thc nov
and thc scqucncc ol novs. Iurc intuition is orcina rcccptivity," i. c. , a
takinc-instridc ol vhat it, as takinc-in-strdc, lcts comc lorth lrom out ol
itscll. Its olcrinc" is onc vhich produccs" 'ccugcodcs| vhat thc purc
intuitinc ollcrinc |lorminc as civinc a ook) produccs |lorminc as crcatinc) is
thc immcdiatc look ol thc nov as such, i . c. , alvays thc look ol thc actua
prcscnt as such.
Lmpirical intuition is dircctly conccrncd vith thc bcincvhich is prcscnt
in thc nov 1hc purc apprchcndincsynthcsis, hovcvcr, is conccrncd vith thc
nov, i . c. , vith thc prcscnt itscll, so that indccd this intuitinc conccrn vith
. . . in itscll lorms that vith vhich it is concccd. 1hc purc synthcsis as
apprchcnsion, as that vhich ollcrs thc prcscnt in ccncra," is timc-lorminc.
^ccordincly, thc purc synthcsis olapprchcnsion in itscll has a tcmpora char-
actcr.
Mov, hovcvcr, Kant cxprcssly says. It is thus an activc lacuty in us lor
thc synthcsis ol this manilold vhich vc call imacination, and its immcdiatc
action on pcrccptions I call apprchcnsion."
Synthcsis in thc modc ol apprchcnsion sprincs lorth lrom thc povcr ol
imacination, hcnccthc purc apprchcndnc synthcsis must bc spokcn ol as a
modc olthc transccndcntal povcrolimacination. ut nov ilthissynthcsisis
timclorminc, thc transccndcntal povcr ol imacination has in itscll a purc
tcmporalcharactcr. 1othccxtcnt,hovcvcr, that thc purc povcr olimacination
is an incrcdicnt" ol purc intuition and hcncc to thc cxtcnt that a synthcsis
ol imacination is arcady lound in intuition, thcn vhat Kant initialy cals
imacination" ' L|oh|lduog| invhat lollovscannotbc idcntical viththc tran-
sccndcntal povcr ol imacination '|raoszcodco|alcoL|oh|lduogs|ra]|| .
219. A I20. Scc aIso Kants notc.
hJJ. |I 8I -I 82I I 27
b) Furc Svnthcsis as Furc Kcproduction''
KantacaInbccInsthcanaysIsvItha rclcrcncc to thcrcproductIvcsynthcsIs
In cmpIrIca rcprcscntInc. 1hc mInd" can rcprcscnt thc bcInc, c. c. , somc-
thInc prcvIousy pcrccIvcd, cvcn vithout thc prcscncc olthc objcct. " Such
makInc-prcscnt hovcvcr, or as Kant says, such ImacInatIon," prcsupposcs
that thc mInd has thc possIbIIty ol brIncInc lorth acaIn rcprcscntatIonay
thcbcIncrcprcscntcdcarIcrInordcrto rcprcscnt ItIna morcactuaunIty
vIth thc bcInc dIrccty pcrccIvcd lrom tImc to tImc. 1hc brIncInc-lorth-
acaInrcproductIon-Is, accordIncy, a kInd olunIlyInc.
1hIs rcproducInc synthcsIs, hovcvcr, can ony unIly Ilthc mInd docs not
osc lrom thoucht" vhat Is broucht-lorth-acaInIn It. Hcncc thc not-osInc,
I. c. , thc abIItytorctaIn, Is ncccssarIyloundIn suchsynthcsIs. cIncscxpcrI-
cnccdcarIcr,hovcvcr, can ony bc rctaIncd Ilthc mInd dIlcrcntIatcs tImc"
and thcrcby has InvIcv such | tcmpora dIstInctIons as carl|cr anda|||a|
t|mc1hcbcInccxpcrIcnccdcarIcrvoudconstantybc ost compctcyvIth
cachnov,IlItvcrc not In ccncra rctaInabc. Hcncc, IlcmpIrIcasynthcsIsIn
thcmodc olrcproductIon Is thcrcby to bccomc possIbc, thc no-onccr-nov
suc| must In advancc and prior to a cxpcricncc havc bccn broucht lorth
acaIn and unIhcd vIth thc spccIhc nov. 1hIs occurs In purc rcproductIon a
a modc ol purc synthcsIs. Mcvcrthccss, Il thc cmpIrIca synthcsIs ol rcpro-
ductIon bconcs prImarIy to thc cmpIrIca ImacInatIon, thcn purc rcproduc-
tIon Is purc synthcsIs olthc purc povcr olImacInatIon.
^nd yct, Is not thc purc povcr ol ImacInatIon acccptcd as csscntIay
productIvc` Hov Is a rcproductIvc synthcsIs to bconc to It` Iurc rcproduc-
tIondocs thIs not mcan productIvc rcproductIon, hcncc a squarc cIrcc`
ut Is purc rcproductIon thcn a productIvc rcproducInc` In lact, t lorms
thc possIbIIty olrcproductIonInccncra, nacy, duc to thc lactthat It brIncs
thc horIzon olthc carIcr Into vIcv and hods It opcn as such In advancc.
Iurc synthcsIsIn thc modc olrcproductIon lormshavInc-bccn-ncss Ccwcsco
|c|| as such. ut thIssays. thc
It has thusbccn shovn. vhat cmcrccd asthc thIrd synthcsIs In thc charac-
tcrIzatIon ol thc cmpIrIca ccncsIs ol conccptua dcvcopmcnt Is In lact thc
hrst, I c. , thcsynthcsIsvhIchIn thc hrstpacc dIrcctsthc othcrtvocharactcr-
zcd abovc. It pops up In advancc ol thcm, so to spcak Kant cIvcs thIs
synthcsIs ol IdcntIhcatIon a most approprIatc namc. Its unIlyInc Is a rccon-
noItcrInc. It cxporcs In advancc and Is vatchInc out lor
,,
vhat must bc
hcd bclorc us In advancc as thc samc In ordcr that thc apprchcndInc and
rcproducInc synthcscs In ccncra can hnd a coscd, cIrcumscrIbcd hcd ol
bcIncsvIthIn vhIch thcy can attach to vhat thcybrInclorth and cncountcr,
so to spcak, and takc thcm In strIdc as bcIncs.
^s cmpIrIca, hovcvcr, thIs cxporInc, advancIncsynthcsIs olIdcntIhcatIon
ncccssarIy prcsupposcs a purc IdcntIhcatIon. ]hat Is to say. |ust as a purc
rcproductIon lorms thc possIbIIty ol a brIncInc-lorth-acaIn, so corrcspond-
Incymust purcrccocnItIonprcscnt thc possIbIItylorsomcthIncIkcIdcntIly-
Inc ut Il thIs purc synthcsIs rcconnoItcrs, thcn at thc samc tImc that says.
It docs not cxporc a bcIncvhIchItcan hod bclorc Itsclas sclsamc. thcr,
It cxporcs thc horIzon olbcInc-abc-tohod-somcthInc-bclorc-us \ct|al|hat-
|c||| In ccncra. A purc, Its cxporInc Is thc orIcIna lormInc olthIs prcImI-
nary attachInc ' \ct|a]|co| , I . c. , thc luturc ]hus thc thIrd modc olsynthcsIs
aso provcs to bc onc vhIch Is csscntIay tImc-lormInc. Insolar as Kant ao-
catcs thc modcs ol takInc a Ikcncss, rcproductIon, and prchcuratIon 'Ah-
Nac| uod \cth|lduog| to thc cmpIrIca ImacInatIon, thcn thc lormInc ol thc
prcImInary attachInc as such, thc purc prcparatIon, Is an act ol thc purc
povcr olthc ImacInatIon.
20. A !0J.
2!. A ! 2.
a. I | onccharactcrizcsthccmpircaI ecncsiso|conccptua dcvclopmcntthcn this isaII rieht
but this charactcrzation isnot KantseoaI.
hJJ. I8/-I 88I ! J!
^thouch at thc outsct I t appcarcd hopccss, cvcn absurd, to cucIdatc thc
Inncr lonatIon olthc purc conccpts as csscntIay dctcnIncd by tImc, nov
not onyhas thc tImc-charactcr olthc thIrd modc olsynthcsIs bccnbroucht
to Icht, but aso thIs modc olpurc prc-paratIon, accordInc toIts Inncr struc-
turc, cvcncxhIbItsa prIorIty ovcr thc othcr tvo, vIthvhIch at thc samc tImc
It csscntIay bconcs toccthcr. In thIs KantIan anaysIs ol purc synthcsIs In
conccpts, vhIch Is apparcnty compctcy aool lrom tImc, vhcn cxacty docs
thc mostorIcInacsscncc ol tImc, I . c. , that It Is dcvcopcd prImarIylromthc
luturc, comc to thc lorc`
c that as It may, thc task ol provInc thc Inncr tImccharactcr ol thc
transccndcnta povcr olImacInatIon, vhIch vasundccIdcd, hasbccn accom-
pIshcd. Il thc transccndcnta povcr ol ImacInatIon, as thc purc, lormInc
lacuty, In Itscl lorms tImc-I . c. , aovs tImc tosprInclorththcnvc cannot
avoId thc thcsIs statcd abovc. thc transccndcnta povcr ol ImacInatIon Is
orIcIna tImc.
]hc unIvcrsa charactcr olpurc scnsIbIIty, I . c. , oltImc, hovcvcr, nov has
IkcvIsc bccn rcvcacd. Conscqucnty thc transccndcnta povcr ol ImacIna-
tIon Is abc to support and lorm thc orIcIna unIty and vhocncss ol thc
spccIhc hnItudc ol thc human subjcct, vhIch has bccn asscrtcd to bc purc,
scnsIbc rcason.
^nd yct, do not purc scnsIbIIty tImc and purc rcason rcmaIn sImpy
hctcroccnous, and docs not thc conccpt ol a purc, scnsIbc rcason rcmaIn
sImpya nonconccpt` ]hc ob|cctIons to thc attcmpt tocrasp thc sclhood
ol thc scl as Inhcrcnty tcmpora and not as somcthInc vhIch ony thc
cmpIrIcacraspIncolthc cmpIrIca sub|cctIsto rccocnIzcastImc-dctcnIncd,
appcarInsunountabc.
ut Il |thc attcmpt| cannot succccd In shovInc thcsclas tcmpora, docs
thc opposItc vay pcrhaps havc a chancc olsucccss` Hov docs It stand vth
thcproolthattImc as suchhasthccharactcrolsclhood`ItschanccsollaIurc
arcjust as sIcht asthosc olthc caIm, vhIch Indccd Is undIsputcd, that tImc
apart lrom thc sub|cct IsnothInc. "
A
I, it lorms thc corrcatc ol constancy '8cs|aod|g|c|| in ccncra.
his purc suppyinc olthc purc ook olthc prcscnt inccncra, hovcvcr, is
thc csscncc oltimcitsclas purc intuition. hc hxcd and pcrdurinc" ! cocs
so lar as to mcan. thc I, in thc oricina lorminc oltimc, i . c. , as oricina timc,
lorms thc cttinc-sand-acainst ol . . . and its horizon.
Conccrninc thc timccssncss and ctcrnaity ol thc I. not ony is nothinc
dccidcd, but it has not subscqucnty bccn qucstioncd vithin thc transccn
dcnta probcmatic in ccncra. hc I , hovcvcr, is hxcd and pcrdurinc" in
this transccndcnta scnsc as onc as it is tcmpora, i . c. , |as onc as it is| as
hnitcscl.
Mov, il thcsc samc prcdicatcs arc attributcd to timc, that docs not simpy
mcan. timc is not in timc. " Cn thc contrary, il timc as purc scl-allcction
aovs thc purc succcssion ol thc scqucncc ol novs to sprinc lorth lor thc
hrsttimc,thcnthis,vhichsprincslorth lromitandvhich,so tospcak comcs
to bc disccrncd lor itscl aonc in thc customary chronoocy," csscntiay
cannot bc sulhcicnt to dctcrminc thc lu csscncc ol timc.
270. A JB||. , 0oU.
!J Kant and thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics | I9- I9JI
^ccordincy i lvcarc t ocomct oa dccision rccardinc thc tcmporaity,"or
rathcr thc timccssncss, ol thc I , thcn thc oricina csscncc ol timc as scl-
alcction must bc takcn as our cuidc. ^nd vhcrcvcr Kant dcnics, vith lu
justihcation, a tcmpora charactcr to purc rcason and to thc I olpurcappcr-
ccption, hc mcrcysays thatrcasonmaynotbcsubjcctto tcmpora lorm. "
Inthisscnsc aonc, thc dcction olthc atthc samc timc" inthc lormuation
ol thc Irincipc ol Contradiction" is asojustihcd.''
'
Hcncc, Kant arcucs on
thispoint. ilvccrantvhatissaid about thc atthcsamc timc" 'dasZuglc|c|"
andhcncctimc" Zc||inthcIrincipc olContradiction,"thcnthcprincipc
voud bc rcstrictcd to cmpirica, acccssibc bcincs vithin timc. " Hovcvcr,
this basic principc rucs a thoucht ol anythinc at a. Conscqucnty, thc
dctcrmination oltimc has no pacc in it.
^nd yctthc morc ccrtain it is that thc at thc samc timc" is a dctcrmina
tion ol timc, thc css it has to mcan thc vithintimc-ncss" olbcincs. Rathcr,
thc atthc samctimc" cxprcsscs that tcmpora charactcr vhich, asprciminary
rccocnition" |prc-paration"), oricinay bconcs to a idcntihcation as such
Hovcvcr, this ics soidy at thc cround ol both thc possibiity and thc im
possibiity ol contradiction.
Vith his oricntation tovard thc nonoricina csscncc ol timc, Kant must
dcny thc tcmpora charactcr ol thc Irincipc ol Contradiction," lor it L
iocica to vant csscntiaytodctcrminc vhat timc itsclisoricinayvithth
hcp ola product dcrivcd lrom it. Ircciscy bccausc in its inncrmost csscncc
thc sclis oricinay timc itscl, thc I cannot bc craspcd as tcmpora." i. c. , as
vithin timc. Iurc scnsibiity |timc) and purc rcason arc not just ol thc samc
typc, rathcr hcy bconc toccthcr in thc unity ol thc samc csscncc vhich
makcs possibc thc hnitudc ol human subjcctivity in its vhocncss.
27! . Sccabovc, JJc,p. I 2Bl Apassagc|romthcdisscrtatono|I 770 showsthatKanthimscI
wavcrsin hisudgmcnt conccrning thc "at thc samc tmc" "antumvcro abcst, ut qisunquam
tcmporis conccptum adhuc rationis opc aliundc dcducat ctcxpIicct, utpotius psum prncipium
contradictionis cundcm pracmttat ac sb conditionis Ioco substcrna. A cnim ct non A non
rccuynunr. nsi :imu| th. c. tcmporc codcm) cogitata dc coJcm . Dc mundi scnsibiIis atquc
incIlgibls oa ct prncipiis." |N !+, 5, W|c, cd. Cassircr. vol. II, p. ! 7
-
) Hcrc Kant shows
thc impossblty o thc "ratonaI" dcrivaton o| tmc. . c. , o| its intuitvc charactcr. through a
rc|crcncc to thc |act that all "rio." cvcn thc groundng prncipIc o|thnking ngcncraI, prcsup
poscs"timc"cvcrthcIcss, it indccd rcmainsobscurcastowhich "tcmporaI" mcaningthc"rcmcorc
coJcm" has I tgocs so|ar as tomcan "in thc samc now," thcn Moscs McndcIsohn wasustihcd
whcn hc wrotc in a cttcr to Kant |25 Dcccmbcr ! 770), withrc|crcncc to thc prcccdingpassagc.
"I bcIicv thc stpulaton cJcm rcmcorc to havc bccnunncccssary|orthc Frincplc oContradic
tion. Inso|ar as t is thc samc subcct, A and non A cannot bc prcdcatcd o| it. cvcn at d||crcnt
timcs, and nothing |urthcr isrcurcd o|thcconccpt o|thc impossblc than thatthc samc subcc
havc two prcdcatcs,A and non A. nc can aIso say imco::ibilc c:|, nonAcrucJicurumJc :ub|ccro
A. tKant, Wcr|c, vo IX. p. 9J. )
a. nthis rcgard, wha smorc,sccHacring, DcrDui:bury':chc Nuchlu|, I0
|p. o0).
b Sc VS ! 9J5/Jo lDic Fruyc nuchJcm Diny. ZuKunr:hrcvon Jcn rrun:zcnJcn|u|cnOrunJ-
:drzcn, GA, vo. ! I , p ! 75l | WhurI: u Thiny?tr artonand Dcutsch, p. ! 72l.
hJJ. |I J-I /
hJ. Thc DriginaIity o[ thc PrcviousIy Laid Cround
and thc ProbIcm o[ Mctaphysics
IJ7
Kant's layinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics asks about thc crounds lor thc
intrinsic possIbiity ol thc csscntial unity ol ontolocical knovlcdcc. ]hc
cround upon vhich it comcs is thc transccndcntal povcr olimacination. /
opposcd to thc arranccmcnt oltvobasIc sourccslorthc mind|scnsIbiItyand
undcrstandinc) , thc transccndcntal povcr ol imacination obtrudcs as an in-
tcrmcdiatc laculty ]hc morc oricinal intcrprctation ol this prcvIously laid
cround, hovcvcr, unvcils this intcrmcdiatc laculty not|ust as oricinal, unily-
incccntcr, but rathcr it unvcils this ccntcras thcroot olbothstcms.
]husthcvayisopcncd to thcoricinal croundlorthc sourcc olbothbasic
sourccs.
|1/l
]hc intcrprctation olthc transccndcnta povcr olImacInatIon as
root, i. c. , thcclucidation olhovthcpurcsythcsisallovsbothstcmstocrov
lorth lrom out ol It and hov it maintaIns thcm, lcads back lrom itscllto that
invhichthisrootisrootcd. to orIcinal tImc./ thcoricinal, thrccloldunilyinc
lormincolluturc,past,and prcscntin ccncral,thIsIsvhathrstmakcs possiblc
thc laculty olpurc synthcsis, i. c. , that vhich it Is abc to producc, namcly,
thc unihcation ol thc thrcc ccmcnts olontolocical knovlcdcc, in thc unity
olvhich transccndcncc Is lormcd.
]hcmodcsolpurcsynthcsis-purc apprchcnsIon,purcrcproductIon, purc
rccocnition-arc not thcrclorc thrcc innumbcr bccausc thcyrclcr to thc thrcc
ccmcnts ol purc knovlcdcc, but rathcr bccausc, oricinally unihcd in thcm
scvcs, as tImc-lormInc, thcy constitutc thc ripcninc ol timc itscll. Cnly bc
causc thcsc modcs ol purc synthcsis arc orIcinaly unIhcd in thc thrcclod
unilyInc ol tImc, is thcrc also to bc lound in thcm thc possibiity lor thc
orIcIna unihcatIon olthc thrcc ccmcnts olpurc knovlcdcc. Ior that rcason,
hovcvcr, thc oricIna unilyinc vhIch Is apparcntly only thc mcdiatinc, intcr-
mcdiatc lacuty ol thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination, is in lact nonc
othcr than oricInal timc. ]his rootcdncss in timc alonc cnabcs thc transccn-
dcntal povcr ol imacInation In ccncral tobc thc root oltransccndcncc.
Cricina timc makcs possiblc thc transccndcntal povcr ol ImacInation,
vhIch in itsclIscsscntiallyspontancousrcccptivityand rcccptivcspontancIt
Cny In this unity can purc scnsibiity as spontancous rcccptivity and purc
appcrccption as rcccptIvc spontancity bclonc toccthcr and lorm thc unIhcd
csscncc ola hnItc, purc, scnsiblcrcason.
Il, hovcvcr, as occurs in thc sccond cdItion, thc transccndcntal povcr ol
Imacination is dclctcd as a particular croundinc lacuty andilits lunction is
takcn ovcrby thc undcrstandInc as mcrc spontancity, thcn thc possIbIIty ol
craspinc purc scnsibility and purc thinkinc vith rccard to thcIr unIty In a
hnItc, human rcason diminishcs, as docscvcnthcpossibility olmakincitinto
a problcm. Hovcvcr, bccausc thc transccndcntalpovcrolimacination onthc
crounds olits Indissolubc, oricinal structurc, opcns up thc possIbIIty olthc
JB Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' !97- !9BI
layInc ola cround lor ontolocIcal knovlcdcc, and thcrcby lor mctaphysIcs,
thcn lor thIs rcason thc hrst cdItIon rcmaIns closcr to thc Inncrmostthrustol
thc problcmatIc ola layIncolthc cround lormctaphysIcs.VIth rclcrcncc to
thIs most ccntral qucstIon olthc vholc vork, thcrclorc, It |thc hrst cdItIon|
dcscrvcs a lundamcntal prIorIty ovcr thc sccond. ^ll rcIntcrprctatIon 'Um-
dcutuogl ol thc purc povcr olImacInatIon as a lunctIon olpurc thInkInc-a
rc-IntcrprctatIon vhIch crman IdcalIsm" cvcn acccntuatcd subscqucnt to
thc sccond cdItIon olthc Cr|t|aucc] Purc-mIsundcrstands Its spccIhc
csscncc.
CrIcInal tImc allovs thc purc lormatIon ol transccndcncc to occur. ascd
on thc prcvIously prcscntcd, morc orIcInal` unvcIlInc olthc prcvIously laId
cround, vc nov also undcrstand lor thc hrst tImc, rctrospcctIvcly, thc Inncr-
most thrust olthc hvc staccs olthc croundlayInc and thc mcanIncvhIch Its
nuclcus-thc ]ransccndcntal SchcmatIsm-hasbccn ad|udccd as havInc.
ccausc transccndcncc rIpcns In orIcInal tImc, |Instanccs ol| ontolocIcal
knovlcdcc arc transccndcntal dctcrmInatIons ol tImc."
It Is tructhatthIs ncccssary ccntral lunctIon oltImc Is alvays hrst shovn
by Kant In such a vay that It Is|ust Introduccd as thc unIvcrsal lorm ol all
rcprcscntIncs. Hovcvcr, vhat rcmaIns dccIsIvc Is thc contcxt vIthIn vhIch
thIs occurs. ]hc IrclImInary Rcmark" to thc ]ransccndcntal OcductIon Is
Intcndcd to shov thc cxtcnt to vhIch thc thrcc modcs ol purc synthcsIs In
thcmsclvcs arc orIcInally unIhcd. Indccd, Kant docs not succccd In cxprcssly
brIncInc thcm to lIcht as tImclormInc and hcncc as unIhcd In orIcInal tImc
^ll thc samc, thc lundamcntal lunctIon oltImc Is cmphasIzcd prccIsclyhcrc,
namcly, vIth thc analysIs olthc sccond synthcsIs, that olrcproductIon In thc
ImacInatIon.
Vhat Is It that constItutcs thc a prIorI cround ol a ncccssary synthctIc
unIty" ola possIblc and Indccd rcprcscntIncrcstorIncolthc bcInc to spccIhc,
dIrcctprcscncc`Vhat thatsomcthInc Is vc soon dIscovcrvhcnvcconsIdcr
that appcaranccs arc not thIncs In thcmsclvcs, butarc rathcr thc mcrc playol
our rcprcscntatIons, vhIch In thc cnd cmcrcc lrom dctcrmInatIons ol Inncr
scnsc.
^272
Mov docs thIs mcan. lor Itscll thc bcInc Is nothInc and dIssolvcs In a
playInc ol rcprcscntIncs` In no vay Kant vants to say. thc cncountcrInc ol
thc bcInc Itscll occurs lor a hnItc crcaturc In a rcprcscntInc vhosc purc
rcprcscntatIonsolobj cctIvItyassuchhavc playcduptoonc anothcr 'au]c|oao-
dcrc|ogcsp|cl|| 1hIscInc-playcdup 'L|ogcsp|cl|sc|o|Istantamounttothccnd,
I c , It Is dctcrmIncd Inadvancc In sucha vaythat In ccncral It canbc playcd
out In a play-spacc '|o c|ocm5p|cl-Paum ahsp|clco |aoo| . ]hIs |playspacc| Is
lormcd throuch purc dctcrmInatIons ol thc Inncr scnsc. ]hc purc Inncr scnsc
272. A I 0! .
hJJ. |I8-200I J9
i spurc scll-allcction, i. c. , oricinal timc. 1hc purc schcmataastransccndcntal
dctcrminations ol timc arc vhat lorm thc horizon oltransccndcncc.
ccausc lrom thc hrst Kant savthc problcm olthcinncr possibility olthc
csscntial unity olontolocical knovlcdcc lrom thispcrspcctivc andbccausc hc
hcld last tothc ccntral lunction oltimc,hccould lorcco ancxplicit discussion
oltimc in thc prcscntation olthc unity oltransccndcncc on thc tvo paths ol
thc ]ransccndcntal Ocduction
^dmittcdly, in thc sccondcdition Kant appcars torcscindthistransccndcn-
tal priority ol timc in thc lormation ol transccndcncc as such toccthcr vith
thc transccndcntal povcr ol imacination, i . c. , hc appcars to rcnouncc thc
nuclcusolthc layincolthc cround lor mctaphysics, thc ]ransccndcntal Schc-
matism.
Inthc sccond cdition, a cncral Motc on thc Systcm olIrinciplcs," i . c. , |a
ccncral notc| onthcvholcolontolocicalknovlcdcc,vasinscrtcd. Itbccins
vith thc scntcncc It is quitcnotcvorthy that vc cannot rccocnizc thc possi-
bility ol a thinc accordinc to thc mcrc catccory, but must alvays havc an
intuition athandin ordcr tocxposcvithrcspcct to samcthc objcctivc rcality
ol thc purc conccpt ol thc undcrstandinc. " Hcrc, in a lcv vords, vc havc
cxprcsscd thc csscntial ncccssity olthc purcscnsibilizationolthcnotions,i . c. ,
thcir prcscntation i na purc imacc. " Hovcvcr, thc lact that this purc imacc
must bc purc intuiton as timc is not statcd.
Cnthccontrary, thcncxtparacraphbccinsvithan cxplicit rclcrcncc tothc
prcvious scntcncc. It is cvcn morc notcvorthy, hovcvcr, that in ordcr to
undcrstand thc possibility olthincs in conlormity vith thc catccorics, and so
to dcmonstratc thc ch)cct|vc tcal|t, ol thc lattcr, vc nccd not just intuitions,
but intuitions that arc alvays cxtcal |otu|t|cos" Hcrc thc transccndcntal
lunction olspacc comcs to thc lorc. ]hat Kant himscllhashcrcby opcncd up
a ncv insicht is unmistakablc. Spacc also cntcrs into thc purc schcmatism.
Mcvcrthclcss, thc chaptcr on thc Schcmatism in thc sccond cdition has in no
vay bccn altcrcd in this scnsc. Must vc not inlcr, thcn, that thc priority ol
timc has bccn droppcd` ]his conclusion vouldnotonlybcrash, it vould bc
a complctc misundcrstandinc ol thc cntirc intcrprctation to this point ilvc
choosctodcducclromthispassaccthattimcaloncisnotvhatoricinallylorms
transccndcncc.
ut,onccouldobjcct, iltansccndcnccisnottobc croundcd intimcalonc,
Kant isjust bcinc| consistcnt il,viththcdclimitation olthc priority oltimc,
hccliminatcsthcpurcpovcrolimacination.ct,viththisrcllcctionvclorcct
that as purc intuition, purc spacc is no lcss rootcd transccndcntally in thc
transccndcntal povcr olimacination than timc," insolar asthisisundcrstood
27J. 2BB.
271. 2!.
!0 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 200-20! l
mcrcy as vhat is lormcd in purc intuition as thc purc intuitcd, thc purc
succcssion olthc scqucncc olnovs. In lact, spacc in a ccrtain scnsc is avays
and ncccssariy cquivacnt to timc so undcrstood.
Hovcvcr, it is not in this lorm, but rathcr as purc sclallcction, that timc
is thc morc oricina cround oltransccndcncc.^s such, itis aso thc condition
lor thc possibiity ol thc rcprcscntinc lorminc, i . c. , thc makincapparcnt, ol
purc spacc. ]hc rcjcction ol thc priority oltimc in no vay loovs lrom thc
insicht into thc transccndcntalunctionolpurc spacc. Instcad, it|ustdcvcops
into thc positivc probcm olshovinc that, ikc timc, spacc in a ccrtain scnsc
asobconcs to thc sclassomcthinchnitc, andthatthis |scl , onthc crounds
ol oricina timc to bc surc, is csscntiay spatia. "
In thc sccond cdition, thc knovcdcc that in a ccrtain scnsc spacc aso
bconcs to thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism onymakcsit ccarthat this |Schc-
matism| cannot bc craspcd in its inncrmost csscncc as onc as timc is ony
craspcdasthc purcsucccssionolthcscqucncc olnovs. Itmustbcundcrstood
as purc sclallcction othcrvisc its lunctionin thc schcma-lormation olcvcry
disccrnibiity is ackinc.
Vith that, vc cncountcr a pccuiarity and indccd not an accidcnta onc,
pcrtaininc to thc vhoc Kantian |projcct ol| ayincthccound lor mctaphys-
ics. Ircciscyvhatvasunvcicdinthc coinc-back tothccround lorthc sourcc
in lact manilcsts itscl in itscsscncc vhich lorms transccndcncc. ]hc lacutics
olthc mind vhich takc part, as vc as thc purc intuition, timc, ncvcrthccss
arc not dctcrincd cxprcssy and primariyon thcbasis olthis transccndcnta
lunction. Instcad, thcy arc civcn durinc thc croundayinc and cvcn at its
concusion, vhich is sti compctcy vithin thc provisiona composition ol
thc hrst point oldcparturc. ]hc cucidation olthc purc schcmataastransccn
dcnta dctcrminations ol timc must rcmain so scanty and opaquc bccausc,
vith thc prcscntation ol thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism, Kant had not prc-
parcd a vorkcd-out intcrprctation ol thc oricina csscncc ol timc lor timc,
takcn as purc scqucncc ol novs, ollcrs throuchout no possibc vay to thc
tcmpora" intcrprctation olthc notions '
Mov, il an intcrprctation 'lotctptctat|co| mcrcy civcs back vhat Kant has
cxprcssy said, thcn lrom thc outsct it is not a ayinc-out || , insolar
as thc task ol such a ayinc-out rcmains lramcd as thc makinc visibc in its
ovn richt ol vhat Kant had broucht to icht in his cround-ayinc ovcr and
abovc thc cxpicit lormuation.
Kant himscl, hovcvcr, vas unabc to say
morc about this. ut vith any phiosophica knovcdcc in ccncra, vhat is
said in uttcrcd ppositions must not bc dccisivc. Instcad, vhat must bc
dccisivc is vhat it scts bclorc our cycs as sti unsaid, in and throuch vhat
has bccn said.
275. Scc abovc, N22, p 75|.
hJJ. |20I -20JI !!
]hus thc lundamcntalintcntionol thc prcscnt intcrprctationol thc Ct|||auc
c] Putc Pcasco vas to makc visiblc in this vay thc dccisivc contcnt ol this
vork and thcrcby to brinc out vhat Kant had vantcd to say" Vith this
proccdurc, thc layinc-out crcatcs a maxim ol its ovn vhich Kant himscll
vould havc vantcd to knovhad bccn applicd to thc intcrprctationolphilo-
sophical invcstications and vhich hc put in thc lollovncvords at thc cnd
ol a rcply to thc crtiquc by thc cibnizian Lbcrhard. hus thc Ct|||auc c]
Putc Pcasco may vcll bc thc propcr apclcg|a lor cibni, cvcn in opposition
to hisadhcrcnts vho clcvatc himvith dishonorablcvordsolpraisc, as itcan
alsobclorvariousoldcrphilosophcrsaboutvhommanyvritcrsolthchistory
olphilosophy vith all thci praisc, still lct thcmsclvcs spcak nonscnsc. ]hcy
do not discovcr thc intcntions ol thcsc philosophcrs vhilc thcy ncclcct thc
kcy to all intcrprctations 'Auslcguogco olthc purc products olrcason o thc
basis ol mcrc conccpts, thc critiquc ol rcason itscll as thc common sourcc
lor all) , and vhilc thcy cannot scc, bcyond thc ctymolocy ol vhat thcir
prcdcccssors havc said, vhat thcy had vantcd to say"
Ccrtainly, in ordcr to vrinc lrom vhatthc vords say, vhatit is thcyvant
to say, cvcryintcrprctation 'lo|ctptc|a||co mustncccssarlyuscviolcncc. Such
violcncc, hovcvcr, cannotbc rovincarbitrarincss. ]hc povcrolanidcavhich
shincs lorth must drivc and cidc thc layinc-out 'Auslcguog Cnly in thc
povcrolthisidcacananintcrprctationriskvhatisalvaysaudacious,namcly,
cntrustinc itscll to thc conccalcd inncr passion ola vork in ordcr tobc ablc,
throuch this, to placc itscllvithin thc unsaid and lorcc it into spccch. ]hat
is onc vay hovcvcr, by vhich thc cidinc idca, in its povcr to illuminatc,
comcs to licht.
Kant's layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics lcads to thc transccndcntal
povcr olimacination. ]his is thc root olboth stcms, scnsibility and undcr-
standinc. ^ssuch, it makcspossiblc thcoricinalunityolontolocicalsynthcsis.
]his root, hovcvcr, is rootcd in oicinal timc. ]hc oricinal cround vhich
bccomcs manilcst in thc cround-layinc is timc.
Kant'slayincolthccroundlormctaphysicsstartsvthMc|ap|,s|caCcoctal|s
and thusbccomcs thc qucstion olthc possibility olontolocy inccncral. ]his
poscs thc qucstionconccrninc thc csscncc olthc constitution olthc cinc ol
bcincs, i. c. , conccinc cinc in ccncral.
]hc layinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics crovs upon thc cround ol timc.
]hc qucstion conccrninc cinc, thc croundinc qucstion lor a layinc ol thc
cround lormctaphsics, is thc problcm ol 8c|ogaod mc
]his titlc contains thc cuidinc idca olthc prcccdinc intcrprctation ol thc
Ct|||auc c] Putc Pcasco as a layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics. ]hc idca,
27. brrcincEn|Jccunv, vo. VI, p. 7 ! .
3 . I t Is ncvcrthccss drivcn MctachVsicacccia|is Icolovic, scc p. I J bcow.
!2 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 20Jl
hovcvcr, attcstcd to throuch this intcrprctatIon, provIdcs an indication olthc
probcm ol a lundamcnta ontoo ]his is not to bc craspcd as somcthinc
supposcdy ncv," as opposcd to thc acccdy od. Rathcr, it is thc cxprcs-
sIon ol thc attcmpt to adopt in an oricina vay vhat is csscntia in a ayInc
ol thc cround lor mctaphysics, i . c. to aId In thc cround-ayinc throuch a
rctrIcva w|cdcr|cluog ol its ovn, morc oricina possibity
0r| l0ur
HC uVIDP O lHC LIOuD0 OI
%CluDHV5IC5 ID u HClIICVu' ' '
y thc rctricval ol a basic problcm, vc undcrstand thc opcninc-up ol its
oricina, lonc-conccalcd possibiitics, throuch thc vorkinc-out olvhich it is
translormcd. In this vay it hrst comcs to bc prcscrvcd in its capacity as a
problcm. 1oprcscrvc a probcm,hovcvcr, mcans tolrcc and kccpvatch ovcr
thosc inncr lorccs vhich makc it possibc, on thc basis ol its csscncc, as a
problcm.
Rctricva ol thc possiblc docs not |ust mcanthc takinc-up ol vhat is
customary, " croundcd ovcrvicvs |ol vhich| cxist" lrom vhich somcthinc
can bc donc. " 1hc possibc in this scnsc isalvaysjust thc altoo-rcal vhich
cvcryonc manaccs to manipulatc in its prcvailinc modc ol opcration. 1hc
possiblc in ths scnsc dirccty hindcrs a ccnuinc rctricval, and thcrcby in
ccncral it hindcrs a rclationship to history
^corrcctlyundcrstood rctricvalolthcayincolthccround lormctaphysics,
hovcvcr, musthrsthavcmadcsurc olvhat constitutcs thc authcntic outcomc
olthccaricr, in this casc thc Kantian, croundlayInc| . ^t thc samc timc, thc
soucht-altcrrcsult" olthc ayinc olthc cround lor mctaphysicsin thc Ct|t|auc
c] PutcPcasco and, on that basis, thc vay in vhich thc hndincsvcrc dctcr-
mincd. must bc aovcd to tcst hov lar thc undcrstandinc ol thc possibc,
vhich cuidcs all rctricval, rcachcs, and vhcthcr it is a match lor vhat is
rctricvablc.
I J
! Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 20J-20l
A. 1HE LAYlNC I 1HE CRLND IR ME1AFHYSICS
lN AN1HRFICY
hJ. Thc PrcvousIy Lad Cround and thc Outcomc o[
thc Kantan Layng o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphyscs
In runninc throuch thc individua staccs olthc Kantian cround-ayinc, vc
sav hov it hnay hit upon thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination as thc
cround lor thc inncr possibiity ol ontoocica synthcsis i . c , transccndcncc.
Mov isthccstabishmcnt olthis cround, or rathcritsmorc oricina intcrprc-
tation as tcmporaity, thc rcsut ol thc Kantian cround-ayinc` Cr docs his
cround-ayinc yicd somcthinc csc` Ccrtainy to cstabish thc alorcsaid rcsut
thcrc vas no nccd lor thc cllort cxcrtcd to cxhibit thc croundayinc, particu-
ary in its intcrna vorkincs and in thc succcssion ol its stcps. ]hc citation
ol thc appropriatc quotations rccardinc thc ccntra lunction olthc transccn-
dcnta povcr ol imacination in thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction and in thc
]ransccndcnta Schcmatism voud havc bccn sulhcicnt. ut il thc outcomc
docs not consist in thc knovcdcc that thc transccndcnta povcr olimacina-
tion constitutcs thc cround thcn vhat csc is thc cround-ayinc to yicd`
Il thc outcomc ol thc cround-ayinc docs not ic in its rcsut, " thcn vc
must ask vhat thc cround-ayinc rcvcas in its occurrinc assuch, conccrninc
thc probcm ol a croundinc ol mctaphysics. Vhat occurs in thc Kantian
cround-ayinc` Mothinc css than this. thc croundinc olthc inncr possibiity
ol ontoocy is broucht about as an unvciinc ol transccndcncc, i. c. , an un-
vciinc ol thc subjcctivity ol thc human subjcct.
]hc qucstion as to thc csscncc olmctaphysics is thc qucstion conccrninc
thc unity ol thc basic lacutics ol thc human mind. " ]hc Kantian cround-
ayinc yicds this concusion . thc croundinc olmctaphysics is a qucstioninc
vith rccard to thc human bcinc i. c. anthropooc
^nd yct, did not thc hrst attcmpt to crasp thc Kantian cround-ayincmorc
oricinay, namcy thc coinc-back to its anthropooc brcak dovn` Ccr-
tainy, insolar as it vas shovn that ^nthropoocy ollcrs to thc intcrprctation
olknovcdcc andits tvo sourccsvasbroucht to icht ina morcoricinalorm
prcciscy throuch thc Ct|||auc c] Putc Pcasco ut lrom that, a that nov
loovs is that thc ^nthpoocy vorkcd out by Kant is an cmpirica onc and
not onc vhich is adcquatc lor thc transccndcnta probcmatic, i. c. , it is not
purc. ]hat nov makcs thc dcmand lor an adcquatc i . c. , a phiosophica
anthropoocy" lorthc purposc ola ayincolthccround lormctaphysics cvcn
morc prcssinc.
277. Scc abovc, N2, p. 89
hJc. |20c-20/ IJ
]hat thc outcomc olthc Kantian cround-ayinc ics in thc insicht into thc
ncccssary conncctcdncss ol anthpoocy and mctaphysics can cvcn bc
vcrihcd unambicuousy throuch Kant's ovn asscrtions. Kants ayinc ol thc
cround lor mctaphysics takcs aim at a croundinc ol mctaphysics in its hna
purposc" olMctap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s. to vhich bconc thc thrcc discipincs ol
Cosmoocy, Isychoocy, and]hcoocy. ^s critiquc olpurc rcason, thiscround-
inc must ncvcrthccss undcrstand thcsc |discipincs| in thcir inncrmost cs-
scncc, il indccd mctaphysics is to bc craspcd in its possibiity and its imits
as natura human tcndcncy" ]hc inncrmost csscncc ol human rcason dc-
monstratcs itscl, hovcvcr, in thosc intcrcsts vhich, as human, avays movc
it. ^ thc intcrcsts olmy rcason |both spccuativc and practica) arc unitcd
in thc loovinc thrcc qucstions
I . atcaol|ocw`
2. w|ats|culdldc`
J. w|atma, l|cpc`
]hcsc thrcc qucstions, hovcvcr, arc thosc associatcd vith thc thrcc divi-
sions olauthcntic mctaphysics, as Mctap|,s|ca 5pcc|al|s. Human knovcdcc
rclcrs to naturc in thc vidcst scnsc ol vhat is at hand |Cosmoocy) dccds
'das !uo arc human actions 'Haodclo dcs Mcosc|co and rclcr to human
pcrsonaity and lrccdom |Isychoocy), hopc aims at immortaity as bcsscd-
ncss, i. c. , as thc unihcation vith od |]hcoocy.
]hcsc thrcc oricina intcrcsts do not dctcrminc thc human bcinc as a
crcaturc olnaturc, but rathcr as a citizcn olthc vord. "]hcy constitutc thc
objcct ol Ihiosophy in thc aims ol thc vord-citizcn" ' |o wclthargcrl|c|cr
Ahs|c|t .i. c. , thcyconstitutc thcdomain olauthcnticphiosophy HcnccKant
says in thc introduction to his ccturcs on ocic, vhcrc hc dcvcops thc
conccpt olIhiosophyin ccncra. hc hcd olIhiosophy, in this contcxt ol
vord citizcnship, aovs lorthc loovinc qucstions to bc broucht.
. Vhat canI knov`
2. Vhat shoud I do`
J. Vhat may I hopc`
. Vhat is thchumanbcinc`"
Hcrc a lourth qucstion appcars toccthcr vith thc prcccdinc thrcc. ut is
nothis lourth qucstionconccrnincthchumanbcincattachcd supcrhciayto
thc hrst thrcc, and supcrluous as vc, ilvc considcr that Ps,c|clcg|a Pat|c-
oalcs. as a discipinc olMctap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s. arcady trcats human bcincs`
Hovcvcr, Kant didnotsimpypicccthislourth qucstionontothc hrst thrcc.
27d. Ad0|. , dJ2|.
279 Wcrkc, vo VIII, p. JJ
a. Fhlosophy as tc|co|ogia rationis humanac, Critiquc o] Purc Rcason.
b. wronv' rccdom bconvs to Cosmoovy bccausc lt was thouvht o| as prlmordla "Ur
shc"| scc SS !9J0 |DcrAn]angdcraocnd|andisrhcnPhi|osophic, CA, vo. JJ.
I Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 207-209l
Rathcr, hc says asically, vc can classily all ol thcsc undcr ^nthropolocy
bccausc thc hrst thrcc qucstions rclcr to thc last.
z0
Vith this, Kant himsclluncquivocally cxprcsscs thc propcr outcomc olhis
layincolthccroundlormctaphysics. ]hc attcmpt ata rctricval olthc cround-
layinchcrcbyrcccivcsa clcar dircctivcvithrccard toits task. ]obc surc, Kant
spcaks only in ccncral ol^nthropolocy Hovcvcr, accordinc to vhat vc havc
discusscd abovc, it standsbcyond doubt that only a philosophical anthropol-
ocy can assumc thc layinc ol thc cround lor authcntic philosophy lor
Mctap|,s|ca5pcc|al|sOocsthc rctricval ol thc Kantiancround-layincnot comc
to pursuc asits propcr task, thcrclorc, thc systcmatic vorkinc-out ola phil-
osophical anthropolocy," and hcncc must it not havc dctcrmincd thc idca ol
thc samc bclorchand`
hJ/. Thc Idca o[ a PhIosophcaI AnthropoIog
Vhat bcloncs to a philosophical anthropolocy` Vhat is anthropolocy in
ccncral, and hov docs it bccomc onc vhich is philosophical` ^nthropolocy
cans thc scicncc olman 'Mcosc|co|uodc It cmbraccs all that is knovablc
't|uodhat| rclativc to thc naturc olman as this corporcal, cnsoulcd, spiritual
crcaturc. Vithin thc domain ol anthropolocy, hovcvcr, lall not only mans
human qualitics vhich, bccausc thcy arc at hand, arc disccrniblc and distin
cuish this dctcrminatc spccics lrom animals and plants, but also his latcnt
abilitics, thc dillcrcnccs accordinc to charactcr, racc, and scx. ^nd inasmuch
as human bcincs appcarto bc not only crcaturcs olnaturc, butalso crcaturcs
that act and crcatc, anthropolocy must also scck to crasp vhat thc human
bcinc, as onc vho acts, can and should makc out ol itscll." Man's abilitics
and oblications
arc bascd hnally and spccihcally on lundamcntal attitudcs
vhich man assuch can alvays takc up and vhichvc call Vorldvicvs"thc
psycholocy" ol vhich dclimits thc vholc ol thc scicncc olman.
Vhat is prcscnt in ^nthropolocy, as thc somatic, biolocical, psycholocical
considcration ol thc human bcinc, all lovs toccthcr as Charactcrolocy, Isy-
choanalysis, Lthnolocy Icdacocical Isycholocy, ulturalMorpholocy, andthc
]ypolocy ol Vorld-vicvs. ]his is not only vast lrom thc standpoint ol its
contcnt, but abovc all it is lundamcntally hctcroccnous vith rcspcct to thc
manncr ol posinc qucstions, claims olcroundinc, thc intcnt olthc pcscnta-
tion and thc lorm olcommunication, and hnally vith rcspcct to thc cuidinc
prcsuppositions. Insolar as all thcsc |dicrcnccs| , and ultimatcly thc totality
olbcincs in ccncral,insomcvaycanalvays rclcrtohumans and, accordincly,
2d0. bld., p. J.
hJ/. |20-2I 0I !7
canbc ascribcdto^nthropoloc it^nthropolocy bccomcssocomprchcnsivc
that thc idca olit bccomcs mircd in complctc indctcrminacy
]oday, thcn ^nthropolocyis no lonccrjust thc namc lor a disciplinc, nor
has it bccn such lor somc timc. Instcad, thc vord dcscribcs a lundamcntal
tcndcncy olmans contcmporary position vith rcspcct to himscll and to thc
totality olbcincs. ^ccordinc to this lundamcntal position. somcthinc is only
kno and undcrstood il it is civcn an anthropolocical cxplanation. ^nthro-
polocy sccks not only thc truth about human bcincs, but instcad it nov
dcmands a dccision as to vhat truth in ccncral can mcan.
Mo timc has knovn so much and such a varictyabout mankind as is thc
casc today Mo timc has bccn ablc to prcscnt its knovlcdcc olmankind so
urccntly and in so captivatinc a manncr as is thc casc today Mo timc has
prcviously bccn ablc to ollcr this knovlcdcc as quickly and casily as today
ut also, no timc has knovn lcss aboutvhat man is than today' In no othcr
timc has man bccomc as qucstionablc as in ours.
Hovcvcr,isnotprccisclythisbrcadtholandunccrtaintyaboutanthropolo
cical qucstions sulhcicnt to allov a Ihilosophical^nthropolocy to arisc and,
lor thccllort, sulhcicnt tobcstovupon it a particular lorcc` Vith thc idca ol
a Ihilosophical ^nthropolocy, has not that disciplinc bccn attaincd upon
vhich thc vholc olphilosophy must conccntratc`
Scvcral ycars aco, Max Schclcr had alrcady spokcn ol this Ihilosophical
^nthropolocy. In a ccrtain scnsc, all thc ccntral problcms olphilosophy can
bc rcduccd to thc qucstion olvhat man is and vhat mctaphysical placc and
situation hc occupicsvithinthctotalityolcinc, thc vorld, and od."" ut
Schclcr also sav dircctly and vith particular kccnncss that thc varicty ol
dctcrmnations rccardinc thc csscncc ol human bcIncs cannot bc allovcd
simply to bc packcd toccthcr in common dchnition. hc human bcinc is
so broad, motlcy, and divcrsc a thinc that thc dchnitionsall lall a bit short.
Man has too many laccts."` So Schclcr's cndcavors,vhich in his last ycars
intcnsihcd and ushcrcd in ancv lruitlulncss, vcrc dircctcd notonlyatattain-
inca unihcd idca olman, but|ust as muchatthc vorkinc-out olthc csscntial
dilhcultics and complications associatcd vith this task.
ut pcrhaps thc basic dilhculty ol a Ihilosophical ^nthropolocy docs not
lic primarily in thc task ol attaininc thc systcmatic unity ol thc csscntial
dctcrminations ol this multilacctcd crcaturc. Icrhaps instcad a dilhculty lics
in its conccpt itscll-a dilhculty vhich cvcn thc richcst and most distinct
anthropolocical knovlcdcc can no lonccr closs ovcr.
2d! . Scc Max Schclcr, Dic rc||uny Jcs Mcnschcn imKosmos |!92d), p I JI
2d2. Scc ZurlJccJcs Mcnschcn. AbhunJ|unycnunJAu|sdrzc, vol. ! | ! 9! J) p J !9. n thc sccond
and thlrd cdltlons | 927), !hc volumcs appcarcd undcr thc titlc vom LmsturzJcr Wcrtc |Wcrc,
vol. ll, p. ! 7J).
2dJ. bld. , p J2 |Wcrc, vol. , p ! 7J).
2d. bcc Dicrc||unyJcsMcnschtn imKosmos
!B Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2!0-2!2I
yvhatmcans, thcn,docsananthropoocyi nccncrabccomca phiosoph-
ica onc` Is itsimpy duc to thc |actthat its knovcdcc is dilcrcntiatcdinthc
dccrcc o|its univcrsaity |rom knovcdcc o|thc cmpirica,vhcrcby it rcmains
pcrmancnty qucstionabc as to thc point at vhich thc dccrcc o|univcrsaity
appropriatc to cmpirica knovcdcc cnds and that appropriatc to phiosoph-
ica knovcdcc bccins`
Ccrtainy, ananthropoocycanbc cacdphiosophicainso|arasitsmcthod
is a phiosophica onc, pcrhaps in thc scnsc o| an csscntia considcration o|
thc human bcinc. 1his, thcn, is intcndcd to di||crcntiatc bctvccn thc bcinc
cacd man |on thc onc hand and pants, animas, and thc rcmainincrccions
o| bcincs on thc othcr , and thcrcby to vork out thc spccihc, csscntia
composition o| this dctcrminatc rccion o|bcincs Ihiosophica^nthropoocy
thcn bccomcs a rcciona ontoocy o| human bcincs, and as such it rcmains
arranccd aoncsidc thc othcrontoocicsvhich, aoncvith it, sprcad outovcr
thc cntirc hcd o| bcincs. Vithout doubt and, abovc a, not on thc crounds
o| thc inncr structurc o| its probcmatic, Ihiosophica ^nthropoocy thus
undcrstood is not at thc ccntcr o| phiosophy.
^nthropoocy, hovcvcr, can asobc phiosophicaprovidcd that, as^nthro-
poocy, it dctcrmincs in particuar cithcr thc coa o| phiosophy or its point
o|dcparturc orbothat oncc. I| thc coa o|Ihiosophy ics in thcvorkinc-out
o|a vord-vicv, thcn an^nthropoocy vi havc to dcimit thc pacc o|man
in thc cosmos. " ^nd i| man is rcputcd to bc that bcinc vhich is simpy thc
hrst civcn and most ccrtain in thc ordcr o| croundinc an absoutcy ccrtain
knovcdcc, thcn thc buidincup o| phiosophy panncd in this vay must
brinc human sub|cctivity in asthc ccntra startinc point. 1hc hrst taskcanbc
compatibc vith thc sccond and, as anthropoocica invcstications, both can
makc usc o| thc mcthod and thc rcsuts o| a rcciona ontoocy o| human
bcincs.
ut it is on thc basis o|prcciscy thcsc various possibiitics |or dcimitinc
thc phiosophica charactcr o|an anthropoocy that thc indctcrminatcncss o|
thisidcaariscs. 1hc indctcrminatcncssincrcascsi|vc kccpsichto|thcvaricty
o| anthropoocica knovcdcc vhich ics at thc hcart o| cvcry Ihiosophica
^nthopoocy, at cast at thc outsct.
^snaturaandsc|-cvidcntasthc idca o|a Ihiosophica^nthropoocymay
I, |or a its ambicuity, and as irrcsistiby as it incrcascs in vauc, so too it
bccomcsincrcasincyncccssarytocombat thcanthropoocism"inIhiosoph
1hc idca o| a Ihiosophica ^nthropoocy is not ony not su|hcicnty dctcr-
mincd, but aso its |unction in thc vhoc o|phiosophy rcmains uncarihcd
and undccidcd.
]hs dccIcc, hovcvcr, has itsbasIs in thc inhcrcnt ImIts othc Idca o
a Ihiosophica ^nthropooc Ior it is itsc| not cxprcssy croundcd in thc
csscncc o| Ihiosophy, but is instcad hxcd vth rc|crcncc to thc coa o| phi-
osophy, vhich L initiay composcd supcrhciay, and its possibc point o|
hJ/. |2I 2-2I JI !9
dcparturc. hus thc dctcrmination ol this idca hnally cnds i thc lact that
anthropolocy prcscnts a possblc catchmcnt arca lor thc ccntral philosophical
problcms, a charactcrizationvhosc supcrhciality and philosophical qucstion-
ablcncss|ump out at us.
ut cvcn ilanthropolocy ina ccrtain scnsc cathcrsinto itscllall thc ccntral
problcms ol philosophy. vhy arc thcsc ablc to lcad back to thc qucstion ol
vhat manis^rc thcy only ablc tolcad back tothis qucstion ilsomconc has
thc inspiration to undcrtakc it, or must thcy lcad back to it` Il thcy must do
so, vhcrc docs thc cround lor this ncccssity lic` Icrhaps in thc lact that thc
ccntral problcms olphilosophy comc lorthlromman, pcrhaps notonly in thc
scnsc that man poscs thcm, but rathcr bccausc in thcir inhcrcnt contcnt thcy
rclcrtohim` ut to vhatcxtcntarcallccntral philosophical problcms rcsidcnt
in thc csscncc o human bcincs` In ccncral, thcn, vhich arc thc ccntral
problcms and vhcrc docs thcir ccntcr lic` Vhat docs philosophizinc mcan il
its problcmatic has such a ccntcr vhich is rcsidcnt in thc csscncc ol human
bcincs`
^s lonc as thcsc qucstions arc not unpackcd and dctcrmincd vith rcspcct
tothcirinncrsystcmatics,notcvcn thcinhcrcntlimitsolthcidcaola philoso
phical anthropolocy bccomc disccrnablc. Vithout discussion ol thcsc qucs-
tions, thc basis lorthc dccisivcncss rccardinc thc csscncc, richt, and lunction
ola philosophical anthropolocy vithin philosophyis lackinc.
^cainand acain vc cncountcr attcmpts to ollcra philosophical anthropo-
locyin undcrstandablc arcumcntsand to maintain thc ccntralposition olthis
disciplinc vithout croundinc it in thc csscncc olphilosophy ^cain and acain
thc opponcnts olanthropolocy arc ablc to rclcr back to thc lact that human
bcincsdonotbcloncat thc ccntcrolbcincs, but thatthcrcis a sca olbcincs
aloncsidc" thcm-arc|cction olthc ccntral position olphilosophical anthro
polocy, vhich is no morc philosophical than is alhrminc it.
1hus, a critical considcration ol thc idca ola philosophical anthopolocy
ycldsnotonlyits indctcrminatcncss andits limits, butalsomakcs clcarabovc
all that inccncral thc basis and lramcvork lor a lundamcntal qucstion rccar
dinc its csscncc arc lackinc.
cncc, it vas also hasty, ilonly bccausc Kant rcduccs thc thrcc qucstions
ol authcntic mctaphysics to thc lourth, vhat is man, in ordcr to crasp this
qucstionas anthropolocical and tocarrythclayncolthc cround lormctaphy-
sics ovcr to a philosophical anthropolocy ^nthropolocy docs not cround
mctaphysics, thcrclorc,|ust bccausc it is anthropolocy
ut vas not thc propcr outcomc ol thc Kantian croundlayinc |ust this
cohcrcncc olthcqucstionsconccrnincthc humancsscnccviththc croundinc
3. Ycs |
! J0 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2!J-2!JI
olmctaphysics` Hcncc, must not this cohcrcncc cuidc thc task ola cround-
ayinc, vhich is to bc rctricvcd`
Hovcvcr, thc critiquc olthc idca olphilosophical anthropolocyshovsthat
it is not sulhcicnt simply to posc thc lourth qucstion, vhat is man. Cn thc
contrary, thcindctcrminacyolthis qucstion indicatcsthatinthc cnd, andcvcn
nov, vchavc not yct comc into posscssionolthc dccisivc task olthc Kantian
cround-ayinc.
hJ8. Thc Ducston Conccmng thc Human Lsscncc and
thc Authcntc RcsuIt o[ thc Kantan Cround-Layng
t bccomcs incrcasincly obvious that vc arc not cominc any coscr to thc
propcr outcomc ol thc Kantian cround-ayinc as lonc as vc hold to any
dchnition or to a lormulatcd thcsis. Vc only comc closcr to Kants authcntic
philosophiinc il, vith cvcn morc rcsolvc than prcviously, vc ask not about
vhat Kant says,butinstcad about vhatoccursinhiscroundlayinc. 1hcmorc
oricinal intcrprctation ol thc Ct|t|auc c] Putc Pcasco carricd out abovc takcs
aim ony at cxhibitinc this occurrcncc.
ut vhat has actually rcsutcd lromthc occurrcncc olthc Kantian cround-
aync`Motthatthc transccndcntalpovcrolimacinationisthcprcviouslylaid
cround, not that this cround-layinc bccomcs a qucstion ol thc csscncc ol
human rcason. Rathcr, as a rcsult olunvciinc thc sub|cctivity olthc sub|cct,
ant lalls back lrom thc cround vhich hc himsclhadlaid.
Oocsthislallincbacknotbcloncasvclltothcrcsult`Vhatoccursthcrcin`
Icrhaps an inconsistcncy to vhich Kant should ovn up` ^rc thc lalinc-back
and thc not-coinc-to-thc-cnd |ust somcthinc nccativc` y no mcans. Cn thc
contrary, thcy makc it obvious that vith his cround-layinc, Kant himscll
undcrmincs thc loor upon vhichhcinitialy placcd thc Ct|t|auc 1hc conccpt
olpurc rcason and thc unity ola purc, scnsibc rcason bccomc thc probcm.
nquirincinto thcsub|cctivityolthc sub|cct,thc Sub|cctivc Ocduction, lcads
us into darkncss. 1hcrclorc, Kant docsnot rclcr to his ^nthropolocy, not|ust
bccausc it is cmpirica and not purc, but rathcr bccausc in and throuch thc
cxccution ol thc cround-layinc itscll, thc manncr ol qucstioninc rccardinc
human bcincs bccomcs qucstionablc.
It is not a mattcr olscarchinclorthcansvcr to thc qucstion, vhatis man.
Rathcr, it is hrst ol all a mattcr olaskinc hov, in a layinc ol thc cround lor
mctaphysics in ccncral, vc can and must havc as|cdahcut man cxclusvcly
1hc qucstionablcncss olthc qucstioninc about humanbcincsis thc poblc-
matic vhich is lorccd to licht in thc proccss ol thc Kantian ayinc oI thc
cround lor mctaphysics. Mov it appcars lor thc hrst timc. Kant's lalinc-back
bclorc thc croundvhichhchimsclunvcicd,bclorc thc transccndcntal povcr
hJ8. |2I J-2I cI ! J !
o|imacination, is- |or purposcs o|thc rcscuc o|purc rcason, i. c. , o|holdinc-
|astto thcpropcr|oundation-thatmovcmcnt o|philosophizincvhichmakcs
mani|cst thc brcakinc-opcn o| thc |oundation and thus makcs mani|cst thc
abyss o|mctaphysics.
Cn thc basis o|this outcomc thc oricinal intcrprctation 'Auslcguog o| thc
Kantian cround-layinc, carricd out abovc, hrst acquircs its ustihcation and
thc croundinc o|its ncccssity It is not thc cmpty prcssinca|tcrvhat is morc
oricina , not thc vantinc-to-knov-bcttcr, but just thc task o| |rccinc thc in-
ncrmost drivc o| thc cround-layinc, and vith it its omost probcmatic
vhich cuidcs al thc c||orts o|thc intcrprctation 'lo|crc|a||co| .
I| thc cround-layinc. hovcvcr, pcrhaps docs not push asidc thc qucstion
vhat is man,' but sti docs not obtain a clcar-cut ansvcr to it, i|instcad it
hrstmakcsthc qucstionvisblcinitsqucstionablcncss, hovthcndocsitstand
vith thc |ourth o| Kant's qucstions, to vhich Mc|ap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s, and th
it authcntic philosophizinc, is to bc rcduccd`
Vc vil thus only bc ablc to posc this |ourth qucstion as it should havc
bccn poscd i|vc vork it out as a qucstion on thc basis o|thc undcrstandinc
o|thc outcomc o|thc croundayinc vhich vc havc nov attaincd and i|vc
|orcco a hasty ansvcr.
Itisamattcr o|askinc. Vhycanthc thrccqucstions- ) VhatcanI knov`
|2) Vhat should I do` |J) Vhat may I hopc` -bc rclatcd to" thc |ourth`
Vhy can vc . . . assicn all o| thcsc to Anthropoo"` Vhat is common to
thcsc thrcc qucstions, in vhat rcspcct arc thcy unihcd sothat thcy indccd can
lcad back to a |ourth` ov mustthis |ourth qucstion itscl|bc askcd so that
it can takc up and bcar cach o|thc thrcc qucstions unihcd vithin it`
]hc inncrmost intcrcst o| human rcason unitcs thcsc thrcc qucstions in
itscl|. In it, an ability, a duty, and an allovinc |to hopc|
o|human rcason
stand in qucstion.
Vhcrc an abiity is qucstionablc an vants to bc dclimitcd in tcrms o| its
possibilitics, it arcady paccs itsc| vithin a disability '|oc|ocm N|c||-ooco .
An al-povcr|ul cntity nccd not ask Vhat can I do, i. c. , Vhat can I not do` It
not ony docs not havc to so ask, but accordinc to its csscncc it cannot posc
thisqucstion at all. ]his disability, hovcvcr, isno dchcicncy itis rathcrvhatis
untouchcd in cvcry dchcicncy and not." Vhosocvcr asks. Vhat can I do`
bctrays thcrcby ahnitudc. Vhosocvcr comcsvholly to bc movcdbyhisincr-
mostintcrcst in thisqucstion rcvcas a hnitudc in thc dcpthso|his csscncc.
Vhcrc a duty is qucstionablc, thc qucstioninc crcaturc hovcrs bctvccn
ycs" and no" and vorrics about vhat it should not do. A crcaturc that is
|undamcntally intcrcstcd in a duty knovs itscl| in a not-yct-havinc-|uhcd,
so thatvhat indccdit should do bccomcs qucstionablc to it. ]hisnot-yct o|
a |uhllinc, vhichis itscl|still undctcrmincd, civcs us a cuc that a crcaturc
vhosc inncrmost intcrcst is vith a duty is |undamcntay hnitc.
Vhcrc an alloinc |tohopc bccomcs qucstionablc, itriscsup invhat hs
!J2 Kaht ahd thc FmbIcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2 I -2I Bl
bccn conccdcd or in vhat rcmains dcnicd to thc qucstioncr. Vhat is askcd
aboutisvhatcanbc placcdin thc cxpcctationandvhatcannot. Allcxpcctinc,
hovcvcr, nccds a privation. l this nccdincss cvcn ariscs in thc inncrmost
intcrcst ol human rcason, thcn it attcsts to that rcason as onc vhich is csscn-
tially hnitc.
uthumanrcasondocs not|ustdiscloschnitudcin thcsc qucstions, rathcr,
its inncrmost intcrcst is vith hnitudc itscll. Ior this rcason, it is not a mattcr
ol doinc avay vith thc ability, duty, and allovinc |to hopc| , in this vay to
cxtincuish hnitudc, but rathcrthc rcvcrsc. It isprcciscly a qucstionolbccom-
inc ccrtain olthis hnitudc in ordcr to hold oncscllin it.
Accordincly, hnitudc docs not dcpcnd simply upon purc human rcason,
but instcad its hnitudc is pcrishinc \ctcodl|c|uog| . i . c , arc" about thc
potcntiality-to-bc-hnitc.' '
rom this it lollovs that human rcason isnot nitc|ustbccausc it poscs
thc thrcc qucstions citcd abovc, but thc rcvcrsc. it poscs thcsc qucstions
bccausc it is hnitc, indccd it is so hnitc that in its cinc-rational this hnitudc
itscll is at issuc. ccausc thcsc thrcc qucstions ask about this onc |problcm ,
hnitudc, thcylct thcmsclvcsbcrclatcd" tothclourthVhatisahumanbcinc`
hc thrcc qucstions, hovcvcr, do not simply allovthcmsclvcs to bc rclatcd
to thc lourth. Rathcr, in thcmsclvcs thcy arc in ccncral no dillcrcnt lrom it,
i. c. ,accordinctothcircsscnccthcymustbcrclatcdtoit. Hovcvcr,thisrclation
is thcn a morc csscntially ncccssary onc only ilthc lourth qucstion abandons
itsintimatclycivcn ccncralityand indctcrminacy andattainsanuncquivocality
so that in it vc can ask about thc hnitudc in human bcincs.
As such a qucstion, hovcvcr, it is not lccitimatcly|ust subordinatc to thc
hrst thrcc. Rathcr, it is translormcd into thc hrst, vhich thcn discharccs thc
rcmaininc thrcc lrom itscl
ut vith this outcomc, in spitc ol all thc dctcrmnacy ol thc qucstion
rccardinc human bcincs, and cvcn bccausc ol it, thc problcm containcd in
this qucstion is honcd lor thc hrst timc. As a qucstion about human bcincs,
it bccomcs qucstionablc vhat kind ol qucstion this qucstion is, vhcthcr in
ccncral it can bc anothcr anthropolocical qucstion. 1hus thc outcomc olthc
Kantiancround-layincnov makcs itacutclyclcarlorthc hrst timc that amorc
oricinal possibility ol rctricval has bccomc visiblc in it.
1hc layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics is croundcd in thc qucstion
conccrnincthc hnitudcinhumanbcincs, so that indccd thishnitudc cannov
bccomc a problcm lor thc hrst timc. ]hc layincolthc cround lormctaphysics
L a discntanclinc" |analytic) olour knovlcdcc, i . c. , olhnitc knovcdcc nto
its clcmcnts. Kant calls it a study ol our inncr naturc. " ut this study,
hovcvcr, is not |ust an arbitrary, dircctionlcss qucstioninc about human bc-
2d". A 70J, 7J!
hJ. l2I8-2I I !J
incs. athcr, to thc philosophcr . . . |it| cvcn bccomcs| a duty"" i lthc
problcmatic vhich csscntially cuidcs it is craspcd vith sulhcicnt orIcinality
and comprchcnsivcncssand illrom that thc inncr naturc" olour" sclas thc
hnitudc in human bcincs is madc into a probcm.
Ihilosophica^nthropolocy" mayindccd producc such divcrscand csscn-
tialknovlcdcc abouthumanbcincs,yctlorjustthatrcasonitcanncvcrrichty
claim tbc a lundamcntal disciplinc olphiosophybccausc it isanthropooc
Cn thc contrary. it conccals in itscllthc constant danccr that thc ncccssity ol
dcvclopinc thc qucstion conccrninc human bcincs hrst and lorcmost as a
qucstion, vith a vicv tovard a layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics, vIl
rcmain conccalcd.
^ll thc samc, that and hov Ihilosophical ^nthropoocy"-apart lromthc
problcm ol ayinc thc croundlor mctaphysicsprcscnts a particuar kind ol
task, cannot bc discusscd hcrc.
. 1HL FRILM I IINI1IDL IN HIMAN LlNCS AND
1HE ML1AFHYSICS I DASLIN
]hc prcscnt intcrprctation olthc Ct|t|aucc] PutcPcco has bccnundcrta-
kcn in ordcr to brinc to licht this lundamcnta problcm olthc ncccssity ol
thc qucstion conccrninc thc hnitudc in human bcincs lor thc purposc ol a
layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics. ^ccordinc hnitudc also had to bc
rccallcdinadvanccatthcstartolthcintcrprctationandthcnconstantlydurinc
its cxccution. Ilin his cround-layinc Kant undcrmincs thc prcvously cstab-
ishcd loundationvhich undcrlics it, thcn that nov mcans. vhat vas sinclcd
out at thc bccinninc ol thc intcrprctation as Kant's unspokcn prcsuppo-
sitions,"'"'thccsscnccolknovlcdccands hnitudc,havcattaincdthc charac-
tcr oldccisivc problcms. Iinitudc and thc pcculiarity ol thc qucstion conccr-
ninc it hrst dccidc lrom thc cround up thc inncr lorm ol a ]ransccndcntal
^nalytic" othc sub|cctivity olthc sub| cct.
hJ9. Thc Prob|cm o[ a Possb|c Dctcrmnaton o[ Fntudc n Human 8cngs
Hov arc vc to ask about hnitudc in human bcincs` Is this in ccncra a
scrious problcm` Isnot thc hnitudc olhumanbcincs cvidcnt cvcryvhcrc and
alvays in a thousand dillcrcnt vays`
2d. Ibid. |Lllipscs addcd in thc th cdtion-tr.
2d7. Scc abovc, Far! 2, p 3.
! Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2!9-22 ! l
]hus, in ordcr to dcsicnatc thc hnitc in human bcincs it micht sulhcc to
citc any olour impcrlcctions. In this vay, vc cain, at bcst, cvidcncc lor thc
lact that thc human bcinc is a hnitc crcaturc. Hovcvcr, vc lcarn ncithcr
vhcrcin thc csscncc ol his hnitudc cxists, nor cvcn hov this hnitudc com-
pctcy dctcrmincs thc human bcinc lrom thc cround up as thc bcinc it is.
Lvcn ilvc coud succccdinaddincupthcsum olallhuman impcrlcctions
and in abstractinc" vhat is common to thcm, vc vould crasp nothincolthc
csscncc ol hnitudc bccausc it rcmains qucstionablc in advancc vhcthcr thc
impcrlcctions ol man in ccncral alov his impcrlcctions to bc sccn immc-
diatcy, or vhcthcr on thc contrarythcy arc not rcmotc, lacticalconscqucnccs
olthc csscncc olhis hnitudc and hcncc onlybccomc undcrstandablc throuch
it. ^nd cvcn il thc impossiblc vcrc possiblc, cvcn il a cinc-crcatcd ol man
'c|oCcsc|a]]cosc|odcsMosc|co couldbc rationay provcn, thcn by mcans ol
thc charactcrization olmanasancostcatumvcvouldonyprovconccmorc
thc lactolhis hnitudc,voudnot cxhibititscsscncc, andvouldnot dctcrminc
this csscncc to bc thc basic constitution ol thc cinc ol man. So it is, thcn,
that it is not at a sclcvidcnthov thc qucstion olthc hnitudc in man-thc
most cvcryday manilcstation ol his csscncc-is in ccncral to bc hxcd. 1hc
prcccdinc invcstication only yicldcd this onc point| . thc prcscnt qucstion
conccrninc hnitudc in human bcincs is no random cxplorinc olhuman qual-
itics. Cn thc contrary, it ariscs in thc coursc ol thc task ol tc layinc olthc
cround lor mctaphysics. / a lundamcntal qucstion, it is dcmandcd by this
task itscll. Conscqucntly, thc problcmatic ol thc layinc ol thc cround lor
mctaphysics must in itscll ollcr cuidancc conccrninc thc dircction in vhich
thc qucstion ol thc hnitudc olhuman bcincs has to movc.
utilthctaskolthclayincolthccroundlormctaphysicsallovslora morc
oricina rctricva, thcn by mcans ol this thc csscntia conncctcdncss ol thc
problcm ol cround-ayinc and thc qucstion vhich lcd lrom it conccrninc thc
hnitudc inhuman bcincs must comc to licht morc clcarly and morc prcciscl
]hc Kantian layincolthccroundlormctaphysicsbccan vith thc croundinc
olvhat undcricsauthcnticmctaphysics, or Mctap|,s|ca5pcL|al|s -bccanvith
thc croundinc ol Mctap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s ]his, hovcvcr-as ontolocy" -is
alrcady thc lorm vhich has bccn consolidatcd into a disciplinc, thc lorm ol
vhat, in^ntiquityandhnallyvith^ristotlc, rcmainscstablishcdasaproblcm
olthc pm1 ooooo. olauthcntic philosophizinc. ]hc qucstion conccrn-
inc thc v n V or thc bcinc as such), hovcvcr, is maintaincd thcrc in an
admittcdly obscurc conncction to thc qucstion conccrninc bcincs as a vholc
|miov) .
]hc titlc Mctaphysics" dcnotcs a conccption olthc probcm in vhichboth
basic dircctions pcrtaininc to thc qucstion conccrninc thc bcinc, and at thc
3. thc
h10. |22I -222I ! JJ
samc timc itspossiblcunitarc qucstionablc. I nthisconncction,vcvillacain
lcarn vhcthcr thc tvo dircctions lor thc qucstioninc in ccncral, prcviously
citcd, |inlact| cxhaust thc vholc olthc problcmatic ola lundamcntal knovl
cdcc olthc bcinc.
ut ilthc qucstion conccrninc thc hnitudc inhumanbcincs is to bc dctcr-
mincd on thc basis ola morc oricinal rctricval olthc layinc olthc croundlor
mctaphysics, thcn thc Kantian qucstion itscll must bc turncd avay lrom an
oricntation to thc hxcd disciplinc and systcmatic ol Scholastic mctaphysics
and must bc translcrrcd to thc lrcc hcld olthc particular problcmatic. ^t thc
samc timc, thcrcin lics thc rcason that thc ^ristotclian vay ol posinc thc
qucstion likcvisc cannot bc adoptcd as somcthinc hnishcd.
Vith thc 1 1 v. thc qucstion conccrninc thc bcinc has indccd bccn
poscd. ovcvcr, to posc a qucstion docs not yct mcan to takc hold ol thc
problcmati vhich lics vithin it and to vork it out. 1hc cxtcnt to vhich thc
problcm olmctaphysics still rcmains vcilcdin thc qucstion1 1 v allovs us
torccocncinit, hrst, that nothncvhatcvcrhasbccncut lrom this qucston
and, sccond, hov, to thc cxtcnt that it is to bc craspcd as a problcm, thc
problcm ol hnitudc in human bcincs is includcd in it Still lcss can vc cain
a dircction lor it mcrcly by cxprcssinc and cchoinc thc qucstion ol hov vc
may ask about thc hnitudc in human bcincs. Rctricval olthc problcm olthc
layinc ol thc cround lor Mctap|,s|ca Ccnctal|s thus docs not mcan cchoinc
thcqucstion olvhat thc bcinc as such michtbc. 1hc rctricval must dcvclop
this qucstion, vhich vc call thc Cucstion ol cinc lor short, as a problcm.
1hisdcvclopmcnthastoshovthc cxtcnttovhich thcproblcmolthchnitudc
inhumanbcincsand thc invcstications itprcscribcsncccssarilybclonc to thc
mastcrinc ol thc Cucstion ol cinc. Statcd basically thc csscntial conncction
bctvccncincassuch |not thc bcinc) and thchnitudc inhumanbcincsmust
bc broucht to licht.
h1. Thc Drgnal Workng-Dut o| thc Ducston o| 8cng as thc Way to
thc Problcm o| Fntudc n Human 8cngs
1hc lundamcntal qucstion olthc ancicnt \ouLoI conccrninc bcincs
in ccncral conccrninc thc Loc about thc tmc) vas built upand that is
thc inncr dcvclopmcnt ol mctaphysics lrom its bccinninc to thc timc ol
^ristotlc-lrom thcindctcrminacy andlullncss olitsinitialunivcrsality to thc
2dd. Scc ^rlstotc, PhVsics, C , 20Jb I ". Morcovcr, in |hc Cri|iquc o| Purc Rcuson |^ d",
d7J) Kant spcaks o| thc "Fhyslology o| Furc Rcason.
b. Scc SS !9J0 lOc An|uny Jcr ubcnJnJischtn Phi|osochic, C^, vo. J"].
! Kant and thc FrobIcm ol Mctaphysics ' 222-22J|
dctcrminacy olboth dircctions olqucstioninc vhich, accordinc toArstotlc,
constitutc authcntic philosophizinc.
Asobscurcasthcirconncctionalsorcmains,stillinoncrcspcctitispossiblc
to cstablish anordcr olprcccdcncc bctvccn thcm. Ilthc qucstion conccinc
thc bcinc as a vholc and in its principlc disions alrcady prcsupposcs a
ccrtain craspinc olvhat thc bcnc is as such thcn thc qucstion olthc v n
v must takc prcccdcncc ovcr thc qucstion ol thc bcinc as a vholc. ]hc
qucstion ol vhat thc bcinc in ccncral and as such is, is thc hrst onc in thc
ordcr ol thc possiblc pursuit ol a lundamcntal knovlcdcc olthc bcinc as a
vholc. Vhcthcr this priority also lalls to it in thc ordcrinc ol thc dccisivc
scll-croundinc olmctaphysics, hovcvcr, is a qucstion that vc can only mcn-
tion hcrc.
ut isnot thc ccncralqucstion 1 v so indctcrminatc that in ccncral it
is no lonccraskcd, and itdcnics usany cluc as to vhcrcand hov an ansvcr
to it is to bc soucht`
Inthc qucstion astovhat thc bcinc as such micht bc, vc havc askcdvhat
ccncrally dctcrmincs thc bcinc as a bcinc. Vc call it thc cinc ol thc bcinc,
and vc call thc qucstion conccrncd vith it thc Cucstion ol cinc. It asks
aboutvhat dctcrmincs thcbcincassuch. ]his dctcrminincshouldbc knovn
in thc Hov ol its dctcrmininc, it should bc intcrprctcd, i . c. , it should bc
craspcd, as such and such. In ordcr to bc ablc to crasp thc csscntial dctcmi-
nacy ol thc bcinc throuch cinc, hovcvcr, thc dctcrmininc itscll must bc
sulhcicntly comprchcnsiblc, 8c|og as suc|, and not thc bcinc as such, must
hrst bc craspcd. ]hus in thc qucstion 1 1 v |Vhat is thc bcinc` lics thc
morc oricinal qucstion. w|at dccs 8c|og mcao, w||c| |s altcad, uodctstccd |o
advaocc |o cvc aucst|co`
Ilthc qucstion1 T v isalrcady incomprchcnsiblc cnouch,hov thcncan
onc morc oricinal and indccdmorc abstract" allovaconcrctcproblcmatic to
sprinclorth`
Inordcrtovcrily thatsucha |concrctc problcmatic| prcscntsitscll,hovcvcr,
a rclcrcncc o somcthinc in ancicnt philosophy vhich has bccn acccptcd as
all too scll-cvdcnt vill sulhcc. Vc dctcrminc and intcrrocatc vith rclcrcncc
to its vhat-cinc |1 o1v) thc bcinc vhich is manilcst to us in cvcry typc ol
rclationship |vchavc| toit.Ihilosophycallsthisvhat-cinccsscot|a|csscncc.
It makcs a bcinc possiblc in that vhich it is. ]hcrclorc, thc dcsicnation
pcss|h|l||as|inncr possibility) also stands lorthc thincncss ola thinc |tcal|tas)
]hc appcarinc |sooc) ola bcinc civcs thc samc inlormation |in rcsponsc| to
thc qucstion olvhat it is. ]hc vhat-cincolthcbcincisthcrclorc callcdIo.
]o cvcry bcinc thc qucstion thcn ariscs, or it has alvays alrcady bccn
ansvcrcd, vhcthcrit -thcbcincvith thisdctcrminatcvhat-cinc-michtbc,
or rathcr micht not bc. Hcncc, vc also dctcrminc thcbcinc accordinc toits
that-cinc
,
|1 to1v) q vhich philosophy is accustomcd to cxprcssinctcr
minolocically as cx|stcot|a |actuality.
h10. j22J-22JI ! J7
1o cvcry bcinc, thcn, thcrc is" vhat-cinc and thatcinc, cssco||a and
cx|s|co||a,possibility and actuality. Oocscinc" mcanthcsamcthinchcrc in
bothcxprcssions| `Ilnot,hovisitthatthc cincinvhat-cincandthatcinc
has bccn split` Is thcrc this all too scll-cvidcnt dillcrcncc and cx-
-vhich vas snatchcd up, just as thcrc arc docs and also cats, or is
thcrc a probcm avaitinc us hcrc vhich hnally must bc poscd and vhich
obviously cao only bc poscd jw|a| |s as|cd ahcu| hcccmcs w|a| |s 8c|ogas
suc|`
Vithouta vorkinc-out olthis qucstion, arcvcnot lackincany horizon lor
thc attcmpt to dchnc" thc csscntiality ol thc csscncc and to cxplain" thc
actuality ol thc actual`
^ndisnot thcmcanincolcincastruc-cinc,vhich plainlycomcstolicht
in cvcy is" olcvcrypropositionvhcthcr cxprcsscd oruncxprcsscd |butnot
just thcrc), at thc samc timc alvays intcrtvincd vith thc prcviously citcd
aticulation ol thc cinc in vhatcinc and that-cinc, vhich vas obscurc
ith rccard to thc cround olits possibility and thc typc olits ncccssity`
"
Is not vhat lics containcd in thc problcm vord cinc" alrcady morc than
sulhcicnt and all too important` Is it pcrmissiblc any lonccr to abidc by thc
indctcrminacy ol thc Cucstion ol cinc, or must vc cvcn risk a still morc
oricinal stcp toard thc vorkincout ol this qucstion`
Hov is thc qucstion Vhat docs cinc mcan` to hnd its ansvcr il it
rcmains obscurc as to lrom vhcncc in ccncral vc can comc to cxpcct this
ansvcr Must vc not hrst ask. Irom vhcncc inccncral do vc layhold olthc
point ol vicv lrom vhich to dctcrminc cinc as such and thus to vin a
conccpt ol cinc lrom out olvhich thc possibility and thc ncccssity ol thc
csscntial articuation ol cinc bccomcs undcrstandablc` Hcncc thc qucstion
olIirst Ihilosophy," namcly
ol comprchcndinc
vhat all olusashuman bcincs alrcady and pcrmancntly undcrstand. Iorits
part, thc Cucstion ol cinc as a qucstion conccrninc thc possibility ol thc
conccpt ol cinc, sprincs lorth lrom thc prcconccptual undcrstandinc ol
cinc. 1hus thc qucstion conccrninc thc possibility olthc conccpt olcinc
oncc acain drivcn back a stcp to thc qucstion conccrninc thc csscncc ol
thc undcrstandinc olcinc in ccncral. 1hc task olthc layinc olthc cround
lor mctaphysics, craspcd in a morc oricinal vay, is thcrclorc translormcd int
thc clucidation ol thc inncr possibility lor thc undcrstandinc ol cinc. ]hc
vorkinc-out olthc Cucstion ol cinc so conccivcd brincs about lor thc rst
timc thc dccision as to vhcthcr and in vhat vay thc problcm ol cinc by
itscll shovs an inncr rclation to nitudc in human bcincs.
h1! . Thc Undcrstandng o| 8cng and Dascn n Human 8cngs
]hat vc human bcincs comport oursclvcs tovard bcincs is obvious Iaccd
vith thc task olrcprcscntincbcincs, vccanalvaysspccilyanybcinc. abcinc
vhich is not likc us and vhich is also not our cqual, a bcinc vhich is likc
vc oursclvcs arc, and a bcincvhich isnot likc usbut vhich ncvcrthclcss, as
a scll, is our cqual. ]hc bcinc is knovn to us-but cinc` ^rc vc not scizcd
vIth vcrtico vhcn vc |try tol dctcrminc such a thinc, cvcn il vc should
comprchcnd it propcrly` s cinc thcn not somcthinc ikc thc Mothnc |
a. condl!iona possibllty
b. compctcy rcvcrtlbc, ln thc scnsc o| thc transccndcnta poslnv o| thc qucstion
h1I . |22c-228I !J9
N|c|ts n lact, no css a pcrson than Hccc said. Iurc cinc and purc
othinc arc thus thc samc.
29
Vith thc qucstion conccinc cincas such, vc arc poiscd on thc brink ol
complctc obscurity ct it is vorthvhilc not to cvadc this prcmaturcly, but to
brinc thc lul pcculiarity ol thc undcrstandinc ol cinc closcr to us. Ior as
impcnctrablc asthc obscurity isvhichshroudscincand its mcaninc, stiit
rcmains ccrtain that, at all timcs and in thc cntirc hcd ol thc opcnncss ol
bcincs, vc undcrstand vhat cinc is in ordcr to conccrn ourscvcs vith thc
vhat-cinc and thc so-cinc olbcincs, inordcrto cxpcricncc and disputc thc
that-cinc, in ordcr to dccidc about thc truc-cinc ' wa|sc|ol ol thc bcinc,
and in ordcr to mistakc it. n cvcry cxprcssinc ola proposition, c.c. , today
is a holiday, vc undcrstand thc is," and cqualyvhat cincis.
In thc cry Iirc" |vc undcrstand| thc lollovinc. Iirc has brokcn out,
hclp is nccdcd, hc vho can savc himscl-vho can brinc his ovn cinc to
salctyshoud do so " ut at thc samc timc, ilvc do not cxprcss oursclvcs
in particular about thc bcinc and ilinstcad vc rclatc to it silcntly, vc undcr-
standitscharactcristicsolvhat-cinc,that-cinc,andtruc-cinc,vhichlunc-
tionvithoncanothcr, althouch in a vcilcdvay
Vith cvcry mood vhcrcin somcthinc is this vay or that," our cinc-thcrc
|Da-sc|o bccomcs manilcst to us. Vc thusundcrstand cinc, andyctvclack
thc conccpt. or all its constancy and brcadth, this prcconccptua undcr-
standinc olcincis lor thc most part compctcly indctcrminatc. 1hc spccihc
anncr ol cinc, c. c. , ol matcrial thincs, ol plants, animals, human bcincs,
numbcrs, is knovn to us, but this knovlcdcc is unrccocnicd lorvhat it is
urthcrmorc. thc cinc olthc bcinc, vhich is undcrstood prcconccptually in
its lu brcadth, constancy, and indctcrminac is civcn as somcthinc com-
pctclybcyondqucstion. cinc '5c|o as such comcs into qucstion so scdom
that it appcarsas ilthcrc is" nothinc olthc sort.
]hcundcrstandincolcinc,vhichvchavcconcisclyskctchcdout,rcmains
on thc undisturbcd and salc lcvcl ol thc purcst scll-cvidcntncss. And yct, j
t|cuodcstaod|ogc]8c|ogd|doctcccumancouldncvcrbcasthcbcincvhich
hc is, and this vould bc so rccardcss olthc vondcrlu lacutics vith vhich
humanbcincshavc bccn cquippcd. Morcovcr, an is a bcinc inthc midst ol
bcincsinsuchavay thatlormanthcbcincvhichhc ishimsclandthcbcinc
vhichhc is not arc alvays alrcady manilcst. Vc call this modc ol thc cinc
olhumanbcincscxistcncc.
|
n ordcr to allov thc bcinc to bc vhat
and as it is, hovcvcr, thc cxistinc bcinc
must alrcady havc pro|cctcd that
it is a bcinc on thc strcncth ol vhat has bccn cncountcrcd. Lxistcncc mcans
dcpcndcncy upon thc bcinc as such n thc submittancc to thc bcnc as such
vhich is dcpcndcnt in this vay
As a modc ol cinc, cxistcncc is in itscll hnitudc,
|
Mctcct|g|oalt|aomao|st|co|tudcc]
t|clasc|o|o||m.
]hc vorkinc-out ol thc basic qucstion ol Mctap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s, thc T T
V, has bccn throvn back upon thc morc oricinal idca conccrnincthc inncr
csscncc ol thc undcrstandinc ol cinc, vhich hrst and lorcmost sustains,
drivcs, and dirccts thc cxplicit qucstioninc conccrninc thc conccpt ol cinc.
b. Mothinvncss o| thc Norhiuy lNichtiy|citJc: Nichtcu:
C. and thus as thc csscucc o| this "1uituJc"
d. ck -sIs tcnt
h1I . |22-2J0I ! !
Vc strovc |or thc morc orIcInal apprchcnsIon o| thc basIc problcm o| mcta-
physIcs,hovcvcrvIth thc IntcntIono|makIncvsIblcthcconncctIonbctvccn
thc problcm o| cround-layInc and thc qucstIon conccmInc thc hnItudc In
human bcIncs. Mov It appcars. vc do not cvcn nccd hrst to ask about a
rclatIonshIp bctvccn thc undcrstandInc o| cInc and thc hnItudc In human
bcIncs, that It Itscl||s thc Inncost csscncc o|hnItudc. VIth that, hovcvcr,
vc havc attaIncd thc vcry conccpt o| hnItudc vhIch Is takcn as thc basIs |or
a problcmatIc o| thc layInc o| thc cround |or mctaphysIcs. | thIs cround-
layInc Is bascd on thc qucstIon o|vhat thc human bcInc should bc thcn thc
qucstIonablc naturc o|thIs qucstIon at a hrst lcvcl Isnov rcmovcd, I . c. , |rom
nov on thc qucstIon conccrnInc thc human bcInc has attaIncd dctcrmInacy
|man Is onlyman co||cgrcaodsc]||cDasc|o|o||m, thcn In prIncIplc thc
qucstIon as to vhat Is morc orIcInal than man cannot bc anthropolocIcal. ^ll
anthropoloccvcn IhIlosophIcal^nthropolocy hasalrcadyassumcdthatman
Is man.
]hc problcm o| thc laylnc o| thc cround |or mctaphysIcs Is rootcd In thc
qucstIonconccrnIncthc OascInInman, I. c. , conccmInchIsInncostcround
conccrnInc thc undcrstandInc o| cInc as csscntIally cxIstcnt hnItudc. ]hIs
qucstIon about OascIn asks vhat thc csscncc o| thc bcIn dctcIncd In thIs
vay Is. nso|ar as Its csscncc lIcs In cxIstcncc, thc qucstIon conccmInc thc
csscncc o| OascIn Is thc cxIstcntIal qucstIon. Lvcry qucstIon conccmInc thc
cInc o|a bcInc hovcvcr and cvcn thc qucstIon conccrnInc thc cInco|that
bcIncto thc constItutIono|vhosccInchnItudc as thcundcrstandInco|cInc
bcloncs, Is mctaphysIcs.
Hcncc thc layInc o| thc cround |or mctaphysIcs Is croundcd In a mcta-
phsIcs o| OascIn. s It astonIshInc, thcn, that a laync o| thc cround |or
mctaphysIcs at thc vcry lcast must Itscl|bc mctaphysIcs, and Indccd a prccm
Incnt onc`
Kant InvhoscphIlosophIzIncthcproblcmo|thc possIbIlItyo|mctaphysIcs
vas avakc to a dccrcc |ound In nonc bc|orc ora|tcr hIm must havc undcr-
stood alltoo lIttlc o|hIsInncrmostIntcntIonI|thIsconncctIondId notappcar
to hIm. Hc dIdspcak outIn thc brlchtncss andtranquIlItyvhIch thc complc-
tIon o|thc Cr|||aacc] ParcPcascoImmcdIatclybcstovcd on hIm. n ! 7B ! , hc
vrotc to hIs |rIcnd and dIscIplc Markus Hcr about thIs vork ]hIs kInd o|
InvcstIcatIon vIll alvays rcmaIn dI|hcult |or It IscquIvalcnt tothc Mctaphy-
sIcs o|MctaphysIcs . . . .
"VI
]hIsrcmark dccIsIvclyputs to rcst anyattcmpt to scarch, cvcn partIally, |or
a thcory o| knovlcdcc" In thc Cr|||aac c] Parc Pcasco. ^t thc samc tImc,
hovcvcr, It also oblIccsanyrctrIcval o|a layInc o|thc cround|ormctaphysIcs
29! . Wcrkc,vo. IX, p. !9B.
c. Da-scin, no| bclnv ln |hc ontic scnsc
!2 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 2J0-2J2l
to makc up its mind about this Mctaphysics ol Mctaphysics" to thc cxtcnt
that it is ablc to pacc itscll on soid lootinc, salccuardinc a possibc cousc
lor thc happcninc ol thc croundlayinc.
C. 1HE ME1AFHYSICS I DASEIN
AS IINDAMEN1AI N1ICY
Moanthropolocyvhichundcrstandsits ovnparticuarqucstionincandthc
prcsuppositions thcrcol can cvcn claim to dcvclop thc problcm ola layinc ol
thc croundlormctaphysics, lctalonccarryit out. ]hc ncccssaqucstionlor
a layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics, namcly, that ol vhat man is, is takcn
ovcr by thc mctaphysics olOascin.
]hccxprcssionisambicuousinapositivcscnsc. ]hcMctaphysicsolOscin
L not |ust mctaphysics about Oascin, but is thc mctaphysics vhich occurs
ncccssariy as lasc|o ut lor that rcason it can ncvcr bccomc mctaphysics
about" Oascin, as lor cxamplc zoolocy is about animals. ]hc Mctaphysics
Oascin is no hxcd and rcady-lorusc orcanon" at all. It must alvays bc built
up ancv amid thc translormation olits idca in thc vorkincout ol thc possi-
bility olmctaphysics.
Itslatc rcmainsboundtothcconccalincoccurrincolmctaphysicsinOascin
itscll, by virtuc ol vhich man hrst numbcrs or lorccts thc days and hours,
ycars and ccnturics hc has dcvotcd to his cndcavors.
]hc rcquircmcnts intrinsic to a MctaphysicsolOascin and thc dilhculty ol
its dctcrmination havc bccn sulhcicntly dcmonstratcd by thc Kantian cllort.
Its most authcntic, corrcctly undcrstood outcomc, hovcvcr, lics prcciscly in
thc unvcilinc ol thc conncctcdncssvhichcxistsbctvccn thc qucstion conccr-
ninc thc possibility ol ontolocical synthcsis and that ol thc unvcilinc ol thc
hnitudc in human bcincs, i c. , inthc dcmand lor a rc|cction conccrnnchov
a Mctaphysics ol Oascin is to bc concrctcly rcalizcd.
h1Z. Thc Idca o| a FundamcntaI DntoIog
In thc posinc olits task, in thc point oldcparturc, coursc, and coal olthc
carryincthrouch ol this task, thc layinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics must
havc bccn cuidcd solcly and vith constant intcnsity by thc lundamcntal
qucstion ol thc layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics.' ]his lundamcntal
qucstion is thc problcm olthcinncr possibility olthc undcrstandinc olcinc,
h12. |2J2-2JJI !J
lrom out olvhich all cxplicit qucstions conccrninc cinc should bcablc to
crov. 1hc Mctaphysics ol Oascin, cuidcd by thc qucstion ol cround-layinc,
should unvcil thc constitution olthc cinc ol ' lasc|o| insucha vay that this
bccomcs visiblc as thc inncr makincpossiblc ol thc undcrstandinc olcinc.
1hcunvcilincolthcconstitutionolthc cincolOascinis Cntoocy Insolar
asthc croundlorthcpossibilityolmctaphysics is lound thcrcin-thc hnitudc
olOascinas its lundamcnt it iscallcd Iundamcntal Cntolocy ockcd upin
thccontcnt olthis titc is thc problcm olhnitudc inhumanbcincs,vhichis
dccisivc lor purposcs ol makinc thc undcrstandinc olcincpossibc.
Iundamcnta Cntolocy, hovcvcr, is only thc hrst lcvcl olthc Mctaphysics
olOascin. Vhat bcloncs to this | Mctaphysics olOascin as a vhoc, and hov
lromtimctotimcitisrootcdhistoricallyinlacticalOascincannotbcdiscusscd
hcrc. ovthc onytask is to carily thc idca olIundamcntal Cntolocy vhich
cuidcd thc abovc intcrprctation ol thc Ct|||aac c] Patc Pcasco. Iurthcrmorc,
thc charactcrization ol Iundamcntal Cntolocy should bc civcn only in its
distinctivc lcaturcs, lnordcr to shov oncc morc thc simplc scqucncc olstcps
byvhicha prcvious attcmpt at thc carryinc-throuch olthis idca movcd.
1hcconstitution olthccincolcvcrybcinc, and thatolOascin in aspccial
scnsc, onybccomcsacccssiblcto thc undcrstandinc insolar as it |thc undcr
standinc has thc charactcrolprocction 'Lo|wa| ccausc thc undcrstand-
inc-and Iundamcnta Cntoocy shovs us prcciscly this-is not|ust a typc
ol knovinc, but on thc contrary is primarlly a basic momcnt ol cxistinc in
ccncral,thcnthccxpicitcxccutionolthcprocctinc,andcvcnvhatiscraspcd
in thc ontolocical, must ncccssariy bc construction.
ut construction hcrc docs not mcan lrcc-lloatinc thinkinc-out ol somc
thinc. It is instcad a procctinc invhich thc prciminary cuidancc as vcll as
thc takinc-oll ol thc pro|cction 'dctAhsptaogdcs Lo|wat]s| must bc prcdc-
tcrmincd and protcctcd. Oascinshould bc construcd in its hnitudc, namc
vth a vicv tovard thc intrinsic makinc-possibc ol thc undcrstandinc ol
cinc. ^ny lundamcnta-ontolocical construction asscrts its truth in vhat its
procction allovs to bc sccn, i . c. , in hov it brincs Oascin to its manilcstncss
and cts its inncr mctaphysics bc-thcrc 'da-sc|o|
1hc lundamcntal-ontolocica construction is distincuishcd by thc lact that
it should cxposc thc inncr possibiity olsomcthinc vhich, prcciscly as vhat
is bcst knovn, thorouchly mastcrs all Oascin, but vhich, ncvcrthccss, is
indctcrminatc and cvcn much too scllcvidcnt. 1his construction canbc un-
dcrstood as Oascins assault upon thc primal mctaphysical lactum in it, an
assaut vhich ariscs lrom vithin Oascinitscll.1hislactum consistsinthc lact
that vhat ismost hnitc in its hnitudc is indccd knovn, butncvcrthclcss has
not bccn craspcd.
1hc hnitudc olOascin-thc undcrstandincolcinc-l|cs|o]ctgcjalocss
292.Scc 8cinynJ imc.
! Kant and thc FrobIcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2JJ-2Jl
]his lorcctluncss| isnothincaccidcntalandtcmporabutonthccontrary
is ncccssariy and constanty lormcd. ^ll lundamcntalontolocical construc-
tions vhich takc aim at thc unvcilinc ol thc inncr possibility olthc undcr
standincolcinc must, in pro|cctinc, vrcst thc lorcctlulncssavay lrom vhat
is apprchcndcd in thc pro|cction.
]hc basic lundamcntal-ontolocical act olthc Mctaphysics ol Oascin as
thc layinc olthc croundlormctaphysics ishcncc a rcmcmbcrinc acain.
]ruc rcmcmbcrinc, hovcvcr, must atall timcs intcrioric vhat isrcmcm
bcrcd, i . c. , ctitacain comc closcr and closcr initsinncrmost possibilityVith
rccard to thc carryinc-throuch ol a Iundamcntal Cntolocy, this mcans. it
placcs its main cllort on thc uniquc and constant cuidancc ol thc ucstion
ol cinc, vhich isallovcd to bccomc morc cllcctivc vithout bcinc impaircd,
in ordcr to kccp thc cxistcntial anaytic olOascin, vhichvas dclivcrcdupby
it, on thc richt path.
h1J. Thc Inccpton and thc Coursc o[ FundamcntaI DntoIog''
]hc Oascininman dctcrmincs himasthatbcincvhich cincin thc midst
l bcincs, comports itscll to thcm as such. Iurthcr, as this comportinc to
bcincs, man is dctcrmincd in his ovn cinc as csscntially othcr than all
rcmaininc bcincs vhich arc manilcst in Oascin.
ov, lrom thc bccinninc, an analytic ol Oascin must scc to it that thc
Oascin in manishrstmadc visiblcprccisclyvithin thatmodc olhumancinc
vhich it cstablishcd, accordinc to its csscncc, to supprcss Oascin and thc
undcrstandinc olcinc vhich pcrtains to it i. c. , oricinal hnitudc) in lorcct-
lulncss. ]his dccisivc modc ol thc cinc ol Oascin-sccn solcy lrom thc
standpoint ol Iundamcntal Cntolocy-vc call cvcrydayncss. ^t thc samc
timc, thc analytic olcvcrydayncss has thc mcthodoocical intcntion lrom thc
hrst olnot allovincthc intcrprctaion olthc Oascinin human bcincs to cntcr
thc rcalm ol an anthropolocical-psycholocica dcscription ol mans cxpcri-
cnccs" and lacultics."^nthropolocical-psycholocical knovlcdccis not thcrc-
by dcclarcd to bc lasc. " It is ncccssary to shov, hovcvcr, that vith al its
corrcctncss it is not sulhcicnt to hold in vicv lrom thc start and constantly
thc problcm olOascinscxistcncc-andthatmcansits hnitudcas dcmandcd
by thc cuidinc problcmatic olthc ucstion olcinc.
]hc cxistcntial analytic olcvcrydayncssdocs not vant to dcscribchovvc
29J or a concrctc undcrstandlnv o| thls and thc |oowinv paravraphs a study o| 8cing and
!mc lmpcratlvc. Vc rc|raln hcrc |rom taklnv a posltlon rcvardinv thc critlclsms that havc
surIaccd to datc. 1hat ls to bc rcscncd-lnso|ar as thc rca hodvcpodvc o| objcctlons movc ln
ycncr8 wlthln thc dlmcnson o| thc probcm|or a spcla publcatlon.
h1J. |2JJ-2JcI !J
usc a kni|c and |ork. Itshoud shov that and hova associationvithbcincs,
cvcn vhcrc it appcars as i| thcrc vcrc just bcincs, arcady prcsupposcs thc
transccndcncc o| Oascin-namcy, cinc-inthcvord. Vith it, thc pm)cct|co
o|thccinco|thcbcincinccncra,athouchconccacd and |orthc mostpart
indctcrminatc, ta|csplaccso that indccd thc cinco|thisbcinchrst o|aand
|or thc most part is undividcd and yct is mani|cstcd undcrstandaby in thc
totaity cvcrthccss, thc dj]crcoccbctvccn cinc and bcincs assuc|rcmains
conccacd.' ` 1hc man himsc|cmcrccs as a bcinc amonc othcr bcincs.
cinc-in-thc-vord, hovcvcr, is not hrst and |orcmost thc rcationship bc-
tvccn subjcct and objcct, but is instcad that vhich has arcady madc such a
rcationship possibc in advancc inso|ar as transccndcncc carrics out thc pro-
jcction o| thc cinco|thc bcinc. ov this projcctinc |undcrstandinc) is hrst
o|a madc visibc in thc cxistcntia anaytic ony vithin thc conhncs cstab-
ishcd by its cmpoymcnt. It is not so much a mattcr o|dirccty pursuinc an
undcrstandinco|thc inncrmost composition o|transccndcncc asitis a mattcr
o|cucidatinc its csscntia unity vith thc disposition and throvnncss o|Oa-
scin.
AFFENDIX I
lotcs on thc Kantbook
I . Do||cKao|hcc|
ltwas takcn | I ) as a onc-sidcd intcrprctation olKant, |2) asa lorcrunncrlor
cine and Timc" both wcrc cco]uscdwa,sc] |||o||og.
iscovcrineKantinhimscIl"istobcIclttoKantphiIooey IvcnilitshouId
cmcrec that it has actuaIIy Icarncd somcthine lrom thc vioIcnt Hcidceecrian
intcrprctation.
utthcqucstionis. thcPmhlcmc]Mc|ap|,s|cs,andthatmcaos ~||c0ucs||co
c] 8c|og
To bc surc, by itscIl as ||s|c|cal 'gcsc||c||l|c|c intoduction" to cine
and Timc" in a morc Iimitcd scnsc-not historioIoeicaI" ' ||s|c|sc|| ,
rathcr-qucstionine dcbatc" ' Ausc|oaodcsc|zuog
2 . Kao|hcc|
an attcmpt to qucstion what has not bccn said, instcad olwritinein a hxcd
way about what Kant said. Vhat has bccn said is insulhcicnt , what has not
bccnsaid is hIIcd with richcs.
J.
Thc distinction bctwccn aoal,||c and s,o||c||c|udemcnts and thcsc ways ol
udeine aways cxhibitd lor thcmscIvcs as charactcristics olhnitudc.
F|o||c|||o||ogis a tautoIoey, altcrthc lashion ola und circIc. Vhat docs
itmcan that thinkine iso||c
. C|||auc c]]udgmco|
Acs||c||cs
Cnyconsidcrcdlarcnoueh to bc abc toscc that it is not contradictcd.
ut now thc hiehcst corroboration olthc intcrprctation, scc D-, p. 2DB
|cmard transIation. p. !-B-tr. | . ikcwisc p. 2JB crnard transIation,
! 7
! 7 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 2J0-2J ! l
p. ! B -tr. l thc intclIieibIc whcrcrupon tastc |rc|cction-imaeination) ooks
out |into itscI|).
D.
Scc Kant skctch o| a Scicncc o| Dntclc as Immancnt ]hinkine. " Lcttcr to
Sie. cck. 20. . -2 |V Cassircrl , p. I I D ||. ).
. Kanthccl
maeiatio and cmpoaity
a
|
n !crmc t|c m|hcl, c t|c cncctc Pccct|cn. tc csscta oriein o
tcsc conccpts
7.
]hc |ourth scction is transatcd into Frcnch i n0ucst-ccaucl amtap|,s|auc`
by H. Corbin. I -JB ' at|sMctap|,s|cs` tr. . KrcII. ln. Mart|n Hc|dcgcr
8as|c wr|t|ngs |lcwYork. Harpcr G Row, I -77), pp. -D I I 2-tr. l .
Lcctcn5arttiscruciaI,|romthcrccineandTimc"is hrsttobcundcrstood.
scc my Frcnch Forward to this transIation.
D Cct. D
B. Conccpts o|Rc|Icction
Scc JI ||. isputation with cibniz-oeicaI doematism
Scc Conccptinecncra,cmpiricaI Conccpt, purcconccto|thcundcrstand
ine |Catceory) , purc conccpt o|rcason |ldca).
Appcnix I |2JI -2J2I !77
undcrwhichsub|cctivcconditions . . . canwc arrivc at conccpts"!83Io
I|wc askinthisway, wcstand inthc tclcx|c|rc|lcction 'hct-lcgaog ), not
in thc simpc" apprchcndine |cxposition) o|ch)ccts, inordcr to obtain Con-
ccpts |rom thcm |scttine|orth thc |undamcnta di||crcncc bctwccn scnsibiity
and undcrstandine, scc 832/)
Rccctine,wcpayattcntiontothcrcationshipo|eivcnrcprcscntations,i . c. ,
Conccpts i nthis casc, to our various sourccs o|knowcdec" |scc Mcdal|t,' )
|5cos|h|l|t, and Uodctstaod|og83 I o|Imaeination! Rcason!)).
Cnybymcans o|thcsc rcllcctivc eanccsbacktothcpowcrs o|knowcdec
can thc rcationship o|thc rcprcscntations undcr onc anothcr bc dctcrmincd
corrccty" |rcationship o|thc Conccpts, i . c. , |udemcnt and its truth |83 /)).
i . c. , ony so as to makc out in w||c|pcwcts thcy bcone toecthcr to which
|powcrs| thcy owc hcir spccihc unity |what kind o|synthcsis).
Thc tclc7|cconscqucnty. qucstion conccminethc unity o|thc mani|od
o| eivcn rcprcscntations |conccpts), morc prcciscy. ccctd|og tc t|c]ctam
hc]ctcwhich thcywoudbc `ccmpatcd. woud bccombincd"~d|scatsas ' and
that mcans at thc samc timc accordine to thc a proriuni|yineinstancc
To whichpowcro|thc undcrstandine docs a eivcn conccpt bcone!
Thccomparison o|rcprcscntations in ecncrawlawaysbc cmpoycd ina
powcro|thc Lndcrstandine. l canony hod toecthcr" this comparsonwith
thc powcr o|Knowcdec, and disccrn, distineuish, whcthcr bymcans o|this
comparison thc rcprcscntations wcrc thoueht as bconeine to purc Lndcr-
standineor to Scnsuousncss-JtaosccodcotalPclcct|co~|cw|ot|cccmpat|-
sco, t|cccmpat|og|ogcoctal |s t|cag|t ~w|ct|ctcot|c~ctcotclg|calwhcthcr
bconeine to Scnsuousncss or to thc purc Lndcrstandine, 832+, throueh
which what s rcprcscntcd in it, its obcct" 8325, i . c. , thc dctcrmination o|
thc `ttaosccodcotalplacc | Dttcs| |ibid). Thcrc|orc 83I 9|scc 3I 8) ]ransccn-
dcnta Rc|lcction" bcars on thc ob|ccts thcmscvcs" |is not mcrcy oeica
comparison 'Kcmpatat|co , i . c. , straieht comparine 'vctglc|c|co o|thc rcprc-
scntations as such), rathcr, as transccndcnta rcllcction it is thc Cround |or
thc possibiity o|ob|cctivc comparison 'ch)c|t|vcoKcmpatat|co 83I 9
^nswcr to thc qucstion. |or which powcr o| Knowcdec sha thc rcprc-
scntcd ob|cct bc! Vithout this transccndcnta rcllcction, amphiboy" crccps
in. con|usine thc ob|cct o|purc undcrstandine with appcarancc 32o.
8ymcanso|Catceorics, what constitutcsthcconccpto|anob|cct"|8325),
what bcones to an ob|cct assuch,isprcscntcd. "
y mcans o|thc |our titcs" |or thc conccpts o|rcllcction, ony thc ccm
pat|sco '\ctglc|c|aog| o| thc rcprcscntations, which prcccdc thc conccpts o|
thines" havc bccn prcscntcd.
Morc prcciscy-thc |orma ontooeica |') possibiitics |or thc comparine
\ctglc|c|cos arc in ecncra not important to thc transccndcnta pacc o| thc
rcprcscntations.
This probcm is important |or Kant bccausc thc doematic mctaphysics o|
7B Kant and thc FmbIcm o| MctaphysIcs | 22-2
|ormal loeic inthcwidcstscnschasbccnsurrcndcrcd up |scc J2conccm-
ineLc|ho|z' ), i. c. , thc manncr o| thinkinewhich a priori would|udec thines,
scc J!-.
-. MattcrIorm |scc J22||.)
!)takcnaspurcly|ormalizcd-and|romthcConccpto|whatisundcrstood
3 w|at|sdctco|oat|vc,dctctm|oaos ~.. aswhat a|hrms or nceatcs, crcatcd
ptcd|cat|vc, |aumeartcn) and at thc samc timc ttaosccodcotall, i.c. , in con-
ncction with thc possibility o|thc knowlcdec o|ob|cctsin ecncral. Ixprcsscd
hcrc as. thc dctcrminativc-thc dctcrminablc.
utthisi sonly possiblc onthc eroundso|thc intcntionality-transccndcncc
o| cxistcncc 'Dasc|os . It is hcrc that thc condition |or thc possibility and
|ormal ncccssity o| this corrclation is |ound.
I maynot,howcvcr, |ormallyand univcrsally crcatc this out o|thin air.
Ior Kant thc answcr can alrcady bc |ound hcrc. bccausc Iormal Loeic
which is not eroundcd in |undamcntal ontoloey, but is only in itscl|-is thc
most ccrtain.
Scc JD "appcrccption. and with it thoueht, prcccdcs all possiblc dctcr-
minativc ordcrine o|rcprcscntations. " Hcrc thc prcsupposition. which Kant
alonewithcscartcs and Lcibniz adhcrcd tothc mostorieinala prioriis |or
thcm thc I think," and it is in this that thc priority o| Loeic is eroundcd
]hat cscartcs's prcsupposition is still activc in this way |or Kant in a
complctcly di||crcnt prblcmatic prcvcnts |or thc most part its orieinal cm-
bcddine, and thcrc|orc onc can at thc lcast ovcrlook this prcsupposition. or
simply strikc it out.
It is synonymous with thc misundcrstandine o|thc problcm o|transccn-
dcncc.
2) but at thc samc timc, thc prcdominancc o| this scparation must bc
dcstroycd. and itmust lcad back to thc ontic-ontoloeical corrclatc.
]his is motivatcd by thc ancicnt ontoloeical di||crcncc 1W-OOc, nd
|rom this thc ptcduct|vc|ct|zco ' Hctstclluos|ctzcot comcs |orth. i. c. , |rm
thc complctclydctcrminc absolutizineo|thc ccoccptc]8c|o. cines as what
is at hand, and knowlcdec * dctcrminativc pcrccption o| thcsc bcines .
J) ]hc dominancc o| thc |ormalization must bc brokcn by mcans o|thc
cvidcncc that whilc cvcrythine is indccd intcrprctablc. at thc samc timc cv-
crythineisalsoconstraincdbya Schcma,whichdivcrtsit|romthc ontoloeical
problcmatic. dcrivcd |romthcorieinal, aswcllas |rom thcloeicalproblcmatic.
]hc purc. takcn ttaosccodcotall,, is matcrial to what is primary. c-
tcrminineprcsupposcswhatisdctcrminablc. ]husitappcarsrcmarkablc.with
Spacc and]imc, tosctthc Iormaswhatisprimaryahcad o|thcMattcr,which
makcs thcsc dctcrminablc, i. c. , lcs thcm bc cncountcrcd, in thc hrst placc,
Appcno l |2J1I I 79
J2. ut onc may not|udec hcrc in a purcy intccctua manncr accordine
to mcrc conccpts olthines thcmscvcs. Rathcr, lrom appcaranccs onc can scc
that Spacc and Timc prcccdc a data. Scc J222J conccmine thc usc ol
conccpts olmattcr.
Mattcr-mctaphysicay cxpaincd-purcy acccssibc, not throueh prcdi-
catcsthatapproachitas Cb|cct 'D|c|t , ob| cct" | Ccecnstand" nanothcr
scnsc, ob|cctolpcrccption |Ccecnstand dcrImpndune , thc authcnticay
cmpirca in scnsuous intuition, " Mctap|,s|cal Pt|oc|plcs c] Natutal 5c|cocc
Irkrune I, ^nmcrkune 2.
AFFLNDIX II
Imst Cassircr FhiIosophy o|SymboIic Iorms.
Fart ]wo. MythicaI ]houeht. crIin, I -2D
]his sccond voIumc o|Cassircr's ma or work i sdcdicatcd tothc mcmory
o| FauI latorp. ]hc titIc, MythicaI ]houeht,"couIdbc misIcadine, howcvcr,
in sueecstine that thc dominant thcmc o| thc invcstieation is to bc |ound in
a scparation o| thc mythicaI thoueht proccss |rom thc purcIy IoeicaI. lnstcad,
prcciscIy thc insu|hcicncyo|mythicaIthinkine"asa proccsso|undcrstand-
ine" is tobc broueht toIiehtbydcmonstratinethat itis eroundcdina spccihc
|orm o|Ii|c" in unity with an accompanyine |orm o|intuition. " ]houeht"
hcrc mcans nothine Icss than an attcndine and intcndine" ' 5|nncn und
!tac|tcn which, howcvcr, is stiII its own |orm o|thoueht" |its own way o|
intcrprctine and dctcrminine) . ]hc intcnt o| thc invcstieation is accordineIy
topursucthc uncovcrineo|myth" asanorieinaI possibiIity o|humanascin,
whichhasitsownpropcrtruth.Viththiswayo|posinethcqucstion,Cassircr
cxpIicitIy takcs up SchcIIine's insieht, that namcIy cvcrythine in it |in
mythoIoey') is to bc undcrstood in thc way that it is said, and not as |
somcthine cIsc is bcine thoueht, or somcthine cIsc is bcine said" |L|nlc|tung
|nd|cP||lcscp||cdcrM,t|clcg|c S. N 2. ^bt. l , I -D). Myth, thc dcstiny o|a
pcopIc" |SchcIIine) , is an Cbcctivc proccss," to which ascin itscI| rcmains
subordinatcd, and in opposition to which it can bccomc |rcc, but ncvcr in
such a way that it rcccts this proccss. I |Cassircr docs indccd hoId to this
basic insieht o| SchcIIine, and sccs in myth not a cakncss o| spirit," not a
mcrc appcarancc, but rathcrapropcr|ormativc |orcc,"hcncvcrthcIcsserasps
thc task o| a p||lcscp|, o| myth in a way that di||crs |rom SchcIIine's spccu-
Iativc mctaphysics. ^n cmpiricaI psychoIoeicaI cxpIanation" o|myth is ccr
tainIyncvcr capabIc o|attaininea p||lcscp||cal undcrstandine. ^ccordineIy, in
hoIdine to thc Cbcctivity" o| myth and in rccctine thc psychoIoeicaI intcr-
prctation, Cassircr attcmpts a phcnomcnoIoey o| mythicaI consciousncss. "
]his prcscnts itscI|asancxtcnsion o|thc transccndcntaI probIcmatic i nthc
nco-Kantianscnsc toconccivc o|thc unity o|cuIturc,"andnotonIynaturc,"
as thc Iaw|uIncss o| spirit. ]hc Cbcctivity" o| myth Iics in its propcrIy
undcrstoodsubcctivity" , myth isitsown spirituaI crcativc principIc o|worId
|ormation" |p. I-) ' !|cP||lcscp|, c]5,mhcl|cFcrms Fart 2. M,t||cal !|cug|t,
tr. R. Mannhcim |lcw Havcn YaIc Lnivcrsity Frcss, I-DD). p. I. Hcrca|tcr
citcd as 5,mhcl|Fcs tr. | .
ln accord with this startine point that is outIincd in thc lntroduction |pp.
^ppcndlx IIwas transatcd byFctcr Vamck.
! B0
Appcno H |2J-2J/ ! B!
! -J) ' 5,mhcl|c Fctms, pp. ! -2l . Cassircr intcrprcts myth as a |orm o|
thoueht" |Scction I , pp. J--!) '5,mhcl|c Fctms, pp. 27-70l , as a |orm o|
intuition" |Scction II, pp. -D ! BB) ' 5,mhcl|cctms , pp. 7 ! - ! D !
as a |orm
o|Ii|c" |Scction l, pp. ! -! -2BD) '5,mhcl|cFctms, pp. ! DJ-2J! l . Hc brines
cvcrythine to a closc by o||crine an account o| thc diaIcctic o| mythical
consciousncss" |Scction I pp. 2B--J20) ' 5,mhcl|cFctms, pp. 2JJ-2! l .
Thc anaIysis o|thc mythicaI]ctm c] t|cug|t bceins with a ecncral charac-
tcriation o| thc manncr in which obccts comc to stand in opposition to
mythicaI consciousncss. Thc consciousncss o| thc ob| ccts o| mathcmaticaI
physics as it is conccivcd in Cohcn's Kant intcrprctation scrvcs to euidc this
charactcrization. thcactivc|ormationo|apassivcIyeivcnchaoso|scnsations"
into a cosmos. "^basic |caturc o|thc mythicaI consciousncss o|Cbccts Iics
in thc |act that a dcmarcatcd boundary is lac|ogbctwccn what is drcamt o|
and what is cxpcricnccd whiIc awakc, bctwccnwhat is mcrcIy imaeincd and
whatis pcrccivcd, bctwccnimaec and thc obcctthatis |ormcd in thc imaec,
bctwccn word |mcanine) and thine, bctwccn what is mcrcIy wishcd |or and
what is actuaIIy posscsscd, and bctwccn what is Iivine and what is dcad.
Ivcrythinercmains incocuni|ormIcvcIo|cinethatis immcdiatclyprcscnt,
bywhich mythical ascin is dacd. This consciousncss o|obccts is cntitIcd
to its own pccuIiar and su|hcicnt cxplanation" and undcrstandine." Thc
co-prcscncc o| somcthine with somcthine cIsc eivcs" thc cxpIanation. thc
swallow produccs thc summcr. This brineine-with-itscI| ' M|ts|c|htogco| has
thc charactcr o|maeicaI powcr|scc bclow). Vhat |unctionshcrc as produccr
'M|thtogct| is not simply random, it is dctcrmincd |rom out o| thc basic
conncctcdncss thatoricntsthc maeicaIcxpcricncc. ^sarbitrary as thcsc mae-
icaI actuaI conncctions" may appcar, |or cxamplc, to a thcorctical considcr-
ationo|naturc, thcyncvcrthclcsshavcthcirowntruth. Mythicalthouehtdocs
not know thc anaIyticaI division o| thc actual into causaI scqucnccs. Thc
intcrwcavine o| thc maeicaIIy rcaI bccomcs cIcarIycvidcnt in thc conccption
o| thc rcIationship bctwccn whoIc and part. Thc part is" thc whoIc itscI|,
which mcans it has thc undiminishcd maeical powcr o| thc whoIc. Iach
thine"bcasinitscl|itsbcIoneinetoothcrthineswithinthcwholco|maeicaI
|orccs. In mythicaI thinkine what hoIds is thc Iaw o| thc concrcsccncc and
coincidcncc o|thc rcIationaI parts" |p. BJ) '5,mhcl|cFctms, p. .
Inthc sccond scction Cassircrshows thc c||cctthis |orm o|thouehthas on
thcundcrstandineo|spacc, timc and numbcr. ^ chaptcr prcccdcsthis myth-
ical doctinc o||orms" that iscntitIcd. J|c8as|cDppcs|t|co 'Ctuodgcgcosatz|
|pp. -D- !0) '5,mhcl|cFctms, pp. 7J-B2 . Thc charactcrization o|thc myth-
ical consciousncss o| obccts aIrcady showcd how mythicaI ascin is capti-
vatcd by what is prcscnt, dazcd and ovcrwhcImcd. Frcscncc mcans thc ovcr-
powcrine. Hcrcin Iics thc charactcr o| what is cxtraordinary, incomparablc
ovcr andaeainstthc cvcryda ut this is not a o|||locgat|vum Ithas indccd
itsowncharactcr o|cine, namclythat o| thc common," within thc horion
!B2 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2J7-2J9l
o|thc ovcrwhcmineIy uncommon. This basic divisio" bctwccn thc sacrcd
and thc pro|anc is thc basic articuIation o| thc actua, to which mythica
ascin comports" itscI|, whatcvcr that bcine in its constitution may bc. This
charactcr o| thc cine o| thc mythicaI word" and mythica ascin itsc| is
thc mcanine o|thc mana-tcptcscntat|cnwhich hascontinucd ovcr thc Iast |cw
ccnturics to stand out morc ccarIy in mythoIoeicaI rcscarch as onc, i| not
cvcn t|c basic caceory o| mythicaI thinkine. " Mana docs not dcsienatc a
dctcrminatc circIc o|Cb|ccts. Itaso cannotbc attributcd to ccrtain spiritua"
powcrs. Thc mana is thc mostecncraI charactcr o|cine, thc how" whcrcby
what is actuaI suddcnIy comcs ovcr thc cntircty o| human ascin. Thc cx
prcssions mana, "wakanda," orcnda," manitu" arc intccctions within thc
immcdiacy o| bcineovcrtakcn by thrcatcnine by bcines |p. -B||. , !-D|. 22B)
'5,mhcl|cFctms,p. 7| , ! DB|. , ! BDl SccasoI. Cassircr, 5ptac|cundM,t|cs.
5tud|cndct8|hl|ct|c| wathutg, ! -2D, p. D2||. ' anguagcandM,t|, tr. Susannc
Lanecr |lcwYork ovcr c Harpcr, I -) l . Hcrc thcrc is a stiII morc trans-
parcnt intcrprctation o|thcmana-rcprcscntationinthc contcxt o|thc probcm
o|Ianeuaec.
In thc orieinaI bcinedazcdbywhat is actua as thc mana, mythica ascin
carrics out thc articuIation o|thc dimcnsions inwhich ascin as suchaIways
arcady movcs thc intcrprctation and dctcrmination" o| spacc, timc, and
numbcr. Thc spccihcaIIy mythicaI modaIization o| thcsc rcprcscntations" L
aIso charactcrizcd bythc author in constant contrast to thc conccptuaI intcr
prctation that thcsc phcnomcna havc undcreonc in modcrn mathcmatica
physica knowIcdec.
Thc basic |ccIineo|thc sacrcd" and thc basic division" that iseivcnaIone
with it prcheurc both thc tota comprchcnsion o| spacc as wc as thc way in
which individua boundaics arc positcd within it. Thc orieinaI partitionine
o| spacc, in which it is hrst o| aII uncovcrcd as such, distineuishcs two
rceions" a sacrcd, " cxtraordinary, appropriatcIy prcscrvcd and protcctcd
rceion, and a common" rceion that is at a timcs acccssibIc to cvcryonc.
Spacc is, howcvcr, ncvcr eivcn prior to this in itscI|," in such a way that it
can thcn bc mythicaIIy intcrprctcd." Rathcr, mythica ascin hrst o| aI dis
covcrs spaccas suchinthis manncr.ThcmythicaI spatia oricntationisthcrcby
euidcd cvcrywhcrc by thc opposition bctwccn day and nieht, which |or its
part announccs itsc| primariIy mythicaIIy, that is, in thc spccihc mana-Iikc
powcr that |orccsa ascin into itsbindinespcI Tothc cxtcnt thatspatiaIity,
thus uncovcrcd, codctcrmincs in ecncra a possibIc habitat |or ascin, spacc
and its corrcspondine |acticaI division can bccomc a schcma |or thc most
mani|oId traits o|ascin |considcr, |or cxampc, thccompIicatcdcassihcation
o|thc totcmisticpcrccptuasphcrc). Mythica ascin procurcs |or itscI|in this
way a uni|orm ovcraII oricntation that can bc casiIy mastcrcd.
!mc is sti morc orieinaIIy constitutivc |or mythica ascin than spacc.
Cassircreroundsthccharactcrizationo|thcscconncctionsinthcvuIearconccpt
Appcno H l2J-2c0I !BJ
o|timc and undcrstands bythc tcmporaI" charactcr o| myth bcine-within
timc"-|or cxamplc, o|thc eods. Thc sacrcdncss" o| thc mythicaIIy actual is
dctcrmincd by its oriein. Thc past as such shows itscI|as thc ecnuinc and last
why'o|allbcines. lnthcpcriodicityo|thcscasons, inthcrhythm o|thc phascs
o|li|c and aec, thc powcr o| timc is madc cvidcnt. Thc individuaI scctions o|
timc arc sacrcd timcs. " Thccomportmcnttoward thcm, |ar |rombcineamcrc
caIcuIation, is rceuIatcd by particuIar cuIts and ritcs ||or cxampIc, initiation
ritcs). Thc ordcr o|timc, as an ordcr o| dcstiny, is a cosmic powcr and thus
makcsmani|cst in its rceularity a bindine obIieation that pcrvadcs aII human
practicc. CaIcndricaIrceuIation and cthicaIobIieationarc wcIdcd to thc powcr
o|timc. ThcbasicmythicaI-rcIieiousrcIationtotimc can thcncspcciaIIyacccn
tuatcanindividuaItimc oricntation. Thc individuaImodihcationso|thc di||cr
cnt |ccIines o|timc and thc conccptions o| timc that arc prcheurcd in thcsc
makcup onc o|thc most pro|ound dicrcnccs in thc charactcro|individuaI
rclieions."Cassircrshows|p. I D0||.) '5,mhcl|cFctms,p. I I-|. inbroadstrokcs
thc typicaI imaecs o timc that arc |ound in thc Hcbrcws, thc Fcrsians, thc
Indians, in Chincsc and Ieyptian rclieion, and in Crcck philosophy
Numhct|og and thc rcIations o| numbcr arc aIso undcrstood in mythical
ascin |rom out o|thc charactcr o|thc alI o|cvcrythinewhich is, |rom out
o|thcpowcr. Iachnumbcrhasits individual phsioenomy" itsown maeical
powcr. Vhat is cquaIIy numbcrcd prcscnts itscI| as onc and thc samc cs-
scnccwithout rceard to whcthcr thcrc is ncvcrthclcss a |undamcntal dicr
cncc-accordine to thc principIc o| concrcsccncc. aII maeic is |or thc most
partnumbcrmaeic" |p. I 7B) '5,mhcl|c Fctms , p. ! . lumbcrcd dctcrmi
natcncss docs not mcan ordcrine in a scqucncc, but rathcr bcIoneine to a
dctcrminatc domain o| thc uncommon. Thc numbcr is thc mcdiator that
connccts thc whoIc o| mythicaI actuaIity to thc unity o| a powcr|uII worId
ordcr. / mani|oId as thc |orms o|thc mythicaI doctrinc o|numbcrs maybc,
and asdi||crcnt as thc ways o|mythicaIIy cmphasizinethcdistinctivcncss o|
individuaI numbcrs ||or cxampIc, thrcc or scvcn) may bc, ccrtain orieinaI
prcheurations |or thc makine sacrcd o|individual numbcrs can ncvcrthclcss
bc indicatcd on thc basis o| thc particuIar kind o| mythical spatiaIity and
tcmporaIity. thc numbcr |our bccomcs sacrcd, |or cxampIc, bccausc o| thc
rceionso|thcsky Furthcrmorc,thcsacrcdncsso|thcnumbcrscvcneocsback
to thc powcr o| timc, which is madc cvidcnt in thc phascs o| thc moon,
thoueh a division by |our o|thc twcntyciehtday month that prcscntsitscl|
onits own to intuition, as itwcrc. In thc distinctivc cmphasis placcd mythi-
calIy upon thc numbcr thrcc, onc sccs, on thc othcr hand, thc orieinally
pcrsonal rcIation bctwccn |athcr, mothcr, and child comine throueh, ust as
thc dual and trinaI |orms in Ianeuaec rc|cr ack to thc rclationbctwccn I .
you, and hc. indine thcsc orieinaIIy pcwct]ul rcIations t onumbcrs i ssomc-
thinethat rcmains itscl|uttcrIy bound to havine thc charactcr o|thc mythi-
cally c|hcacious.
!B Kant and thc FmbIcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 20-22|
Irom thc analysis olthcmythical Cbjcctword anditsway olbcinc dis-
covcrcd and dctcrmincd, thc inquiry thcn tus toward su|)cct|vcactual|t,
and its unvcilincinmyth. Cassircrbccinsthisdiscussionwitha lundamcntal
and bitinc crltiquc ol animism," which sti dominatcs in thc most divcrsc
ways thcinvcsticationsolcthnoocicarcscarch. ]hcworld olmythicalOascin
cannot simpybcintcrprctcd onthcbasis olthc prcvaiincconccptionsolthc
soul, lor thcn thc subjcct" as such sti rcmains vcicd. ]o thc cxtcnt that
mythical Oascin is lamiiar with itscll at a, it docs not intcrprct itscl solcy
in rcation toa word thatiscraspcd purcyin tcrms olthincs. Cbjcct 'D|)c|t|
and subjcct and thc rcation bctwccn thcm isundcrstoodby mythica Oascin
within thc horizon olwhat makcs itscl cvidcnt as thc thc ccncral charactcr
olthc actual, that is, itisundcrstood intcrmsolmana. Vhathas tobcshown
hcrc isprcciscyhow mythicalOascin, which in its indctcrminatc ilc-lccinc"
rcmains bound to al bcincs, cnacts a conlrontation" bctwccn word and !
that ispropcrto it, rootcd in itsown spccihc wayolbcinc, i . c. , inits doinc."
]hcsphcrc olthcactual that is prlmarlly discovcrcd anddcimitcd in doinc,
in a pcculiar rclcctinc back upon doinc itscl, makcs doinc visiblc in its
dillcrcnt capabilitics."Vithin thc horlzon olmacica powcr onc own doinc
is a macical act. ]hc hrst lorcc 'Kta]t| by mcans olwhich thc human placcs
himscl as somcthinc propcr and indcpcndcnt ovcr and acainst thincs is thc
lorcc olw|s| ' wuosc|| |p. I -) '5,m|cl|cFctms, p. I D7| . ]hc abundancc ol
divlnc lorms that thc human crcatcs lor himscll not only sccs to cuidc it
hrouch thc sphcrc olobjcctivc bcinc and cvcnts but rathcr abovc allthrouch
hc sphcrc ol its own will and accomplishmcnt and illuminatcs this sphcrc
lrom wlthin" |p. 2D! ) '5,m|cl|c Fctms, p. 20J . ]hc lurthcr proccss ol thc
unvciinc ol subjcctivlty" and its ways ol comportmcnt is carricd out in thc
transition lrom naturcmyths to culturc-myths, unti hnay, in thc morc or
css maciclrcc manipulation ol tools, thc cinc-conncctcd bctwccn thincs
bccomcsmanilcst on its own tcrms asindcpcndcnt. ]hc human thcrcby lrccs
itscll lrom bcinc macicay bound to thincs and in a tcttcat]tom thc world
lcts that world bc cncountcrcd Cbjcctivcly"
ustas thc subjcct docsnot discovcr itscl in thccmcrccncc andrcturn ol
thincsthatstandpurcyovcrandacainstit, ncithcrisit thc casc thatadividcd
I-ou rcationship, or any such lorm olcommunity, is prlmarily constitutivc
lorthcunvcilincolsubjcctivity ]otcmism,whichisimpropcrlypositcd as thc
croundinc phcnomcnon ol mythica Oascin, cannot bc cxplaincd sociooci
cally Instcad, a social divisions and thc individuas that arc civcn aloncwlth
thcm, rcquirc, likc totcmism itscll, a croundinc" dcvclopcd lrom out olthc
oricinal way ol cinc ol mythica Oascin and thc mana-rcprcscntation that
dominatcs it. ]hc propcr probcm ol totcmism ics in thc lact that not only
thc human as such stands in a ccrtain incxtricablc rclation to thc anima or
thc plant,butthatcachpatt|culatcroup hasitsown particuar totcmic anima.
Iarmcrs, hcrdsmcn, and huntcrs cach discovcr thcmsclvcs in rclcrcncc to
Appcno H |2c2-2cJ !BJ
pIants and animaIs i n a way that i s pccuIiar t o cach and that makcs itscI|
cvidcnt immcdiatcIy as a maeicaIa|hIiation. ^t thc samc timc, howcvcr, this
rc|crcncc makcs it possibIc, in a rccctine back, |or thc pcrtincnt human Ii|c
sphcrcstobccomc cxpIicitas such. Totcmismisnot causcdbyparticuIarkinds
o|pIants and animaIs but rathcr cmcrecs |rom out o| thc cIcmcnta ascin-
rcIationso|thc human to its worId.
CnIywhcnthinesarc eroundcdin thc mana-rcprcscntation docsitthcnaIso
bccomc possibIc to conccivc how individuaI scccosc|casocss takcs shapc and
howthc conccpt" o|thc scal comcs to bc articuIatcd. Vhat is Iatcr conccptu
aIIy distineuishcd as body and souI, or Ii|c and dcath, is indccd aIso aIways
aIrcadyactuaI |or mythicaI ascinbut in thc modc o|maeicaI powcr, accordine
towhichwhatisdcadaIso , and a |orcc o|thc souI makcs itscI|known cvcn
whcn tc human mct with is not cncountcrcd bodiI CnIy in thc unity o|
maeicaI c|hcacycanthc individuaI |orccs o|thcsouI or thcindividuaI souIs"
appcar as spIit apart and dwcII aIone sidc onc anothcr. CorrcspondineIy thc
"dcvcIopmcnt"o|individuaIascinL aIsodistributcdamonedi||crcntsubccts,
bctwccn which dctcrminatc transitions takc pIacc. Inits bcine thrcatcncd by
maeicaI powcrs, mythicaI ascin's own" souI stands asan aIicn" powcrovcr
and aeainst it. Ivcnwhcrcthcrcprcscntationo|protcctivc spiritsisawakcncd,
onc own scI| is stiII a powcr, as it wcrc, which protcctivcIy takcs up thc
individuaI I. CnIy hrst at hiehcr IcvcIs docs thc maeicaI dacmon bccomc
da|mco|coandecnius,insuchawaythatascininthccndcomcstodctcrminc
itscI| not as an aIicn powcr but rathcr |rom out o|that |or which it is |rccIy
capahlc,|rom itscI| and |or itscI|as an cthicaI subcct.
I|thc powcr and uncommonncss o| thc divinc primariIy and thorouehIy
dominatcsmythicaIascin, thcnthcbasic comportmcnttoactuaIitycanncvcr
bc a mcrc intuition but is rathcr in Iikc manncr an actuaIizine that takcs on
thc |orm o| cult and r|tc ^II mythicaI narration is aIways onIy a dcrivativc
rcporto|sacrcddcaIines. InthcscsacrcddcaIines incontrast mythicaIascin
prcscntsitscI|immcdiatcIy Thc carIicr thc cuIt takcsshapc, thcmorcsacr|]cc
assumcs accntraIposition. Sacrihccis indccd arcnunciation, butatthc samc
timc it is stiII a dcaIinethat is coactcdh, cocscjwhichprcparcs thc way |or
accrtainrcIcasc|rom thccxcIusivcpowcro|maeicaI|orccs.Thcrcin,howcvcr,
thc |rcc powcr o| ascin is cxposcd and at thc samc timc thc cIc|t bctwccn
thchumanandthcdivincwidcns, soastodcmand atahiehcrIcvcI arcncwcd
ovcrcomine.
Inthisway,myth bccomcs visibIcasaunihcdautonomous|ormativcpowcr.
Mythic shapcs dispIay an inncr diaIcctic in which carIicr |orms arc cxpandcd
and trans|ormcd but notsimpIy rccctcd. Thc mythicaI proccss" carrics itscI|
out in ascinitscI|withoutrccction. Vhcn thisproccsshasrunthrouehits
possibiIitics, it itscI|comcs up aeainst its o ovcrcomine. Cassircrsccks to
showthisdiaIccticinthcdi||crcntpositionsthatmythassumcstowarditsown
worId-imaec |p. 2-0) '5,mhcl|cFcrms, p 2JD .
IB Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2J-2JI
]his briclaccount has tolorcco cvcn a slicht trcatmcnt olthc rich cthno-
locical and rclicious historical matcrial that crounds Cassircrs intcrprctation
olmyth and thathcvorks into thc individual analyscsvithhis uniquc talcnt
lor pcrspicacious and apt prcscntation. In makinc availablc to thc author its
ctcnsivc and rarc collcctions, as vcll as and cspccially thc usc ol its cntirc
lacilitics, thcVarburcbraryinHamburc providcd cccptional assistancc in
thcvork|orcvord, p iii) |5,mhcl|cFcrms, p viii ^monc thc analyscs ol
mythical phcnomcna cspccially notcvorthyarc thosc dcalinc vith thc lunc
tion ol thc tool in thc unvcilinc ol Cbjcctvorld, and thosc dcalinc vith
sacrihcc |p. ll. ) |5,mhcl|cFcrms p. l .
Cur approach to thc philosophy o l myth outlincd hcrc must pursuc thrcc
points irst, it must bc askcd. Vhat docs this intcrprctation achicvc lor thc
croundinc and cuidinc ol thc positivc scicnccs ol mythical Oascin |cthnolocy
and thc history olrclicion)` ]hcn it bccomcs ncccssary to caminc thc loun-
dations and mcthodolocical principlcs that support thc philosophical analysis
ol thc csscncc ol myth. ^nd hnally thc basic qucstion ariscs conccinc thc
constitutivclunctionolmythinhuman Oascin andinthc allolbcincsassuch.
Vithrccardtothc hrstqucstion, Cassircrsvorkprovcsitsclltobc alruitlul
succcss It brincs thc problcmatic ol thc positivc rcscarch into myth to a
lundamcntally hichcr lcvcl by carryinc out in a varicty ol vays thc dcmon-
stration thatmythcanncvcrbccplaincd" byhavincrccoursc todctcrminatc
sphcrcs olCbjccts vithin thc mythical vorld ]hc critiquc that is dircctcd in
this vay acainst thc naturalistic, totcmistic, animistic, and sociolocical at-
tcmpts at cplanation is thorouchly unambicuous and dcvastatinc. ]his cri-
tiquc, lor its part, is croundcd in thc anticipatory dctcrmination ol myth 3
onc lunctional lorm |Fuo|t|cos]crm| ol spirit, havinc its ovn lavs. Il this
conccption ol myth can prcvail in cmpirical rcscarch, thcn sccurc cuidancc
has bccn caincd both lor thc initial appropriation and intcrprctation olncvly
discovcrcd matcrial as vcll as lor thc claboration and cploration ol alrcady
cstablishcd rcsults.
ct ilthis intcrprctation ol myth is to bc udccd not only vith rccard to
vhat it achicvcs as a cuidc in thc positivc scicnccs but also vithrccard to its
cop||lcscp||cal contcnt, thcn thc lollovinc qucstionsarisc is thc prcdctcr-
mination ol myth as a lunctional lorm olcrcativc consciousncss adcquatcly
croundcdonitsovn tcrms`Vhcrcarcthcloundationslorsuchanadmittcdly
unavoidablc croundinc to bc lound` ^rc thc loundations thcmsclvcs
sulhcicntly sccurcd and claboratcd` Cassircrs gmuod|ogolhis cuidinc prcdc-
tcrmination ol myth as a crcativc lorcc |h|ldcodcr Kra]t| ol spirit |symbolic
lorm") is csscntially an appcal to Kants Copcrnican rcvolution," accordincto
vhich all actuality" is to bc considcrcd as a lormation ol productivc con-
sciousncss.
]obccin vith, thcrc arc cood rcasons to doubt vhcthcr thc intcrprctation
carricd out by Cassircr and, in ccncral, by nco-Kantian cpistcmolocy olvhat
Appcno H |2cJ-2ccI !B7
Kant mcansbythc "Copcrnicanrcvoution"ectsat thc kcrnc o|thc transccn
dcnta probcmatic as an ontooeica probcmatic in its csscntia possibiitics.
ut cavine that asidc. can thc critiquc o|purc rcason simpy bc "cxtcndcd"
to a "critiquc o|cuturc"! Is it in |act so ccrtain oris itnot rathcr compctcy
inqucstionastowhcthcrinthc hrstpacc thc |oundations|orKant'sownmost
transccndcnta intcrprctation ol "naturc" havc bccn cxpicity caboratcd and
eroundcd! Howdo thinesstand with rceard to thc ovcra unavoidabc onto
oeica caboration o| thc constitution and way o| cine o| what is namcd,
vaeucy cnoueh, somctimcs "consciousncss," somctimcs "i|c," somctimcs
"spirit," somctimc"rcason"! To bc surc, hc]ctc itbccomcs a qucstion o|thc
possibc usc o|Kant in thc scnsc o|"cxtcndine" his probcm, it is hrst o|a
ncccssary to cari|y thc basic and probcmatic dcmands harborcd in thc as-
sumptionthat myth is a |unctiona |orm o| "spirit. " Cny|romhcrc can it bc
dccidcd whcthcr and to what cxtcnt an appropriation o| thc qucstions or
schcmata poscdbyKantis intrinsicay possibc andustihcd.
Thcintcrprctation o|thc csscncc o|mythasa possibiity o|humanascin
rcmainsrandomanddircctioncssasoneasitcannotbceroundcdinaradica
ontooey o| ascin in ieht o| thc probcm o| cine in ecncra. Thc basic
probcms that arisc hcrc cannot bc discusscd in this contcxt. Lct it su|hcc i|
wc canbrinetoieht, throuehanimmancntcritiquco|Cassircrsintcrprctation
o|myth, scvcra o|thc main probcms in thcir unavoidabiity, so as thcrcby
to providc a p||lcscp||cal rchncmcnt and carihcation o| thc task poscd by
Cassircr. Cassircrhimsc|strcsscd |Forcword, p. xiii)thathisinvcstieationwas
to bc"mcrcy a hrst bceinnine. "
Thc prcoccupation with thc ncoKantian probcm o| consciousncss is o|
suchittchcpthatitactuayprcvcntseainineaerasponthcccntraprobcm.
This is arcadycvidcnt in thc arranecmcnt o|thc work. Instcad o|takineup
thc intcrprctation o|mythica ascinintcrmso|a ccntracharactcrization o|
thc constitution o|thc cineo|thisbcine, Cassircrbceinswithananaysis o|
thc mythica consciousncss o|obccts, thc |orm o|its thoueht and thc |orm
o|its intuition. Cassircr docs indccd scc ccaIy that thc|orms o| thouehtand
intuition mustbc traccd back tothc mythica "|orm o|i|c"as thc "spirituay
primordia" |p. B-||.) '5,mhcl|cFctms, p. -||. . ut thc cxpl|c|taods,stcmat|c
cucidationo|thcorieino|thc|ormso|thouehtand intuition|romouto|thc
"|ormo|i|c" is ncvcrthccss not carricd throueh. That thcscorieinaconncc-
tions do not comc to ieht, and that indccd thc pbcmitsc|o|thc possibc
inncrink bctwccn thc |orms o|i|c, o|thoueht, and o| intuition isnot cvcn
poscd, dcmonstratcs thc indchnitcncss o|thc systcmatic pacc o|maoatcptc-
sco|at|co to which Cassircr incvitaby rcturns in his trcatmcnt o| a csscntia
mythica phcnomcna. Thc mana-rcprcscntation is not dcat with amone thc
|ormso|thoueht , and yct itisaso not dcvcopcd as a |orm o|intuition. Itis
thcmaticay discusscd in thc transition |rom thc |ormo|thoueht to thc |orm
o|intuition undcr thc titc hc asic Cpposition. "Thisismorcan cxprcssion
!BB Kant ahd thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2-2BI
o|a prcdicamcnt than itisthcprcscntation o|thc structuraI dctcrminationo|
this rcprcscntation" |rom out o| thc whoIc structurc o|mythicaI ascin as
such. ^t thc samc timc, howcvcr, thc mana-rcprcscntation is rcpcatcdIy dcs
ienatcd as thc |undamcntaI |orm o|thoueht. "^nd Cassircr's anaIysis o|thc
mana-rcprcscntation docs indccd havc a ccrtain importancc ovcr and aeainst
thc convcntionaI intcrprctation, tothccxtcntthathcdocsnoteraspthc mana
as a bcineamone othcrbcines but instcad sccs in it thc how" o|cvcrythine
that is mythicaIIy actuaI, namcIy, thc cine o| thcsc bcines. CnIy thcn, how-
cvcr, docs thc ccntraI probIcm cmcrec, inso|ar as it must bc askcd. is this
ndamcntaI rcprcscntation" smpIy prcscnt at hand in mythicaI ascin or
docs it bcIone to thc ontoIoeicaI constitution o|mythicaI ascin! ^nd i|this
Iattcr, aswhat! ln thc mana-rcprcscntation, what bccomcs cvidcnt isnothine
othcr than thc aodctstaod|og c] 8c|og that bcIones to cvcry ascin as such.
This undcreocs spccihc trans|ormations accordine to cach basic way o|
ascin cine-in this casc, thc mythicaI -and it iIIuminatcs in advancc
thoueht and intuition. This insieht, howcvcr, Icads to thc |urthcr qucstion.
w|ic| is thc basic way o| cine o| mythicaI Ii|c, "such that within this Ii|c
prcciscIythcmana-rcprcscntationcan|unctionasthcIcadineandiIIuminatine
undcrstandine o|cine! Thc possibIc answcrtothisqucstion prcsupposcs, to
bc surc, an anticipatory cIaboration o| thc basic ontoIoeicaI constitution o|
ascin as such. l| this basic constitution Iics in thc carc" that is to bc
undcrstood cotc lcg|call, |. 5c|o aod Zc|t.]a|r|.] P||lcs a. p|aocmcoclcg
Fcrsc|aogvoI. Vlll | ! -27) , pp. I B0-2J0 , thcn it bccomcs cIcar that mythicaI
ascinis primariIy dctcrmincdthrouehthrownncss. " Vc caneivc hcrc onIy
a prcIiminary indication o| thc manncr in which a eroundcd articuIation
movcs |rom thrownncss" to thc ontoIoeicaI structurc o|mythicaI ascin.
ln thrownncss" thcrc is a bcinedcIivcrcd-ovcr o|ascin to thc worId, so
that this bcine-inthc-worId is ovcrwhcImcd by that to which it is dcIivcrcd
ovcr. Cvcrpowcrinencss as suchis capabIc on thc whoIc o|announcineitscI|
onIy]cra bcine that is dcIivcrcd ovcr to somcthine. ln thisbcine rc|crrcd to
thc ovcrpowcrine, ascinisdazcd |, itand iscapabIc thcrc|orc o|cxpcricnc-
ineitscI|onIyasbcIoneinetoanda|hIiatcdwiththis actuaIityitscI|. lnthrown-
ncss any and aII uncovcrcd bcines havc, accordineIy, thc cinecharactcr o|
ovcrpowcrinencss |mana) . l| thc ontoIoeicaI intcrprctation wcrc to push |or-
ward to thc spccihc tcmporaIity" that erounds thrownncss, thcn it couId bc
madc onoIoeicaIIyundcrstandabIcw|,and|cwwhatisactuaIasmanaaIways
makcs itscI| cvidcnt in a spccihc instantancousncss. " ln thrownncss thcrc is
a propcrbcine drivcn hcrc and thcrc that is opcn |rom out o| itscI||or what
is aIways in cach casc thc suddcnIycxtraordinary Thc spccihc catceorics" o|
mythicaI thoueht must thcnbc dcduccd" by|oIIowine thc euidine thrcad o|
thc manarcprcscntation.
^nothcr phcnomcnon in this indissociabIc eroup cmcrecs |rom out o| thc
qucstion conccrnine mythicaI ascin's basic comportmcnt and its comport-
Appcno H |2c8-2cI !B9
mcnt to itscI|. Thc "hrst |orcc"|powcr) inwhich myhicaI ascin own cine
bccomcsmani|cst to it, accordine to Cassircr is thc |orcc o|thc w|s| |p. I9+)
'5,mhcl|cFctms, p. I 5/| ut w|, is it thc hrst! Vc must makc visibIc how
this wishine is aIso rootcd in thrownncss and dcmonstratc how thc |mcrc)
wish, on thc basis o| a pccuIiar non-survcy 'N|c|thctsc|auco o| its many
possibiIitics, can havc thc |orcc o| this c|hcacy CnIy whcn wishine itscI| is
undcrstood in advancc as bound to mana can it makc itscI|cvidcnt as such
an"c||cctine. "utwhcnwishineis supposcd to constitutcthc"con|rontation"
bctwccn worId and I, thcn itmustbc notcd thatthcsckinds o|comportmcnt
o|mythicaIascinarc aIways onIywaysaccordinetowhichthc ttaosccodcocc
o|ascin toward itsworId isuovc|lcdbut not hrst produccd. ]hc "con|ronta
tion" is gtcuodcd in thc transccndcncc o| ascin. ^nd mythicaI ascin can
thcrcbyidcnti|y|tscjw|t| Cbccts onIy bccausc it comports itscI|toits worId
asabcine-inthc-worId. ut howthis propcrIy undcrstoodtransccndcncc can
bcIonetoascin has tobcshown. ceinninewitha chaoso|"scnsations"that
arc "|ormcd" is not onIy insu|hcicnt |or thc phiIosophicaI probIcm o| tran-
sccndcnccbutaIrcadycovcrsovcrthcorieinaIphcnomcnon o|transccndcncc
asthccondition |orthc possibiIity o|any "passivity" Hcncc, abasic con|usion
aIso ariscs in Cassircr's taIk o| "imprcssions". somctimcs what is mcant is thc
purc scnsationIikc a||cction. somctimcs, howcvcr, thc bcine dazcd by thc
actuaIitscI|. undcrstood asbound tomana. Tobc surc, thc manaisoctgtaspcd
as awa, c] 8c|ogin mythicaI ascin itscI|, but rathcr it is eraspcd as what is
itscI|bound to mana, that is, it is rcprcscntcd as a bcine. Ior this rcason thc
ontic intcrprctations o|mana arc aIso not compIctcIy un|ustihcd.
Cassircr. in charactcrizine thc |ormativc powcr o| myth, o|tcn spcaks o|
mythicaI p|aotas, ut this |undamcntaI capabiIity rcmains compIctcIy un-
cIari|cd. Is it a |orm o| thoueht or a |orm o| intuition! Cr both! Cr cvcn
ncithcr o| thc two! Hcrc an oricntation eidcd by thc phcnomcnon o| thc
transccndcntaI powcr o| imaeination, and its ontoIoeicaI |unction within thc
Ct|t|aucc]Putccascoand thc Ct|t|aucc]]udgmcot,an orcntationthatadmit-
tcdIywouIdIic|ar|romnco-Kantianism.couIdhavcatIcast madcitcIcarthat
anintcrprctation o|thc mythicaI undcrstandine o|cine is much morc Iaby-
rinthinc andabysmaI than is sueecstcd by Cassircr`s prcscntation.
IinaIIy, wc muststiII indicatc thc mct|cdclg|calmaximswhich scrvc as thc
euidcIincs in Cassircr`s attcmpt at intcrprctinethcphcnomcna o|ascin. "]hc
basic ruIc which eovcrns aII dcvcIopmcnt, namcIy that spirt achicvcs truc
andcompIctcinwardncssonIyincxprcssineitscI" |p. 2+2, scc I93, 229, 2+o,
2o/) '5,mhcl|cFctms, p. I9o,sccpp. I5o, I85, I 992, 2 I / ^eroundine
is aIso nccdcd hcrc that wouId account |orwhy this basic ruIc prcvaiIs. ^nd
thcrcisnccd|oran answcrto thcbasic qucstion. which is thc constitution o|
thc cine o|human ascin as such, such that it comcs to its own scI|onIy
byway o|this dctour throueh thc worId! Vhat do scIlhood 5clhst|c|t and
indcpcndcncc '5clhstod|g|c|t mcan!
!90 Kaht and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 29-270
^nd yct, in aII this thc |undamcntaI phiIosophicaI probIcm o|myth is not
yct rcachcd in what way docs myth in ecncraI bcIone to ascin as such! ln
what rcspcct is myth an csscntiaI phcnomcnonwithina univcrsaI intcrprcta
tion o| cine as such and its modihcations! Vhcthcr a phiIosophy o|sym-
boIic |orms" attains a soIution. or onIy thc cIaboration o|thcsc qucstions, is
somcthinethathcrccan bcIc|tundcvcIopcd. ^cccss to thcsc qucstionsisrst
acquircd not onIy whcn all symboIic |orms" arc prcscntcd,but rathcr abovc
aII whcn aIso thc basic conccpts o|this systcm arc thorouehIycIaboratcdand
broueht back to thcir uItimatc |oundations. Scc now thc admittcdIy stiII
ecncraI and too |rcc-|Ioatinediscussions by Cassircrin hisIccturc, Thc Frob
Icm o|SymboI and lts FIacc in a Systcm o|FhiIosophy"Zc|tsc|t|]t]atst|ct||
uodallgcmc|oc Kuostw|sscosc|a]tco, l | I-27). pp. 2-D||.
Thc criticaI qucstions that havc bccn raiscdhcrc cannot dctract |rom thc
importancc o|Cassircr's work. which Iics prcciscIy in its havine pIaccd myth
as a systcmatic probIcm, |or thc hrst timc sincc SchcIIine, oncc aeain wthin
thc sphcrc o|phiIosophicaIinquiy. Thc inquirywiIIrcmainavaIuabIc startine
point |or a rcncwcd phiIosophy o| myth, cvcn i|itis not|oincd to a phiIos-
ophy o|symboIic |orms. "To bc surc, it wiII havc this vaIuc onIy i|wc erasp
in a manncr that is morc rcsoIutc than hcrcto|orc that cvcn such a rich
prcscntation o|thc phcnomcna o|spirit, runnine as it docs aeainst thc dom-
inant consciousncss. is ncvcr at aII phiIosophy itscI|, whosc nccd hrst crupts
whcn its |cw cIcmcntary and basic probIcms, havine rcmaincd unconqucrcd
sincc antiquity. arc ncwIy takcn up.
AFFENDIX III
avos Lccturcs
K^lT'S CPl!l0L DFPPLDN^l THI T^SK CF ^
L^YIlC CF THI CRCLl FCR MIT^FHYSICS
Thcsc Iccturcs arc to dcmonstratc thc thcsis. Kant Cr|t|aucc] PurcPcasco
is a, or rathcr thc hrst, cxprcss eround-Iayine |or mctaphysics.
|lceativcIy, and in opposition to thc traditionaI intcrprctation o| nco-
Kantianism, that mcans it is no thcory o| mathcmaticaI, naturaI-scicntihc
knowIcdec -it is not a thcory o|knowIcdec at aII.)
Throueh thc cIucidation o| this Iayine o|thc eund |or mctaphysics, it
shouIdbccomcIcaratthcsamctimcthatandhowthcqucstiono|thccsscncc
o|humanbcines is csscntiaIIywithin a mctaphysics o|mctaphysics. "
Thc main cmphasis o| thc cxpIanations thus Iics in provine thc intrinsic
thrust o| thc probIcmatic o| thc eround-Iayine, thc maor stcps, and thcir
ncccssity.
^ccordineIy. thc division o|thc whoIc is thrcc|oId
! . Thc Iayine o|thceround |or mctaphysics in thc point o|dcparturc,
2. Thc Iayine o|thceround |rmctaphysicsin thc carryine-throueh,
J. Thc Iayine o|thc eround |or mctaphysics inits orieinaIity
/ to ! . Kant'spointo|dcparturc in traditionaI mctaphysics dctcrmincsthc
|ormo|thc probIcm. I|Mctap|,sca5pccalsconstitutcs thc knowIcdec o|thc
supcrscnsibIc |thc totaIity o| worId, souI immortaIity Cod),
thc propcr
mctaphysics" |Kant), thcn thc qucstion o| its possibiIity ecncraIIy runs as
|oIIows. How is knowIcdec o| bcines in ecncraI possibIc! I| thc prcvious
undcrstandine o|thc constitution o| thc cine o|bcines bcIones to thc pos-
sibiIity o|thc knowIcdec o|bcines, thcn thc qucstion conccmine thc possi-
biIity o|ontic knowIcdec isthwnback onto thc qucstion o|thc possibiIity
o| cotclcgcal |knowIcdec , i. c. , thc Iayine o| thc eound |or Mctap|,s|a
pc|al|s is |ocuscd on thc Iayine o| thc eround |or Mctap|,s|a Ccocral|s
|ontoIoey).
It is thcn shown how this qucstion conccrnine thc possibiIity o| ontoIoey
assumcs thc |orm o|thc probIcm o|a Critiquc o|Furc Rcason. "
^s to . To undcrstand thc carryine-throueh o| thc eround-Iayine, it is
cruciaI tomakc cIcarthat and howthc purcIy |umao, i. c. , ]o|tcrcason, aIonc
dcIimits thc sphcrc o|thc probIcmatic in advancc. Tothis cnd, it isncccssary
! 9!
!92 Kant and thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 272-27JI
tocmphasic thc csscncc o|hnitc knowIcdec inecncra and thc basic char-
actcr o| hnitudc as such. Irom this, thc insieht into thc mctaphysica-not
thc psychoIoeica and scnsuaistic-conccpt o| scnsibiity as hnitc intuition
ariscs |or thc hrst timc. ccausc thc intuition o| human bcines is hnitc, it
rcquircs thinkine, which as such is hnitc throueh and throueh. |Thc idca o|
an inhnitc thinkine is an absurdity)
Finitc knowIcdec consists o| two basic sourccs o| thc mind" |scnsibiIity
and undcrstandine) or o| two stcms" which pcrhaps" sprine |orth |rom a
comon but to us unknown. ot. "
Thc cucidation o| thc possibiity o| ontooeicaI knowcdec |synthctic a
priori knowIcdec) bccomcs thc qucstion o| thc csscncc o| a purc"
|cxpcricncc-|rcc) synthcsis o|purc intuition and purc thoueht.
Thc ma|or staecs o| thc canine-throueh o| thc eround-Iayine, thcrc|orc
arc thc |oIIowine.
a. Thc cmphasiine o|th clcmcots o|thc csscncc o|purc knowcdec. i.c. .
o|purc intuition |spacc, timc) and purc thinkine |TransccndcntaI ^cs-
thctic and ^naytic o|thc Conccpts) .
b. Charactcriation o|thc csscot|al uo|t, o|thcsc ccmcnts in purcsynthcsis
| o| thc 2d cd. ) .
c. IIucidation o| thc |ooct pcss|h|l|t, o| this csscntiaI unit, i . c. , o| purc
synthcsis |TransccndcntaI cduction) .
d. nvciIine o| thcgcuods |or thc possibiity o|thc csscncc o|ontoIoeicaI
knowIcdec |chaptcr on Schcmatism) .
^s to J. Thc eroundIayine in its orieinaity
Cutcomc o|thc |ormcr. thc eround |or thc possibiity o|a priori synthctic
knowIcdec is thc transccndcnta powcr o| imaeination. In thc coursc o|thc
eround-Iayine Kant introduccd a t|itd basic sourcc o|thc mind. contrary to
thc opcrativc point o|dcparturc.
This docs not Iic bctwccn" both o|thc prcviousIy citcd stcms, but rathcr
is thcir root.
This |root is indicatcd by thc |act that purc scnsibiIity and purc undcr-
standinecadbacktothcpowcro|imaeination-notonIy this, buttothcorcti-
caI and practicaI rcason in thcir scparatcncss and thcir unity
Thc point o|dcparturc in rcason has thusbccn brokcn asundcr.
Vith that Kant himsc|. throueh his radicaIism. was broueht to thc brink
o|a position |rom which hc had to shrink back.
It impIics. dcstruction o|thc |ormcr |oundation o| Vcstcrn mctaphysics
|spirit lcgcs, rcason).
It dcmands a radicaI, rcncwcd unvciineo|thc erounds |or thc possibiIity
o| mctaphysics as naturaI disposition o| human bcines, i. c. . a mctaphysics o|
ascin dircctcd at thc possibiity o| mctaphysics as such, which must posc
thc qucstion conccrninethc csscncc o|human bcines in awaywhich ispt|ct
tc aI phiosophicaI anthropooey and cutura phiosophy
AFFENDIX lV
^VCS ISFT^TICl ITVIIl IRlST C^SSlRIR
^l M^RTIl HIlICCIR
Cass|tctVhatdocsHcidceecrundcrstand by nco-Kantianism! Vhoisthc
opponcnt to whom Hcidceecr has addrcsscd himscI|! l bcIicvc that thcrc is
hardIy a sineIc conccpt which has bccn paraphrascd with so IittIc cIariy as
that o|nco-Kantianism. Vha docsHcidceecrhavc inmindwhcn hc cmpIoys
his own phcnomcnoIoeicaI critiquc in pIacc o| thc nco-Kantian onc! lco-
Kantianism is thc whippine boy o|thcncwcrphiIosophyTo mc, thcrc is an
abscncc o| cxistine nco-Kantians. l wouId bc thank|uI |or somc cIarihcation
as towhcrcitishcrc thatthcdi||crcnccpropcrIyIics. lbcIicvc that absoIutcIy
nocsscntiaIdi||crcncc ariscs. Thc tcrm nco-Kantianism" mustbcdctcrmincd
|unctionaIIy rathcr thansubstantiaIIy Itisnot a mattcr o|thc kind o|phiIos-
ophy as doematic doctrinaI systcm, rathcr. it is a mattcr o|a dircction takcn
in qucstion-posine. ^s I had not cxpcctcd to hnd it in him, l must con|css
that l havc |ound a nco-Kantian hcrc in Hcidceecr.
Hc|dcgcr Ior thc prcscnt, i| l shouId namc namcs, thcn l say Cohcn,
indcIband, Rickcrt, Irdmann, RichI. Vccan onIyundcrstand what iscom-
mon to nco-Kantianism on thc basis o|its oriein. Thc ecncsis |o|nco-Kant-
ianism Iicsinthcprcdicamcnt o|phiIosophyconccrninethc qucstiono|what
propcrIy rcmains o|it in thc whoIc o|knowIcdec. Sincc about !BD0 it has
bccn thc casc that both thc human and thc naturaI scicnccs havc takcn
posscssiono|thc totaIityo|whatisknowabIc,sothatthc qucstion ariscs what
stiII rcmains o| FhiIosophy i|thc totaIity o|bcines has bccn dividcd up undcr
thc scicnccs! lt rcmains ust knowIcdec o| scicncc, not o|bcines. ^nd it is
|rom this pcrspcctivc that thcrctroercssion toKantisthcndctcrmincd. Con-
scqucntIy, Kantwassccn asa thcorcticiano|thcmathcmatico-physicaI thcory
o| knowIcdec. Thcory o| knowIcdec is thc aspcct accordine to which Kant
camc to bc sccn. In a ccrtain scnsc, HusscrI himscI| |cII into thc cItchcs o|
nco-Kantianism bctwccn ! -00and I -I 0.
I undcrstand by nco-Kantianism that conccption o| thc Ct|||auc c] Putc
Pcasco which cxpIains with rc|crcncc to naturaI scicncc, thc part o| purc
rcason that Icads up to thc TransccndcntaI iaIcctic as thcory o| knowIcdec.
!9J
! 9 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 27J-27I
ormc,vhatmattcrsistoshovthatvhatcamctobccxtractcdhcrcasthcory
ol scicncc vas noncsscntia lor Kant. Kant did not vant to civc any sort ol
thcory olnatura scicncc, but rathcr vantcd to point out thcprobcmatic ol
mctaphysics,vhichis to say, thc probcmaticolontoocyVhatmattcrs to mc
is to vork this corc contcnt ol thc positivc ccmcnt ol thc Cr|t|auc c] Purc
Pcasco into ontoocy in a positivc vay Cn thc crounds ol my intcrprctation
ol thc Oiacctic as ontoo I bcicvc I am abc to shov that thc probcm ol
appcarancc in thc ]ransccndcnta ocic, vhich lor Kant is ony nccativc in
thc lorm in vhich it hrst appcars thcrc, is actuay| a positivc probcm, and
that thc loovincis in qucstion is appcaranccust a mattcr ol lact vhich vc
statc, or must thc cntirc probcm ol rcason bc apprchcndcd in such a vay
that vc crasp lrom thc bccinninc hov appcarancc ncccssariy bconcs to thc
naturc ol human bcincs.
Cass|rcr Cnc ony undcrstands Cohcn corrccty il onc undcrstands him
historicay, not mcrcy as cpistcmoocist.'' I do not conccivc ol my o
dcvcopmcnt asa dclcction lrom Cohcn. Matura in thc coursc olmy vork
much csc has cmcrccd, and, indccd, abovc a I rccocnizcd thc position ol
mathcmaticanatura scicncc. Hovcvcr, thiscan onyscrvc asa paradicm and
not as thc vhoc ol thc probcm. ^nd thc samc cocs lor Matorp. Mov to
cidccccrs basic systcmatic probcm.
Cn onc point vc acrcc, in that lor mc as vc thc productivc povcr ol
imacinationappcars in lact to havc a ccntra mcaninc lorKant. romthcrc I
vas cd throuch my vork on thc symboic. Cnc cannot unravc this |thc
symboic| vithoutrclcrrincit tothc lacutyolthcproductivcpovcrolimaci-
nation. ]hc povcr ol imacination is thc conncction ol a thoucht to thc
intuition. Kant cas thc povcr olimacination 5,ot|csis5pccicsa SynthcsIs L
thc basic povcr ' Caod|ra]tl ol purc thinkinc. or Kant, hovcvcr, it |purc
thinkinc| docsnot dcpcnd simpyonsynthcsis,butdcpcndsinstcadprimariy
upon thc synthcsis vhich scrvcs thc spccics. ut this probcm olthc spccics
cads into thc corc olthc conccpt olimacc, thc conccpt olsymbo.
Ilvc kccpthcvhocolKants vorkin vicv, scvcrc probcms surlacc. Cnc
olthcsc isthc probcm ollrccdom or mc, thatvas avays rcay Kantsmain
probcm. Hovislrccdompossibc` Kantsaysthatthis qucstion docsnotaov
bcinc conccivcd in this vay Vc conccivc ony ol thc inconccivabiity ol
lrccdom. In opposition to this, thcn, I micht nov sct thc Kantian cthics
'Lt||| thc Catccorica Impcrativcmustcxistinsuch a condition that thc av
sctupisnotvaidbychanccjust lorhumanbcincs,butlorarationacntitics
'\cuo]twcsco in ccncra. Hcrc suddcny is this rcmarkabc transition. ]hc
rcstrictcdncss to a dctcrminatc sphcrc suddcny las avay ]hc cthica |das
5ittl|c|c as such cads bcyond thc vord ol appcaranccs ct this is so dcci-
sivcy mctaphysica that a brcakthrouch nov loovs. It is a mattcr ol thc
transition to thc muodus|otclligi|ilis. ]hat hods lorthc cthica 'Lt||sc|c| , and
Auumo lV |2/c-2/8I IV9
inthc cthicaI a pointisrcachcd whichisnoIonecr rclativc tothc hnitudc o|
thc knowine crcaturc. Rathcr, an^bsoIutc has now bccn sct inplacc. This
cannot bc iIluminatcd historicaII Cnc couId spcak o|a stcp that Kant had
notalIowcdtobcconsummatcd, butwccannotdcnythc|actthatthcproblcm
o| |rccdom has bccn poscd in this way, that it brokc throueh thc orieinaI
sphcrc.
^nd this tics in with Hcidceecr's areumcnts. Thccxtraordinarysienihcancc
o|thc Schcmatism cannot bc ovcrcstimatcd. Thc ercatcst misundcrstandines
in thc intcrprctation o| Kant crccp in at this point. In thc cthical 'Lt||sc|co
howcvcr, hc |orbids thc Schcmatism. Thcrc hcsays. ourconccptso | |rccdom,
ctc.arcinsiehts|notbitso|knowlcdec) whichnoIonecrpcrmitschcmatizine
Thcrc is a Schcmatism o|thcorctical knowlcdec, but not o|practicaI rcason.
ThcrcispcrhapssomcthinecIsc, namcIy, what KantcaIIsthc Typico|FracticaI
Rcason, and hc makcs a distinction bctwccn Schcmatism and Typic. It is
ncccssary to undcrstand that onc cannot pcnctratc this i|onc docs not eivc
up thc Schcmatismhcrc. Ior Kant, thc Schcmatism is also thc tctm|ousaauc
but not thc tctm|ousadaucm. lcwprobIcmsariscin thc Ct|t|aucc] Ptact|cal
Pcasco and Kant indccd aIways adhcrcs to this point o| dcparturc in thc
Schcmatism, but it is also cxpandcd upon. Kant |lcd |rom Hcidcecrs prob-
Icm, but hc cxpandcd upon this sphcrc.
Summary.Thiscxpansionwasthcrc|orc ncccssarybccauscthcrc isaprobIcm
atitscorc. Hcidceecrhascmphasizcdthat ourpowcr o|knowlcdecis hnitc. It
isrcIativc and itis hxcd. ut thcn thc qucstion ariscs. how docs such a hnitc
crcaturc in ecncraI comc to havc knowIcdec, to havc rcason, to havc truth!
^nd now to thc pcrtincnt qucstion. ^t onc point Hcidceecr poscs thc
problcm o|truthandsays thcrc canbcnotruthsin thcmscIvcs, norcanthcrc
bc any cxtcrnal truths at aII. Rathcr, inso|ar as thcy occur in ecncral , truths
arc rcIativc to ascin. ^nd now it |ollows. ^ hnitc crcaturc cannot in ecncral
posscss ctcrnaI truths. Ior human bcines thcrc arc no ctcmaI and ncccssary
truths, and hcrc thc wholc poblcm aeain crupts. Ior Kant, thc probIcm was
prcciscly Vithout prcudicc to thc hnitudc which Kant himscl| cxhibitcd,
how, ncvcrthclcss, can thcrc bc ncccssary and univcrsaI truths! How arc
synthctic,aprioriudemcntspossibIc-udemcntswhicharcnotsimpIyhnitc
in thcir contcnt, but which arc ncccssariIy univcrsaI! It is thcrc|orc bccausc
o|this probIcm that Kant cxcmplihcs mathcmatics. Iinitc knowlcdec placcs
itscl|in a rclationship to truthwhich docsnot dcvclop ancw an "onl" Hci-
dccr said that Kant eavc no pro| |or thc possibility o| mathcmatics. I
bclicvc that thc qucstion waswcII poscd inthc Plcgcmcoa,but it is not and
it cannot bc thc only qucstion. ut this purc thcorctical qucstion must hrst
bc cIarihcd. Howdocs this hnitc crcaturc comc to a dctcrmination o|obccts
which as sucharc notboundto hnitudc!
low my qucstion is thc |oIlowine ocs Hcidceecrwant to rcnouncc this
cntirc Cbcctivity, this |orm o| absolutcncss which Kant advocatcd in thc
!9 Kaht and thc FmbIcm ol MctaphysIcs | 27B-279
cthicaandthc thcorctica , aswcasinthct|t|aucc]]udgmcot`ocshcwant
to withdraw compctcy to thc hnitc crcaturc or. i| not. whcrc |or him is thc
brcakthroueh to this sphcrc! I ask this qucstion bccausc I rcay do not yct
kno. Thc hxine o| thc point o| transit, thcn. ics hrst wth Hcidceecr. I
bclicvc. howcvcr. that Hcidceecr cannot bc capabc o|abidineby it. nor can
hc want to. Hc must hrst posc thcsc qucstions himsc|, and thcn, I bcicvc,
whoc ncw probcms cmcrec.
Hc|dcgct Firsto|a. to thc qucstion o|thc mathcmatica natura scicnccs.
Cnc cansay that laturc. asa rceiono|bcines. was|orKantnot|ustanysuch
rceion. For Kant. naturc ncvcr sienihcs. ob|cct o| mathcmatica natura sci
cncc. Rathcr. thc bcine o| laturc is a bcine in thc scnsc o| what is at hand.
In thc octrnc o|Frincipcs. what Kant rcally wantcd to eivc is not a catc
eorica,structuradoctrinco|thcobccto|mathcmaticanaturascicncc.Vhat
hc wantcd was a thcory o|bcines in ecncra. |Hcidceecr vcrihcd this. ) Kant
soueht a thcory o| cine in ecncra, wthout assumine Cb|ccts which wcrc
eivcn. without assumine a dctcrminatc rceion o| bcines |cithcr psychic or
physica). Hc soueht a ecncra ontooey which cxists prior to an Cntooey o|
laturc as ob|cct o| latura Scicncc and prior to an Cntooey o| laturc as
ob|cct o|Fsychooey. Vhat I want to point outis that thc ^naytic isnot|ust
an Cntooey o| laturc as ob|cct o|natural scicncc, but is rathcr a ecncra
Cntooey, a critica. wc-cstabishcd Mc|ap|,s|caCcoctal|s Kant himsc|says.
thc probcmatic o| thc Pclcgcmcoa, whcrc hc conscqucnty iustratcs how
natura scicncc is possibc. ctc. , isnot thc ccntra motivc. Rathcr. thc ccntra
motivc is thc qucstion conccmine thc possibiity o|Mc|ap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s,or
rathcr thc carryne-out o|samc.
ut now to thc othcr probcm. that o|thc powcr o| imaeination. Cassircr
wantsto showthathnitudcbccomcstransccndcntinthc cthicawrtines. -In
thc Catceorca Impcrativc wc havc somcthine which eocs bcyond thc hnitc
crcaturc. ut prcciscy thc conccpt o|thc Impcrativc as such shows thc inncr
rc|crcncc to a hnitc crcaturc. ^so. this eoine-bcyond to somcthine hiehcr is
aways |ust a eoine-bcyond to thc hnitc crcaturc. to onc which is crcatcd
|anec) . This transccndcncc too stil rcmains within thc |sphcrc o|| crcaturc
incss 'Ccsc|cpl|c||c|t and hnitudc. Thisinncrrcation. whichicswithinthc
Impcrativ itsc|. and thc hnitudc o|cthics. cmcrecs |rom a passaec inwhich
Kant spcaks o|human rcasonassc|-supportine. i. c. , o|arcasonwhichstands
purcyonitsownandwhichcannot cscapc intosomcthinectcrnaorabsoutc.
but which aso cannot cscapc into thc word o| thines. This cine-amone
thcm is thc csscncc o| Fractica Rcason. I bcicvc that wc procccd mistakcny
in thc intcrprctation o| Kantian cthics i|wc hrst oricnt ourscvcs to that to
which cthica actioncon|orms and i|wc scc too ittc o|thc inncr |unction o|
thcawitsc||or ascin. Vc cannotdiscuss thc probcmo|thchnitudc o|thc
cthica crcaturc i|wc donotposc thc qucstion. whatdocs awmcan hcrc. and
AuucnJo lV |2/-28II !97
how i sthc Iaw|uIncss itscI|constitutivc |or ascin and |or thc pcrsonaIity! It
i snot tobc dcnicd that somcthine which eocs bcyond scnsibility Iics bc|orc
thc la ut thc qucstion is. How is thc inncr structurc o|ascin itscI|, is it
hnitcor inhnitc!
ln this qucstion o| thc eoinebcyond o|hnitudc, wc hnd a whoIIy ccntral
probIcm. I havc said that it is a scparatc qucstion to ask about thc possibiIity
o|hnitudc in ecncral, |or onc can |ormaIIyareuc simply. / soon as l mac
asscrtions about thc hnitc and as soon as l want to dctcrminc thc hnitc as
hnitc, I must aIrcady havc an idca o| inhnitudc. Ior thc momcnt this docs
not say muchand yct it says cnoueh |or a ccntraI probIcm to cxist hcrc.
Irom thc |act that now this charactcr o|inhnitudc comcs to lieht prcciscIy in
what wc havc cmphasizcd as thc constitucnt o| hnitudc, I want to makc it
clcarthat l wouId say. Kant dcscribcs thc powcro|imaeination o|thc chc
matism as cx||h|tccg|oaa ut this orieinaIity is an cx||h|tc, an cx||h|tc o|
thc prcscntation o| thc |rcc scl|-eivine in which lics a dcpcndcncy upon a
takine-instridc. Soinaccrtainscnsc thisorieinaIityisindccdthcrcas crcativc
|acuIty. ^s a hnitc crcaturc, thc human bcine has a ccrtain inhnitudc in thc
ontoloeicaI. ut thc humanbcineisncvcr inhnitc and absoIutc inthc crcatin
o|thc bcine itscI|, rathcr, it is inhnitc in thc scnsc o| thc undcrstandine o|
cine. ut as Kant says, providcd that thc ontoloeicalundcrstandineo|cin
is only possiblc within thc inncr cxpcricncc o|bcines, this inhnitudc o| thc
ontoIoeicaI is bound csscntiaIIy to ontic cxpcricncc so that wc must say thc
rcvcrsc. this inhnitudc which brcaks out in thc powcr o| imaeination is prc
ciscIythc stronecst areumcnt |or hnitudc, |or ontoloey isan indcx o|hnitudc.
Cod docs not havc it. ^nd thc |act that thc human bcine has thc cx||h|tc is
thc stronecst areumcnt |or its hnitudc, |or ontoloy rcquircs only a hnitc
crcaturc.
Thcn Cassircr's countcr-qucstion with rc|crcncc to thc conccpt o|truth is
clcvatcd in importancc. IorKant, ontoIoeicaIknowIcdeciswhatisunivcrsally
ncccssary, what aIl |acticaI cxpcricnccs anticipatc, and in conncctionwith this
Imiehtpointoutthatin othcrpassaecsKantsays thatwhatmakcs cxpcricncc
possibIc, thc inncr possibility o|ontoIoeicaI knowIcdec, isaccidcntal.Truth
itscl|is unihcd with thcstructurco|transccndcncconthc most intimatc lcvcl
inordcr|orascin to bc a bcine opcn to othcrs and to itscI|. Vc arc a bcine
which holds itscl| in thc unconccalcdncss o|bcines. To hold oncscI| in this
way in thc opcnncss o|bcines L what I dcscribc as cine-in-truth, and I eo
|urthcrandsay Cnthceroundso|thc hnitudc o|thccine-in-trutho|human
bcines, thcrc cxists at thc samc timc a cineinuntruth. Lntruth bcIones to
thc inncrmostcorco|thcstructurco|ascin. ^nd lbcIicvc hcrc to havc|ound
|or thc hrst timc thc root upon which Kants mctaphysicaI appcarancc" is
mctaphysicaIIy eroundcd.
low to Cassircrs qucstionconccrnineunivcrsaIly vaIid ctcrnal truths. l|l
say. truth is rclativc to ascin, this isno ontic asscrtion o| thc sortin which
!9B Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics | 2B! -2BJ|
I say. thc trucisawaysonywhatthcindividuahumanbcinethinks. Rathcr,
this statcmcnt is a mctaphysica onc. in ecncra, truth can ony bc as truth,
and as truth it ony has a scnsc in ecncra i| ascin cxists. I| ascin docs
not cxist, thcrc is no truth, and thcn thcrc is nothine at a. ut with thc
cxistcncc o|somcthine ikc ascin, truth hrst comcs in ascin itsc|. low,
howcvcr, isthc qucstion. How docs it stand with thc vaidity o|thc ctcrnaity
o|truth! Vith rcspcct to thc probcm o|vaidity, this qucstionawaysoricnts
us toward thc prcviousy cxprcsscd statcmcnt, and |rom thcrc wc hrst comc
backtowhat iso|vauc. ^nd |romthcrc, wc hndworthorthc ikc. Ibcicvc
that thc probcm must bc unravccd in anothcr wa ruth is rcativc to
ascin. That is not to say that thcrc woudbcno possibiity |orcvcryonc to
makc thc bcinecvidcnt as it is. ut I woudsay that this transsubcctivityo|
truth, this brcakineout o| thc truth conccrnine thc particuars thcmscvcs,
as cine-in-truth, arcady mcans to bc at thc mcrcy o|thc bcine itsc|, tobc
paccd into possibiity to shapc itsc|. Vhat is rcdccmabc hcrc as obcctivc
knowcdec has, accordine to thc rcspcctivc. |actica, individua cxistcncc, a
truth-contcnt which, as contcnt, says somcthine about thc bcine. Thc pccu
iarvaidity o|which hc spokc is pooryintcrprctcd i|wc say. Incontrast to
thc ow o| cxpcricncc thcrc is a pcrmancncc, thc ctcma, thc scnsc, and
conccpt. I posc thc countcr-qucstion. Vhat, thcn, docs thc ctcrna actuay
mcan hcrc! From whcrc, thcn, dowc know o|this ctcmity! Is this ctcrnity
not ust pcrmancncc in thc scnsc o| thc D o| timc! Is this ctcrnaity not
ust that which is possibc on thc erounds o|an inncr transccndcncc o| timc
itsc My whoc intcrprctation o|tcmporaityhas thcmctaphysica intcntion
o|askine ^rc a thcsc hcadines |rom transccndcnta mctaphysics, namcy a
priori, D\ v,
^nd hc |urthcr
said that Kant had aeain rc|crrcd to this qucstion which is basic to aII mcta-
phsics. This I conccdc without |urthcr ado. ut hcrc an csscntiaI di|crcncc
appcarstomc tocxist.namcIywithrcspccttowhatKantcaIIcdthc Copcrnican
Turn.
| |
it had this ecncraI
dchnition. to bceinwith a |actum in ordcr to ask about thc possibiIity o|this
|actum, |urthcr narrowcd down,whiIc mathcmaticaInaturaI scicncc aeainand
aeain makcs it out to bc what is propcrIy qucstionabIc. Kant docs not stand
within this rcduction. ut l ask about thc possibiIity o| thc Ianeuaec o| thc
|actum. How docs it comc about, how is this, about which wc arc abIc to
comc to anundcrstandine, thinkabIc |rom ascin to ascin in this mcdium!
How is it possibIc that now and in ecncraI wc can scc a work o|art as an
obcctivc dctcrmination, as an Cbcctivc bcine, as this sienihcant |thine in
its whoIcncss!
ThisqucstionmustbcscttIcd. Fcrhaps|romhcrcon,notaIIo|thcqucstions
o| FhiIosophy arc to bc scttIcd. Fcrhaps |rom hcrc on wc cannot approach
vast arcas. ut it is ncccssary that wc posc this qucstion inthc hrstpIacc.^nd
I bcIicvc that i| wc havc poscd this qucstion, wc havc madc acccss to thc
qucstion which Hcidceecr poscs |rcc |or thc hrst timc.
Hc|dcgct Cassircr's Iastqucstion in Kant's con|rontation withthc ancicnts
eivcs mc anothcr opportunityto charactcrizc thc totaI work. l say that Flatos
Auucno I\ l2J-2cI 207
qucstion must bc rctricvcd. This cannot mcan that wc rctrcat to thc Crccks'
answcr. It turns out that cine itscI|has bccn dispcrscd in a muItipIicity and
thataccntraIprobIcmcxists thcrcin,namcIy, toattainthc |oundation inordcr
to undcrstand thc inncr muItipIicity o|thc ways o|cine bascd on thc idca
o|cine. Ior my part, I amanxious to cstabIish thisscnsc o|cineinecncraI
as ccntraI.^ccordineIythconIytroubIc |ormyinvcstieationshasbccn|udecd
to bc thc nccd| to attain thc horizon |or thc qucstion conccrnine cine. its
structurc and muItipIicity.
Mcrc mcdiatinewiIIncvcramounttoanythineproductivc. lt is thc csscncc
o|phiIosophyas a hnitc conccrn o|human bcines that it hasbccn conhncd
within thc hnitudc o| human bcines as somcthine which is not a crcativc
human achicvcmcnt. ccausc phiIosophy opcns out onto thc totaIity and
what ishiehcst in man, hnitudc must appcar in phiIosophy in a compItcIy
radicaI way.
Vhat it comcs down to is that you takc onc thinewithyou |romourdcbatc
do not oricnt yourscIvcs to thc varicty o|positions o|phiIosophizine human
cines, and do not occupy yourscIvcs with Cassircr and Hcidceecr. Rathcr.
c point is that you havc comc |ar cnoueh to havc |cIt that wc arc on thc
ay toward oncc aeain ecttine down to busincss with thc ccntraI qucstiono|
mctaphysics. ^ndontopo|that , lwouIdIikc topointouttoyouthatinsmall
mcasurc what you havc sccn hcrc is thc di||crcncc bctwccn phiIosophizine
umanbcinesinthcunityo|thcprobIcmatic,whichonaIarecscaIccxprcsscs
mcthine compIctcIy dil|crcnt, and that it is prcciscIy this |rccine o| itscI|
|rm thc di||crcncc o| positions and standpoints which is csscntiaI in thc
dcbatcwth thc historyo|phiIosophy, that itisthc hrst stcp in thc history o|
phiIosophy, it is csscntaI to scc prcciscIy how thc dilcrcntiaton o| stand-
points is thc root o| thc phiIosophicaI cndcavor.
I|
AFFENDIX V
Cn Cdcbrccht's and Cassircr's Critiqucs o|thc Kantbook
asic Cucstion. Thc Isscncc and Croundine o| thc
F|o|tudc o| Humao Kocwlcdgc t|c Pmhlcm c] F|o|tudc |o Ccoctal
I . !|c F|o|tudc c] Kocw|og
|Cassircr, Cdcbrccht)
|Cn Thcir Critiqucs o|My Kant Intcrprctation)
! ) Vhat oueht wc to hnd, or do wc want to hnd, |romthc comparison o|
our knowine with thc absoIutc! SimpIy to cxpIain what is mcant by thc
hnitudc o| cutknowine, whcrcin its hnitudc can bc sccn.
^bsoIutcknowineismcrcIya constructcd idca |scc p. I 7) , thatis,itcomcs
|rom our knowine, inwhich thc spccihcaIIy hnitc has bccn scparatcd and its
csscncc has bccn |rccd. Thc actuaI knowIcdec o|thc actuaI cine-at-hand o|
absoIutcknowIcdecwhichis tosay, thchc|ogo|Ccd||mscj~not nccdcd
hcrc. Morcovcr, wc havc provcn its]o|tudcinth hrst pIacc prcciscIyby onIy
brineine it to thc construction o| thc Icadine idca.
2) ln absoIutcIy nowayishnitcknowine dcduccd" by mc |rom absoIutc
intuition,as dchtcc|tcIaims 8lattct]atDcutsc|cP||lcscp||c, I , I -JI ) whcn
hcsays thcintuitionaIcharactcro|thinkine |canbcsaid to |oIIowncccssariIy
|rom thc broad conccpt o||otu|tusct|g|oat|us
Furthcrmorc. inabsoIutcIynowaydocs this |oIIow |rom anywhcrc throueh
dcduction, but rathcr it mani|csts itscI| to us in thc |undamcntaI cxpcricncc
o|thc dcpcndcncy upon what is eivcn. Ivcrythine rcmains as it was |or thc
ancicnts, cvcn i| wc conccivc o| dcs|goat|ogthis aso|tcknowine |to bc surc,
thc hnitc must thcn ncccssariIy bc cxpIaincd d ctcotl,, as carthIy"thc
pcrspcctivc and IcvcI o|thisintcrprctation) . Thus it musthavc bccn composcd
and namcd toecthcr with and in rc|crcncc to Kaotdcs|go |scc Fhcnomna
and loumcna Kot aodt|cPtchlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs, p. 2J|. , scc Kaotaodt|c
Pchlcmc]Mctap|,s|cs hnitudc~cluc|datcd,whcrcin it consists with rc|crcncc
to ourknowne, with a vicw toward samc)
!|tcwoocss |Ccwct]co|c|t), thc eround |or thc hnitudc o| knwine |scc
Kot aod t|c Pmhlcm c] Mctap|,s|cs , p !-), at hrst eraspcd as dcpcndcncy
upon bcines othcr than ourscIvcs. Finitudc is primariIy not that o|knowine
20B
Auucno V |28-2I 209
rathcr, thatisbutancsscntiaI conscqucncc olthrownncss. ^nd itisprcciscIy
thcrcin that thc ncccssity ol t||o||og as in scrvicc to intuition is eroundcd,
assumine that |otcrprctat|coaoddctcrm|oac, i sncccssary to thc cxpcricncc ol
bcines |ilitwas shown to bc ncccssary lor]o|tcintuitineauaprimary, hnitc
knowIcdec, thcn at thc samc timc thc appointmcnt 'D|coststclluog and thc
scrvine D|coco arc shown tobcintrinsic to thc undcrstandine |scc Kaotaod
t|cPrchlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs, p. ! -l. )).
Thinkine" isthcindcx olhnitudc, i . c. , dcpcndcncyuponintuition, which
itscIl is dcpcndcncy upon what is eivcn-thrownncss sprines lorth. This
sprineine-lorth, or eroundine, mcans csscntiaI rcIationships. J||o||og |s oct
rcduccdtc|otu|t|og|Cdcbrccht) , hut|sma|ota|ocdasrcprcscot|og,andtoundcr
standthc rcprcscntine lro somcthinein ecncraI. |is toundcrstand| that]cr
|thnitc intuition is ncccssariIy rcquircd ilit is to bc knowIcdec.
Kocw|og|spr|marl, |otu|t|og |Kaot aod t|cPohlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs p. ! D,
scc notcs thcrc) , i . c. , thc gmuod|ogc|aractcr |o |ocw|og|s |otu|t|og. For hnitc
knowine, howcvcr, this charactcr as loundationaI in a primordiaI scnsc is
indccd ncccssary, butprcciscIy bccausc |thc knowine| is hnitcit is oct
su]]c|cot.
Thc lormaI andapophantic-vcritativccsscnccs ol)udgmcot, thcn, arc shown
lrom thc subordinatc charactcr olthinkine.
Thc undcrstandine is csscot|al lor ]o|tc knowine, i. c. , it itscIl surpasscs
intuition, namcIy in its charactcr ol hnitudc.
2. DoCass|rcr Cr|t|auc
^basic qucstion in twc rcspccts. Isscncc olknowIcdec.
!) that knowIcdec L pr|mar|l, |scc tcxt) intuition |not knowIcdec * intu
ition), but inhnitc. onIy" intuition |hnitudc as construction).
FrimariIy" rclcrs to sccondariIy"-and thc Iattcr is not uo|mpcrtaot , but
rathcr is csscntiaIIy|ust as ncccssary, but inthc structurc olthc suhcrd|oaocc
'Dcoststclluog| , that this subordinant | D|cocodc ]o|tcm|sta|csprcciscIy
itscIl,whichstiIIisnoproollorinhnitudc, butrathcrthcrcvcrsc. KanthimscIl
did not dcvcIop t||s Fhcnomcnon.
2)FromaIIolthis,thcn,knowIcdecis a)ncithcrintuitionnorthinkineby
|tsc, b) but aIso not intuition as wcll as thinkine, both toecthcr, but rathcr
c) thc t||rd, but t||sasaIso thc morc orieinary, thc powcr olimaeination and
timc", but with this wc stiII havc a prchlcm
. Cass|rcr
Vhatshoudwcmakcolthctcachineastothcspontancityolthcundcrstand
2! 0 Kant and thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 299-J00I
ine. whcrc |orc it isprcciscIythcpowcro|thcimaeinationwhichhasbccn
broueht to ccntcr staec.
ut Cassircr says nothine about thc |act that this cmphasis on thc undcr-
standine is indccd ambieuous, that thc Marbure | SchooI| undcrtook somc-
thine uitc di||crcnt-onIy undcrstandine and onIy Ioeic and intuition arc
simpIy a disaerccabIc rcsiduc that s|cald oct hcpatt c] thc inhnitc proccss.
5paccaod J|mcasCcoccptsc] t|c Uodctstaod|og
locvctassctt that thcLndcrstandine simpIy brines outsomcthinea|tcr thc
|actwhich is, as it wcrc, supcr|uous |SchIcpc).
^ndwhat Cassircr wants with thc torchbcarcr is thus onIy an imaec and
says absoIutcIy nothine conccrnine thc csscncc o| thc tclat|co o| thinkine to
intuition, but that is prcciscIywhatisconccaIcdas a probIcm in thc phcnom
cnon o|thc Pcwctc] lmag|oat|co.
. DoCass|tct
Lsscoccc] t|c Uodctstaod|ogaodF|o|tadc
Thc undcrstandine scrvcs as tctc|hcatct, scrvine in any casc, and what docs
hcat|oga tctc| mcan- to iIIuminatc
It is csscntiaIIy not what eivcs thc Iieht 'L|c|t , but rathcrwhat nccds thc
cIcarine ' L|c|taog as undcrstandine, it is simpIy tc dctctm|oc It col
iIIuminatcs as sc|cmat|c Uodctstaod|og |rom itscI|, in |act, it is not cvcn abIc
to sctvc
Cassircrstickstothc Icttcrand ovcrIooks prcciscIythcprobIcmatic o|purc
undcrstandine and Ioeic.
D. F|o|tadc'|Cassircr)
To bc surc-aprobIcm, but thc dccisivc qucstion isin |act. why! and how
To phiIosophizc onIy in this way conccmine hnitudc, bccausc at onc timc
oranothcritcmcrecsinthcmomcntasakindo|haneovcr,butthisisccrtainIy
no p||lcscp||cal motivation.
ItIooksIikcCassircrhadthcccntraIthcmcand yct ccmplctcl,passcd itby
. Cass|tct|LnivcrsaI)
Cassircr adhcrcs to his wondcr|uI principIccompIiancc with lntcntion
|hnitudc"!Ycs and no ). Cucstion o|cineand qucstion conccrnineman. so
that cvcn this bccomcs probIcmaticthus thc whoIc probIcm o| conscious-
ncss is in motion Mathatg '5c|ccl lota|t|coand Thinkine, cvcn t|ct||td
Auucno V |J00-J02I 2
lo lcithcrthis probIcm northc cntirc intcrprctationo|thisqucstionhas
bccnundcrstoodandasscsscd. lnits pIacc. ob|cctions|romvarioussidcsthat
havc awkward or |aIIacious aspccts but that arc aII |opatt corrcct. Cassircr
compIctcIy misundcrstands that what is dccisivc |or intcrprctation is thc
workineout o|a probIcm. and indccd that this probIcm must hrst bc madc
visibIc, and that this comcs about throueh rccoIIcction o|Kant. o t||swa,
an intcrprctation was dcmandcd. This dctcrmincs thc historicaI obcctivity
^ Kaot|o|tscl]~ prcsumabIy docs not conccrn" us, or is indctcrmi-
natc in aII rcspccts |Ibbinehaus) -is a |undamcntaI misundcrstandine.
ut Cassircr aIso workswith thc hiddcn idca o|a corrcct intcrprctation o|
this sort.
7. DoCass|tct
^erccd. not to covcr thc cntirc scopc o|thc probIcmatic | I 7) . ^Iso thc intcn-
tion was ncvcr this. o intcrprct|usta part, but instcad |rom onc |part l , cvcn
|rom thc muod|ogptchlcm, | thc intcntion is to rcvcaI in Kant thc probIcm
o|mctaphysics,"andprciscIyonthcbasis o|thc part,"whichwasprcvcntcd
by its customaryintcrprctation as simpIy thcory o|knowIcdec. "
I n t||s patt, thc pcrspcctivc shouId bc pursucd i n thc dircction o| thc
pmhlcm c] mctap|,s|cs .which cvcn Kaot]uodamcotall,c|aogcd- thc has|s and
Iocation |or this chanec.
B. Do Cass|tct
lntcntion. cIarihcation o|thc common cndcavor
Cucstion Vhycannot Cassircrstick to thceround I pickcd |p. J)!
I)Isthc pmhlcmc] mctap|,s|cs tobc un|oIdcd and eroundcd in a di||crcnt
way!
2) ls Kant not |acticaIIy movine aIone this samc eround!
J) CrisonIyt|ccxtcottcw||c|hccco|cusl,L| pt|mat|l,didthisdcbatabIc!
Vithrcspcctto J), I con|csswithout |urthcr cIaboration, that myintcrprc
tationisvioIcntandcxccssivc, butparticuIarIywithrceardtothc assumptions
|rom I) and 2)
]hc intcntion pcrtains t oKant - thc pmhlcm o|mctaphysics
9
Thc popuIar quotation o|thc wcII-known Icttcr to M. Hcrz indccd rcquircs
that wc hnaIIy|oroncc qucstionits corrcctncss. It is too scIdom noticcd that
2! 2 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics 'J02-J0JI
a|tcr Kant said hcbclicvcd hc woud bc rcady within about thrcc months,"
in |act hc rcuircd almost tcnycars.
]hcrc must indccd havc bccn somcthine clsc that brokc down in thc
intcrim. In thc cttcr, thc probcm issti a too traditional, athoueh arcady
critically oricntcd toward thc ucstion conccmine thc possibility o| purc
abstract knowcdec, as i| it simpy cxistcd |or-itscl|. ^lthoueh hc noticcd
scnsuality hnitudc was ccrtainy not propcry ccntral.
I 0. Cass|tct
]hc mcrcy anthropoloeical and thc aw o|scnsua contcnt, appcarancc and
thc thine-in-itsc|. Instcad o|cine and ]imc, 8c|ogaodlu|,.
ut. ldca-itsc|5c|cma |analoeuc). |o|t|os|call, tcptcsco|cd.
I I .
8c|og|o||cmcdal||,c]cug||-|c-hc '5cllsc|os
! 2.
Thc practica rcaity o| |rccdom. ]his i s |somcthine| intcieiblc but cvcn
thcorctically it is oc|comprchcnsibc.
Finitc rationa csscnccalcctcdbyscnsuousncss. J||sassuc|isnotmcrcly
anthropoloeica, but is instcad thc w|clc csscocc Frcciscly |||s scpata||co
scnsc-contcnt andthcmcrcy psycholoeical"-is to bc ovcrcomc.
AFFENDIX VI
Cn thc History o|thc FhiIosophicaI Chairsincc I B
Thc timc |ramc o|this account coincidcswiththccstabIishine, strcnethcn-
ine. workineout and rcoreanization o| phiIosophicaI rcscarch at Marbure
Lnivcrsity. which aIrcady has its hxcd and uncquivocaI pIacc in thc history
o|FhiIosophy as thc Ma|ug5c|ccl
y thc middIc o|thc I -th ccntury. thc brcakdown o|thc HcecIian schooI
Icd to a ecncraI dccIinc o|phiIosophy Vithin thc conhncs o|thc contcmpo
rary, towcrnepositivc scicnccs |historyand thcnaturaIscicnccs). phiIosophy
aItoecthcr Iost its prcstiec. Vhcrc it was wcII kcpt up. it took pIacc in thc
midst o| an ienorancc and pcrvcrsion o| its propcr csscncc. lt was abIc to
obtain vaIidity bc|orc thc prcdominant scicntihc consciousncss by mcans o|
anassimiIationo|itscI|. which ran countcr toitscI|.with thc positivc scicnccs
asoatutal-sc|coticphiIosophy"|psychoIoey),that is. as phiIosophicaI ||stc.
Thc upIi|tine rcncwaI o|scicntihc phiIosophy undcrway sincc thc | I B| 0s
undcrtook. cvcn i| in a eropine wa. to win back an undcrstandine o| thc
orieinaI phiIosophicaI probIcmatic. Thc conccrn with thc ob|cct. thc manncr
o|trcatmcntandthcsystcmatic unityo|phiIosophyrcccivcd dccisivc impctus
and madc |undamcntaIadvanccsthroueh thc rcscarch conductcd at Marbure
Lnivcrsity Iirst o|aII. this |rcscarch| souehttosccurc oncc aeainthcsccntihc
csscncc o| FhiIosophy by mcans o| a ncw appropriation o| Kants criticaI"
work. In |act. durine thc 0s, throueh thc work o| Id. cIIcr |Fro|cssor o|
FhiIosophy in Marbure, I B--2), Ctto Licbmann. Hc. HcImhoItzandIr.
^. Lanec |Crdinarius in FhiIosophyatMarbure, ! B7J7D). thccaIIwasIoudIy
soundcd back to Kaot Iirst, in his work Kaot !|ccc] Lxpct|cocc | I B7!) .
H. Cohcnhad pIaccd thc rcappropriationo| Kant thatwas aIrcadyundcrway
upon a scicntihcaIIy dccisivc eround, and in so doine hc in|Iucnccd thc
subscqucnt pIayine-out o|lco-Kantianism"inbotha positivc andanceativc
way urine this samc timc. two works appcarcd. N iIthcys Lc|co 5c|lc|ct-
mac|cs l | ! B70) and Ir. rcntano's Ps,c|clcg|c cm cmp|t|sc|co 5taodpuo|tl
| !B7). in which tcndcncics othcr than a rcncwaI o| Kant wcrc maintaincd.
Thcybccamc. howcvcr thc point o|dcparturc |oriIthcy`s Lc|cosp||lcscp||c
,
which was oricntcd with rcspcct to thc probIcm o| ascin's historicaIity. and
providcdthc impctus|orthcdcvcIopmcnto|p|cocmcoclcg|calrcscarch. which
was eroundcd in |thc work o| I. Husscr In both instanccs. which today
havcsystcmaticaIIybceun to bc |uscd, thcwaywas pavcd |or thc ovcrcomine
2! J
2I Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' J0J-J0l
ol lcoKantianism, indccd to such an cxtcnt that thcy cncouraecd thc
strcnethcnine and rcoreanization ol thc Marbure Schoo. "
I nhis maorphiosophicawork Ccsc||c||cdcsMa|ct|al|smus | I BD). Ir. ^.
Lanec had assiencd a lundamcnta phiosophica mcanine to Kant's critica
idcaism, to thc cxtcnt that in | Kants critica idcaism , Matcriaism as thc
simpcst, tcgula||vcword vicw" mustbc ovcrcomc. Lanec immcdiatcy kncw
thc importancc ol Cohcnswork, bascd on an undcrstandine olKant hc had
aboriousyworkcdoutlorhimscl,andhcdidnothcsitatc toinscrtarcncwcd
cxamination into his own Kant intcrprctation. anec arranecd lor Cohcn's
habiitation in Marbure |lovcmbcr I B7J). ^ltcr Vcicnborns dcath thc lo-
owineycar, Cohcn was thc soc candidatc to bc nominatcd lor Crdinarius.
In lact, hc did not ect this appointmcnt, but as ol Iastcr I B7D hc was
appointcd Ixtraordinarius Frolcssor, and upon Lanec's dcath |lovcmbcr
I B7D) hc assumcd anecs| Frolcssorship, which hc woud hod unti I -I 2.
Foowine his appointmcnt to Imcritus status, Cohcn rcocatcd to crin
whcrc, inadditiontowritineactivcy,hc hcd ccturcsand casscsathc]cwish
thcooeica acadcmy thcrc unti his dcath |^pri ! -I B).
Cohcn ookcd lor thc ccntcr ol thc Kantian probcmatic in thc orieina
sthctic unity ol transccndcnta appcrccption. Hc saw thc probcm ol thc
constitution olrcaity in ecncra as containcd in thc qucstion conccrnine thc
oriein olthc obcctivity olthc obccts olmathcmatico-physica knowcdec in
thc cohcrcnt cxccution olpurc thinkine. Vith thc task ol a transccndcnta
oeicaeroundineolthcscicntihcknowcdecolnaturc undcrstoodinthisway,
phiosophy shoud maintain an orieina compcx ol probcms that is lunda-
mcntay inacccssibc to thc cxact scicnccs. Thc boundarybctwccn thcorctica
knowcdec on thc onc hand, and thc morapractica and artistic-lormativc
conduct olthcsubcctonthc othcr, prcsscs loracorrcspondineylar-rcachine
intcrprctation olKant, which Cohcn prcscntcd in hisworks ao|s8cgtaoduog
dctL|||| | ! B77) and ao|s 8cgtaoduog dcts||c||| | I BB-).
Vithin this thrcclod, transccndcntaayineolthceround lorthcword ol
obccts" ics thc qucstion olthc s,s|cma||c uo||, olthc cntirc transccndcnta
eroundine itscl. In his tcxt las Pt|oz|p dct loo||cs|malmc||cdc uod sc|oc
Ccsc||c||c| ! BBJ), Cohcn dcvcopcdthc hrst and, lorhisluturcwork. dccisivc
discussion olthc idca olsystcm. In thc subtitc, itis dcscribcd as ^ Chaptcr
on thc ayine ol thc Cround lor thc Critiquc olKnowcdec. " Thc chanec ol
thc cxprcssion Critiquc olRcason" to Critiquc olKnowcdec" cxprcsscsonc
olCohcn's principc convictions, which atcr dominatcd his own attcmpts at
constructinea systcm. knowcdec is scicncc, ormorc prcciscy, mathcmatica
natura scicncc. ^ccordiney, critica ldcaism bccomcs scicntihc" hrst and
lorcmost by takine thc lact ' !a|sac|c| ol sc|cocc to bc thc obcct ol thc
transccndcnta eroundine. Inscicncc aonc arc thines eicn and papaby at
hand vct|aodco| lor phiosophica qucstions. " Thc knowine consciousncss
. . . onyhas inthc lact ' !a|sac|c olscicntic knowcdec thatrcaitytowhich
Auucno Vl |J0c-J08I 2 ! J
a phiIosophicaI invcstieation can rc|cr." ^s a conscqucncc o| this narrow
|astcnine toecthcr o| transccndcntaI phiIosophy with thc scicntihc |act
'Fa|tum| , itaIsocamcto passthatcthicaI and acsthctic obccts as s|cotcall,
|ocwo bccamc a probIcm. In |act. Cohcn postulatcd risprudcncc
'Pcc|tsw|sscosc|a]t| as thc aIIcecd scicncc |orcthics,whilcinacsthcticshcwas
oricntcddircctlytowardthcworkso|artand not, asthc idcao|systcmwouId
havcit ,towardthc scicnccc! thc works. Thc systcmatic o|thc basic conccpts
o|Ioeic. cthics, and acsthctics. oricntcd in sucha manncr, ectsworkcd outin
Cohcn's thrcc-part systcm |cg|| dct tc|ocoLt|cooto|s, ! -02, Lt|||dcs tc|oco
wcllcos, ! -0, st|ct|| dcs tc|oco Cc|ls, ! -!2). VhiIc so |ar Cohcn had
dissoIvcd thc phiIosophicaI probIcmo|rcIieion intothato|cthics. inhistcxt
lct8cgtij]dctPcl|g|co|m5,stcmdctP||lcscp||c| ! -! D) hc soueht todctcrminc
thc uniquc mcanine o|thc phcnomcnon o|rcIieion.
^Ithoueh Cohcn ncvcr pubIishcda ercatwork inthchistory o|phiIosophy
othcr than his works o| Kant intcrprctation. noncthcIcss |rom thc bceinnine
hissystcmaticworkwas nourishcd andeuidcd throuehconstantcneaecmcnt
with thc Frc-Socratics, FIato and lichoIas Cusanus, cscartcs and Lcibniz.
Cohcns Ionetimc co-workcr and |ricnd, FauI latorp, carricd out a morc
concrctc. thoroueh. and insieht|ul cxamination o|ancicnt and modcrn phi-
losophy by mcans o| a systcmatic undcrstandine o| thc problcms. ln thc
autumno|!BB ! . latorp habiIitatcd atMarbureLnivcrsity,in ! BBDhcbccamc
a Iccturcrat thc univcrsity, in !B-J. assucccssorto . cremann|scc bcIow),
hc bccamc Crdinarius Fro|cssor o|FhiIosophy In ! -22 hc bccamc Imcritus,
in spitc o|thc |act that hc was stiII activc with lccturcs and cIasscs. latorp
dicd shortIy a|tcr his 70th birthdayin ^ueust !-2. ccausc latorps phiIo-
sophicaI work initially took placc scrupuIousIy in thc samc spirit as Cohcns.
hc couIdlatcrsccthccsscntiaIeaps and onc-sidcdaspcctso|thcsystcmmorc
cIcarIy. andhc couId brineittoamorc rieinaIIyeroundcd,indcpcndcntIcvcI
o|dcvcIopmcnt. latorps carIicstinvcstieationswcrc conccmcd withthcIoos-
cnineup o|ancicnt phiIosophy throueh thc history o| phiIosophicaI| prob-
Icms. Thc work Fctsc|uogcozutCcsc||c|tcdcsLt|cooto|sptchlcms |mAltcttum
| ! BB) had a strone inIucncc on scicncc. Thc work Platcs ldccolc|tc L|oc
L|o]a|tuog|odcoldcal|smus| ! -0J) indccdmctwithhcrccopposition. Rceard-
Icsso|thc tcnabiIity o|individual intcrprctations. itpcr|ormcdthcurecnttask
o|cIar|yine that thc historyo|FhiIosophycannot dispcnsc witha systcmatic
udcrstandine o|thc probIcm asa hcrmcncuticalprcsupposition o|itswork.
In a trcatisc that is too scIdom considcrcd. callcd hctJ|cmauodl|spcs|t|co
dct at|stctcl|sc|co Mctap|,s|| |P||lcs Mcoats|c]tc, voI. l !BBB), latorp
anticipatcdrcsuIts and probIcms inwhich thc prcscnt aec hrst bccamc morc
acccssibIc.
]hc transccndcntaI layine-o|-thc-eround |or IoeicaI, cthicaI and acsthctic
conducthasitshiehcstpoint"in thcsubcct. ]husthceround-Iayineitscl|hrst
comcs to thc eround thoueha thcmatic considcration o|consciousncss in thc
2I Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' J0B-J!0l
scnsc o|a noncmpiricaI TransccndcntaI FsychoIoey latorp communicatcd his
hrst cxpcrimcnts in this dircction in his L|olc|tuog |o d|c Ps,c|clcg|c oac|
|r|t|sc|crMct|cdc | I BBB). urine thc |oIIwine two dccadcs, in thc coursc o|
his dcbatc with thc morc spiritcd. wcII-|ormcd, |undamcntaI conccption o|
psychoIoey |iIthcy and HusscrI), thc importancc o| which psychoIoey itscI|
can onIy erasp today latorp pushcd |orward to a radicaI |ormuIation o| thc
probIcm. Thc ncw position was in cvidcncc in thc rccastine o| thc carIicr
L|olc|tuog, which appcarcd in ! -! 2 as Allgcmc|oc Ps,c|clcg|c oac| |r|t|sc|cr
Mct|cdc l ln this work, as was thc casc with aII o| his phiIosophicaI work,
latorp incrcasineIy aimcd |or a s,stcmat|cuo]cld|og o| thc systcmatic unity o|
phiIosophy ln ordcr to ovcrcomc a supcrhciaI and a|tcr-thc-|act condcnsation
o| thc transccndcntaI phiIosophicaI discipIincs, which had aIways |undamcn
taIIy rcmaincd standine |or Cohcn. it was abovc aII a mattcr o|brcakine away
|rom thc IcvcIine, which Cohcn |orccd, o| aII possibIc ways o|comportmcnto|
Spirit to thc scicnccs c] thcsc wayso|comportmcnt. Viththc cIimination o|
thc mcthodicaI priority o|thcscicnccs,thcorcticaI comportmcnt draws aIone-
sidc" thc athcorcticaI" i. c. . thc moraI, thc artstic. and thc rcIieis. Thc dca
o|Ioeic was |rccd |rom thc conhncs o|aIayine o|thc erounds |or thc scicnccs,
that is, |rom a thcorzine." and aIone with thc practicaI and thc poctic." it
was -cIassihcd as univcrsaI doctrinc o|catceorics. Thc |rccr posine o|phiI-
osophicaI qucstions conccine thc orieinaIity o|thc individuaI arcas o|spiri-
tuaI Ii|c, prcparcd |or in this way, rcsuItcd in a morc opcn intcrprctation o|
spirituaI history. ^t thc samc timc, it madc possibIc thc positivc cvaIuation o|
thc |undamcntaI mcanine o| a phcnomcnoIoeicaI catcercaI anaIysis o| sub
|cctivc" and obcctivc" spirit. latorps own \crlcsuogco ahcrra|t|sc|c P||lc
scp||c which wcrc stiII bcine rcadicd |or pubIication and which hrst appcarcd
a|tcr his dcath | I -2D), o||crcd a concrctc eIimpsc into thc ncw and comprc-
hcnsivcIy systcmatic tcndcncics inhis thoueht.
Fom thc FhiIosophicaI Scminar that was cstabIishcd in I -00 a scrics o|
vaIuabIcinvcstieationshavccmcrecdwhich,sincc I -0,havc bccnasscmbIcd
in P||lcscp||sc|cArhc|tco. cditcd by H. Cohcn and latorp.
Thc continuation and rc-castine o|thc Marbure SchooI" is mani|cst today
in thc work o|Irnst Cassircr |Crdinarius Fro|cssor in Hambure) and licoIai
Hartmann |habiIitatcd in Marbure in I -0-, aucrdcotl|c|crFro|cssor I -20,
Crdinarius Fro|cssor as latorps succcssor I -22, sincc ^utumn o| I -2D in
CoIoenc) . VhiIc ^. CrIand |Fro|cssorinHambure) andN KinkcI |Fro|cssor
in Ciccn) |or thc most part hcId to thc position cstabIishcd by Cohcn, |or
ycars Cassircr strovc to Iay out a univcrsaI FhiIosophy o| CuIturc on thc
basis o| lco-Kantian qucstionine. His P||lcscp|, c] 5,mhcl|c Fcrms |Fart ! ,
oguagc, I -2J Fart 2 , M,t||cal !||o||og, I -2D) attcmptcd to Iay out thc
comportmcnt and shapine o|spirit, eidcd by thc idca o|thc cxprcsson o|
a systcmatic intcrprctation. Cassircr convcrecs with latorp`s c||orts in a par-
ticuIarwa whichhasitsimportanccmorcinthcunivcrsaIcatceoriaI|oundine
AuucnJo Vl |JI J-J I II 2! 7
o | thc systcm. and not in thc concrctc intcrprctation o|thc individuaI sym-
boIs" o|spirit.
Hartmanns invcstieations |Cuodzagc c|ocMctap|,s||dcL|cooto|s I -2 I ,
and Lt|||, I -2)movc in thc dircctiono | a |undamcntaI chanec in thc prob-
Icmatic o|thc schoo. "Thc undcrstandine o| thc cotclcg|cal probIcm, which
was ncwyawakcncdand eidcd byphcnomcnoIoeicaI rcscarchand thc thc-
oryo|thc ob|cct ,andwhichsincc^ntiquityhasdctcrmincdthcercattradition
o|scicntihc phiIosophy, Icd Hartmann toattcmpt to twist not onIy cpistcmo
IoeicaIqucstionine,butrathcrphiIosophicaIqucstioninein ecncraIouto|thc
narrow conhncs o|thcidcaIistic-criticaIhorizon. Inso doine hcncvcrthcIcss
hcId |ast to thc traditionaI standine o|thc phiIosophicaI discipIincs and thc
prcvaiIinepcrspcctivcs on probIcms that thcy hcId. ^s a conscqucncc o|this
systcmaticrc|ormationo|thcMarbureSchooIancwundcrstandineisawak-
cncd |or thc history o|univcrsaI and spcciaI ontoIoey Throueh his invcstiea-
tion into thc ontoIoeicaI antcccdcnts o| Kantian phiIosophy H. Hcimsocth
|habiIitatcdin Marbure, I -I 2, sincc autumn o| I -2J Crdinarius Fro|cssor in
Kniesbcre) advanccd in an csscntiaI way thc knowIcdec o|thc dcvcIopmcnt
o|mctaphysics.
Cutsidc o|thc schooI."]uIius cremann, as Crdinariusin FhiIosophy |rom
IB7--J. cxhibitcd an urecncy and indcpcndcncc in his tcachine. / o|Cc-
tobcr I , I B-J. hc rcsiencd and rcIinquishcd thc stipcnd carncd |rom his Icc
turine obIieations, but hc stiII rcmaincd in |uII posscssion o| his riehts as a
|acuItymcmbcr untiI his dcath in I -0. cremannwas a studcnt o|Lotzc and
TrcndcIcnbure. His work in thc arca o| thc Ioeic o| mctaphysics |Allgcmc|oc
cg||, I B7-, 5c|o uod L|cooco, I BB0, |c Ctuodptohlcmc dc cg||, I BB2,
otcsuc|uogcoahcHauptpuo|tcdcP||lcscp||c, I -00) Ic|t an imprcssionust
as unobtrusivc as it was stone. cremann cstabIishcd thc |ournaI P||lcsc
p||sc|co Mcoats|c]tc in I BB, which was thc lcad|og tcchnicaI |oumaI durine
thc hnaI dccadc o|thc Iast ccnturyand whichwasmcrecd with thc `Ac||v]a
Ccsc||c|tcdcP||lcscp|c in I B-.
In I -0B, thoscwhomanaecd to attain Ixtraordinarius in FhiIosophywcrc
Mcnzcr |in Marbursincc I -0, caIIcd to HaIIc in I -0B as Crdinarius) , H.
Schwarz | I -0B-I0. a|tcrbcineCrdinariusinCci|swaId),C. Misch | I- I I - I 7,
a|tcr bcine Crdinarius in Cttinecn), M. Vundt | I -I B-20. a|tcr bcine Crdi-
narius incna), l. Hartmann | I -20-22).
RE!ERENCES FR AFFENDICES
"Bcsprcchunc. Lmst Lassircr, h!oSoUh!c dcr S\m0o!Schcn ormcn. 2. Jcil. Lu5 m\/h!Sthc
Lcncn. Bcrin. Bruno Cassircr Vcrac, !92J | ^ppcndix !I in this voumc-tr. .
^ppcarcd in. Lcu/Schc L/cru/ur2c!/un2 |Bcrin), ncW scrics J |!92), no. 2! . ! 000-
! 0! 2. |1his rcvicW appcarcd prcviousy in Lncish in thc voumc hc !c/\ o1
1h!n!n2 |Boomincton. !ndiana Lnivcrsity rcss. ! 97-tr.|
"Oavoscr Vortracc. Kants r! |l dcr rc!ncn Vcrnun1| und dic ^ucabc cincr rundccunc
dcr Mctaphysik | ^ppcndix III in this voumc-tr. | . ^ppcarcd in Luvo5cr Kcvuc, IV
|! 929). no. 7. pp. ! 9~- !9.
"Zur cschichtc dcs phiosophischcn lchrstuhcs scit ! | ^ppcndix V! in this
voumc -tr. . ^ppcarcd in L!c h!!UUS-n!vcrS!/0/ ZU Nur0ur2 ! Z-! Z|Marburc.
N . LWcrt'schc Vcracsbuchhandunc | . Braun , ! 927), pp. ! -7.
2 !B
EDI1R`S AI1LRVRD
ThisthirdvoIumc o| | Hcidceecrs| CoIcctcdVorkscontainsthctcxt o|thc
cxpandcd |ourth cdition o|thc book Kant and thc Frobcm o|Mctaphysics. "
which was pubIishcdin I-7J. This cxpandcd |ourth cdition was ovcrsccnby
Martin Hcidceecr himscI|and was accomplishcd throueh thc incIusion o|an
^ppcndix. This voIumc, thc appcndix to which has aeain bccn cxpandcd to
now incudc |our additionaI tcxts. appcars simuItancousIy as a scparatc,
auemcntcd h|th cdition.
Thc hrst cdition |rom I -2- was pubIishcd by Iricdrich Cohcn Frcss o|
onn, which had bccn undc thc manaecmcnt o|Vittorio KIostcrmann sincc
I -2B.VhcnthispubIishcrwascIoscd |oIIowinea pcriodo|hnanciaIdi|hculty,
arcprintineo|thc hrst cditionwas pubIishcd by thc Ccrhard SchuItculmkc
Frcss o| Irank|urt am Main. Sincc thc pubIication o| th sccond cdition in
! -D I . thc Kantbook as Hcidceecr himscI| callcd it, has bccn publishcd by
thc Vittorio KIostcrmann Frcss, which in I -2- had ovcrsccn thc pubIishine
o|thc hrst cdition.
Incditinethisvoumc.thccditorconsuItcdthc manuscripto|Kantand thc
FrobIcm o|Mctaphysics. "^ comparison o|thc printcd tcxt o|thc |ourth cdi
tion, which had bccn ncwIy typcscta|tcrthcpubIication o|thc third cdition,
and a comparison o| thc sccond cdition with thc hrst. showcd that with thc
rcscttineo|thcsccondcditionin I -D ! , apart |roma |cw spclineornotational
mistakcs thathadsimpIybccncorrcctcdwithoutcommcnt, |ourscriouscrrors
had bccn aIIowcd to crccp in as wcII. Cn paec 2B thc word vorstclIiecr"
rcplaccs vorstcie" on paec ! D- ScIbst" rcpaccs Scins", on paec I BD thc
omittcd phrasc da dicscs|ctzt anwcscndc Scicndc dasscIbc sci, wic das" has
bccn put back, on paec I-7 ursprnelichcrcn" rcpIaccs ursprnelichcn. "
^s was thc casc with voIumcs I . 2, +, 5, -. and ! 2 o|thc hrst scction |o|
Hcidceecrs CoIIcctcd Vorks| that havc bccn pubIishcd to datc. so too this
volumc J contains Hcidceecrs mareinaia |rom his pcrsonaI copy o| thc hrst
cdition. His pcrsonaI copics o|thc Iatcr cditions do not havc any mareinaIia.
ThcpIaccmcnto|thcmareinaiarcsuIts|romHcidceecr'sownrc|crcnccmarks.
In print, thcy arc dcsienatcd in |ootnotcs with supcrscriptcd smaII Icttcrs. in
ascqucnccthatbceinsaeainwithcachnumbcrcdscction. Thc maorityo|thc
lonecr or shortcr mareinaI notcs wcrc writtcn in ink. with thc rcst donc in
pcnciI. ScvcraIo|thc IonecrmareinaIiawcrcwrittcnby Hcidceecroninscrtcd
slips o|papcr with a paec or scction rc|crcncc. Many o|thc mareinalia datc
|romthc timcwhcn thc rcicws o|thcKantbookbyIrnstCassircr| I -J I) and
Rudol| Cdcbrccht | I-JIJ2) appcarcd. Most o| thcsc mareinaIia havc an
2 I9
220 Li|ors A|crwor
immancnt cxpIanatoy charactcr, onIy a |cw o| thcm makc notc o| thc Iatcr
IcvcI o| considcration pcrtainine to thc history o| cine. ScvcraI cntrics arc
aIso mcrcIy smaII styIistic improvcmcnts.
+
Thc ^ppcndix to thc |ourth cdition o| ! -7J, which containcd two tcxts,
hashcrc bccn cxpandcd to incIudc |our additionaI picccs tnowbceinswith
thc ncw Nc|cs co||c Kao|hccl which Hcidceecr had inscrtcd in hispcrsonaI
copy o| thc hrst cdition. Thc notc which was rcproduccd in |acsimiIc |orm
and transcribcd as part o| thc |orcword to thc |ourth cdition |and which is
|ound on paec xii o| thc Ccsamtauseabc cdition-tr. bcIones to this samc
piccc. ^n anaIysis o| both thc writine and contcnt show it to datc |om thc
! -J0s or ! -0s.
Thc sccondpiccc is Hcidceecr's Pcv|cwc]Lros|Cass|rcrsP||lcscp|,c] 5,m
hcl|cFcrms Fart 2 M,|||cal J||ol|og| ! -2D), which has not appcarcd in print
sincc it was hrst pubIishcd in thc lcu|sc|c L||cra|urzc||uog in !-2B. Thc
pubIishcd tcxt was proo|rcad aeainst thc manuscript |ound in Hcidceecr
survivine papcrs-a carc|uI cIcan copy ^ rcprint o| this piccc is amone thc
inscrtions in Hcidceecr's pcrsonaI copy o|thc Kantbook.
Thc thirdpIaccbcIonestothcsummary, hrstpubIishcdin thc |ourth cdition
and ovcrsccn by Hcidceecr himscI|, o| his !-2- coursc at thc sccond avos
HochschuIc March ! 7 -^priI , ! -2-). This coursc consistcd o|thrcc Iccturcs
on Kao| Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco aod ||c Jasl c] a La,|og c] ||c Couod]cr
Mc|ap|,s|csandisrcprintcdancwhcrc. Thcrcisnomanuscipto|thissummary
oro|thc thrcc IccturcsthcmscIvcsinHcidceecr's survivine papcrs. Thcdivision
o| thc thrcc Iccturcs mcntioncd in thc summary shows that it aiscs |romthc
division o|thc hrstthrcc o|thc |ourtotaI scctions o|thc Kantbook. lnthc thrcc
avos Iccturcs, Hcidceecr carricd |oward thc train o| thoueht |rom thc hrst
thrcc scctions o|thc Kantbook, which appcarcd at thc cnd o|that samc ycar.
urine thc proo|rcadine o| thc |ourth cdition o| ! -7J, hc in|ormcd thc cditor
o| thc prcscnt voIumc that |oIIowine his rcturn |rom avos, hc immcdiatcIy
bceanworkineout thc manuscript |orthc Kantbookandthata|tcrthrccwccks
o|unintcrruptcd work hc had sct it down in writine.
Thc ncxt piccc, which appcarcd prcviousIy in thc |ourth cdition, is a sum-
maryo|thc avosIccturcs, thc account o|thc lavcsl|spu|a||cohc|wccoLs|
Cass|rcraodMar||oHc|dcgcr.This disputation occurcd in conncction with a
coursco|Iccturcs hcIdbyHcidceecrand Cassircr. Ctto Iricdrich oIInowand
oachim Rittcr, who wcrc participants in thc Iccturc coursc at thc avos
HochschuIc, prcparcd thc summary. ccausc Hcidceecr didnothavc hisown
typcwrittcn copy on hand durine thc timc that thc |ourth cdition was bcine
prcparcd, Frossor Ctto Iricdrich oIInow eraciousIy|urnishcdhisowncopy
|or usc as thc book was bcine typcsct. Sincc that timc, howcvcr, Hcidceecr
own copy has bccn Iocatcd amone his survvine papcrs. / a rcsuIt o| a ncw
Li|ors A||crwor 22 I
comparson o| thc typcwrttcn tcxt wth thc tcxt as prntcd n thc |ourth
cdton, a |cw omssons havc now bccn rcpIaccd.
^monethcnscrtonsnHcdceecrs pcrsonaI copy o|thc hrstcdtono|thc
Kantbook saIso an cnvcIopc bcarne thc handwrttcn nscrpton Cdcbrccht`s
and CassrcrsCrtquc o|thc Kantbook. asc qucston Isscncc anderoundne
o|thcotudc o||umaoknowIcdecPrhlcmc]o|tudc|ogcoca Thc hand-
wrttcnnotcsonthctworvcwso|thc Kantbook|whchappcarcdn I9JIJ2)
contancd n ths cnvcIopc havc bccn pubIshcd n thc ^ppcndx |V n thc
prcscntvoumc undcr thc ttIc Cn Cdcbrccht`s and Cassrcrs Crtqucs o|thc
Kantbook. " Thc scpaata o| both rcvcws havc aIso bccn nscrtcd n
Hcdceecrs pcrsonaI copy. Somc o|thcm havc bccn hcavIy workcd throueh
and suppIcd wth numbcrcd marenaInotcs. thc contcnt o|whchncvcrthcIcss
contnucs to advancc Hcdceecr's crtcaI rcsponsc to both rcvcws. ]hcy arc
aIso arranecd wth numbcrs whch. howcvcr, arc consstcnt wth thc marenaI
notcs |rom Hcdceecrs pcrsonaI copy o| thc Kantbook as prntcd n ths
volumc. Irnst Cassrcrs rcvcw. cnttIcd Kantand thcFrobIcmo|Mctaphyscs
Rcmarks on Martn Hcdceecr`s Kant lntcrprctaton" appcarcd n otstud|co
Vl. numbcr I2 | 9J) , pp. I 2. RudoI| Cdcbrcchts book rcvcw was
pubIshcd n 8lattc]adcutsc|cP||lcscp||c )| I 9JI -J2), pp. I J2-JD.
Thc ^ppcndccs concudc wth a rcprntne o|thc tcxt Cn thc Hstory o|
thc Char nFhIosophy sncc B." whch Hcdceecrhad pubIshcd n I927
n thc Fcstsc|]t c FhIppsLnvcrstt zu Marbure I D27- 927. " ccausc
Hcdceecrprcscntcd n ths tcxt thc oren, dcvcopmcnt. c||cct. and rcconsti
tuton o|thc nco-Kantansm o|thc MarbureSchooI," to whch Imst Cassrcr
aIso bcIonecd. hc dccdcd that wthn thc contcxt o|a CoIIcctcd Idton o|his
wrtnes t shouId bc ncIudcd n thc ^ppcndx to thc Kantbook.
+ + + + + + + +
Thc transcrpton o| thc marenaI notatons and thc varous othcr pcccs
pubshcd |or thc hrst tmc n thc ^ppcndwas coIIatcd wth r. Hcrmann
Hcdceecr and r Hartmut Tct|cn. Ior ths hcIp n sa|ceuardne IcxcaI and
tcxtuaI contnuty, l o||cr my snccrc and hcart|ct thanks.
r. Hans-HcImuth Candcr hcIpcd mc do thc proo|rcadne wth provcn
crcumspccton and carc, |orwhch l aIso snccrcIy thank hm.
rcbure . r. . May I990
N von Hcrrmann
1c pacc numbcrs lrom thc |ccturc manuscripts. towhichHcldccccr occasionay rc|crs in his
marcinal notcs, wcrc rc|accd by thc cditor with thc corrcspondinc pacc numbcrs lrom thc
publishcd vcrsions thathavcappcarcd n thc Ccsamtauscabc in thcintcrim. ikcwsc. rclcrcncs
nHcidccrs notations tocdtons, ycars. andpacc numbcrs o|thc work Vm WcscnJcs OmJcs
havc bccn broucht up to datc.
1RANSL1R`S N1ES
Prc[accs
I . ]hisIccturc coursc has bccn pubIishcdasvoIumc 2D o|Hcidceecr's Ccsam-
tausga|c undcr thc titIc P|aocmcoclcg|sc|c lotctctat|co vco Kaots Kt|t|| dct
Pc|oco \cuo]t, cd. !. CIand |Frank|urt a. M. I 977).
2. wcooglc|c|s|c|cd|ogcodcFtagcstclluoguotctgclcgtwutdc
J. Scc transIator's notc I to thc prc|acc to thc |ourthcdition |or morc on this
Iccturc coursc.
. Hcidceecr's initiaI pIan |or8c|ogaod |mc caIIcd |or an Introduction. |oI-
Iowcdby two main parts|Fart Cnc" andFart]wo") . Iach o|thcsc twoparts.
in turn, was to consist o|thrcc divisions. ]hc pubIishcd vcrsion as wc know
itconsistso||ust thc lntroduction and thc hrst two divisions o|Fart Cnc. ]hc
third division o| Fart Cnc and aII thrcc divisions o| Fart ]wo wcrc ncvcr
pubIishcd, aIthoueh Hcidceecr's attcmpts to work throueh thc probIcms hc
pIanncdto trcatin thcscmissinescctions can bc sccn in somc o|his Iccturcs
immcdiatcIybc|orc and a|tcr8c|ogaod!|mcappcarcd. Hcidceecr's occasionaI
rc|crcnccs to thc hrst haI|" o|8c|ogaod !|mc, thcn, rc|cr to thc hrst haI| o|
his totaI pIan |or thc book, or |or thc whoIc o| what wc know as 8c|ogaod
!|mcpIus thc missine third division o|Fart Cnc. Itwas notuntiI thc scvcnth
cdition o|that book I9DJ) that Hcidceecrstoppcdrc|crrinetothc pubIishcd
part as thc hrst haI|. "
D. Fart ]wo was to consist o| a division dcvotcd to cach o| thc |oIIowine
Kants Schcmatism and doctrinc o|timc, cscartcss Ccg|tcsumand^ristotIcs
trcatiscsontimc |Scc5c|ouodZc|t, pp. J90) . ^Ithoueh Hcidceecr sueecsts
hcrc that Fart ]wo was writtcn, it ncvcrappcarcd.
. ]his cssay appcars in thc anthoIoey wcgmat|co Ccsamtausga|c, voI. 9
|Frank|urt, I 97).
7. ]hc hrst cssay appcars in IneIish as Kants ]hcsis aboutcine, " trans.
KIcin andN FohI, 5cut|wcstc ]cutoalc]P||lcscp|,, , I97J, pp. 7JJ. ]hc
sccond work appcars as w|atlsa !||og`, trans. N . arton and cutsch
|South cnd, !97).
22J
22 !runs|u|ors No|cs
Part Dnc
! . 5c|codco als5c|codco.
2. Ccgcostaod Kant makcs an importantdistinctionbctwccn Ccgcostaod and
Dh)c|t. whic Hcidceecr prcscrvcs and which is amost impossibc to carry
ovcr into Ineish. Ior Kant. a Ccgcostaods a thine in spacc and timc that is
cncountcrabc by thc scnscs whic an Dh)c|t is an obcct o|thoueht-Spacc
and Timc arc thcmscvcs Dh)c|t To prcscrvc this distinction. Cgcostaodand
Dh)c|t wi bc rcndcrcd as obcct and Cbcct rcspcctivcy l| cithcr word
appcars at thc bceinnine o| a scntcncc, thc Ccrman word wi bc eivcn in
brackctsorin a notc. Thc rcadcrshoud aso notc that itis ony a pcrccivabc
obcct, a Ccgcostaod, which can stand in opposition to" |cotgcgcostc|co) a
bcine. Hcidceecr makcs a ercat dca o| this word pay at various points
throuehout thc book. and thc ctymooeica conncction to Ccgcostaod shoud
bc kcpt in mind.
J. dcsAllgcmc|oco"am5c|codco.
. Lt|cooto|st|cct|c o|tcn transatcd as cpistcmooey" I havc cndcrcd this
tcrm itcray whcrcvcr it occurs in thc tcxt.
Part
. Transatine vctstcll|gct |morc rcprcscntabc) as |ound in C^ and in thc
sccond cdition. Thc |ourth cdition rcads vctstcll|g, which was transatcd as
rcprcscntabc" in thc prcvious cdition o| this transation.
2. Litcray rcprcscntation by mcans o|comon siensor marks. "
J. This quotation |rom K
s |ourth cdition
havc uosctc8cgtc |our conccpts) .
Pan Thrcc
I . dco0ucllguoddctCtuodaucllcodctLt|coo|o|s.
2. das 5|c|dco|co Ausdco|co Ltdco|co, s|c| Ccdao|co mac|co L|o]allc |ahco
uoddctglc|c|co
J. d|c8|lduogs|ta]|, 'asopposcdtopowcro|imaeination|d|cL|oh|lduogs|ta]|),
|ormativc powcr|d|ch|ldcodcKta]|), to|orm |h|ldco) ,andimaec or|orm |das
8|ld)
. das \ctmcgcodcs w||zcs w||zcanbc mcant cithcr in thc scnsc o|kccpine
your wits about you" or in thc scnsc o|bcine witty" prcsumabIy, Kant has
thc |ormcr in mind.
D. `Ccgcowat|c|ocsCcgcos|aodcs lnthis paraeraph, Hcidccr uscsboththc
wordAowcsco|c|||prcscncc)and Ccgcowat|,whichusuaIIymcansthc prcscnt
as opposcd to thc past and |uturc. ln this phrasc, howcvcr, Ccgcowat| sccms
to sueecst somcthine morc Iikc thc prcscnccnow, orthc prcscnt prcscncc, o|
somcthine.
. dats|cllcod,which mcans pictoriaI, inthc scnsc o|pictoriaI art, or dcscrip
tivc. ItisaIso rcIatcdtothcwordsdats|cllco,transIatcdthrouehoutasthcvcrb
to prcscnt, " and Dats|clluog|prcscntation).
7. vctmag. This is a |orm o| thc vcrb vctmcgco |tohavc thc abiIity to do
somcthine), which is bviousIy rcIatcd to thc noun \cmcgco, rcndcrcd hcrc
as |acuIty." This conncction is Iost in transIation.
. Codvctmcgco. This couId aIso bc rcndcrcd basic |acuIty" scc notc 7
aovc.
!mns|u|or's No|cs 229
-. Hcidceecr actuaIIy cditcd Kant words somcwhat. Kant writcs. coct
hl|odco, chglc|c| uocothc|tl|c|co Fuo|t|co dct cclc |a bIind aIthoueh
indispcnsabIc |unction o|thc souI"), p. ^ 7B, I 0J
! 0. ^Ithoueh Hcidceecr eivcs no paec rc|crcncc, thcsc two short quotcs ap-
parcntIy comc |rom p. ^ I DD, I 9. Thc |uII scntcnccrcads. Hcrcin, thcrc-
|orc, cxists thc possibiIity|or synthctic|udemcnts, and thcrcin arc containcd
aIIthrcco|thcsourccso|rcprcscntationsapriori. "Thchcrcin"rc|crstoinncr
scnsc, thc powcr o|imaeination, and thc unity o|appcrccption.
! ! . Aogchctcosc|o This word has thc samc pccuIiar |orm as \ct|aodcosc|o
|cine-at-hand) , and, accordineIy, it mieht bc rcndcrcd IitcraIIy as cine-
innatc. "
I 2. d|c vcos|c|ausAohl|c|c 8|ldct) h|ldcodg|ht
! J. mu . d|cL|o|c|thl|c|c.
I. ^s thc root o|synthcsis" and synopsis," syn"mcans toecthcmcss. "
!D. tc|oc lmag|oat|co Hcrc Hcidceecr cmpIoys a third tcrm |or imaeination
rathcr than his usuaI L|oh|duogs|ta]t |powcr o| imaeination) or L|oh|lduog
|imaeination).
!. l|cscssc|oAogcw|cscosc|o|stdas \ctstaodsc|odcs \ctstaodcs
I 7. \ctstcllco This word wouId normaIIy bc transIatcd as rcprcscntine,"
cxccpt |or thcobvious r|crcncc tothcpccuIiartcrm \ctstcllcointhcprcccd-
ineparaeraph.
!B. lo sclc|ctwc|schcglc|tct"das |c|stcllcvct"allcs \ctstcllco
I9. alsh|odcodc|o||tct\cth|odl|c||c|t
20. |mLotgcgcostc|codcsgcgcostodl|c|coHc|zcotcs
2 ! . ctsc|lcssco Sccc|ouodZc|t, I , p. 7, aIso8c|ogaod!|mc, transIator
notc I , pp. !0D-. ln this scction o|Z Hcidceecr discusscs how somcthine
at hand in oursurroundines is aIways aIrcady thcrc, or in thc thcrc, "bc|orc
anyonc hascxprcssIy asccrtaincd it. Sucha thine, hc says, rcmains inacccssibIc
|uozugaogl|c|) tccircumspcction, but at thc samc timc itis aIrcady discIoscd
|ctsc|lcssco)]ctcircumspcction. Hc thcnIikcnshis tcchnicaI tcrmctsc|l|cssco
to thc tcrmau]sc|l|cssco,mcanineIitcraIIytoIayopcn," andhccontrastsboth
o|thcsc with thc notion o|obtaininesomcthinemcdiatcIythrouehan in|cr-
cncc." SimiIarIy in thc casc o| thc prcscnt passaec. to discIosc thc oriein o|
practicaI rcason, what is rcquircd is notareumcntation, but cxprcssIyunvciI-
ine thc csscncc o|thc practicaI scI|.
22. c|ocwc|scdcs5clhsthcwutsc|osdatstcllco
2J. oac|dcts|ttl|c|co !at.
2. ScIbst" rcpIaccs Scin" inthc |th and C^cditions.
2D. Thc ctymoIoeicaI conncction bctwccn uotctwcco |to submit, IitcraIIy to
throw undcr) and cotwcco |to pro|cct, IitcraIIy to throw |rom) is Iost in
transIation. ^t thc root o|both words is thcvcrbwct]co,to throw.
2. Ior thc importancc o| thc Dh)c|Ccgcostaod distinction scc transIator
notc 2 to Fart Cnc abovc.
2J0 !runs|u|ors No|cs
27. Italics addcd in lourth cdition.
2B. sc|o5cchcouod5cglc|c|
29. d|csco . C|ata||ctdcs8|ldcos|mL|oh|ldcodctL|oh|lduogs|ta]|.
J0. amaowcscodco cgcowat||gco Ccgcos|aod. Thc doubIc scnsc olprcscncc
sueecstcd hcrc isthc scnscinwhich thc ob|cct|Ccgcos|aod) is prcscntbclorc
us |aowcscodco) at thc prcscnt timc ||m Ccgcowat|)
J I . dcmAogchc|dctL|odtac|c)cc|ocoAohl|c| 8|ld
J2. |osc|codctL|o|c|| Thc tcrm sc|codctisanadcctivaI lormolthc vcrb sc|o,
to bc, so ithas thcscnschcrc ola ncw"unitywhich is in amorcimmcdiatc
scnsc-aunitywith morc cxistcncc, in a scnsc, bccausc it isnow rathcrthan
in thc past
JJ. c|o|clzctocsL|sco IitcraIIy an ironwhich is woodcn.
3+ d|cscs Nac|"alssclc|cs h|ldc| "Thc pIay on thc ctymoloey ol thc word
Nac|h|lduog |rcproduction) , IitcraIly lormine somcthine altcr thc modcI ol
somcthine cIsc, docs not comc across in thc transIation.
JD. Thcphrascthatthisbcine . . thcsamc asthatwhich"wasaddcdinhc
C^ cdition.
J. c|o Uohcg] ^ morc coIIoquiaI translation mieht rcad rcmain simply
incomprchcnsibIc`"
J7 das vcos|c|aus||o-zuau'
JB. das wctauzu
J9. `|c|s|cllcvct Thc conncctionbctwccn s|cllcvctand thcvcrbto rcprcscnt
|vcts|cllco) is Iost in transIation.
+ 5|aoduod8cs|aod oth tcrms arc rcIatcd to thcvcrb s|c|coand itsvarious
lorms, which I havc transIatcd as hxcd" or to hx,"as into hx somcthine in
pIacc or to hx somcthinea ccrtain way
! . dctZc|jctm This tcrm has thc colIoquiaImcanine tcnsc," asin thc tcnsc
ola vcrb.
2. dctwcg zumutsptaogl|c|co 0ucllgtuoddcthc|dco Ctuodaucllco
J. Rcadine utsptaogl|c|ctco as in thc C^ cdition, rathcr than utsptaogl|c|co
as in prcvious cditions.
. ^ 9B||.
D. Hcidceecr is contrastine two tcrms in this scntcncc, lo|ctptc|a||co and
Auslcguog,both olwhich wouId normaIlybctransIatcd asintcrprctation."Thc
dillcrcncc is that whiIc lo|ctptc|a||cois conccrncd mcrcIy with what is statcd
cxpIicitIyAuslcguogisconccmcdwithbrineineoutwhat hasrcmaincdunsaid
in any cxpIicit scnsc, what has bccn conccaIcd in thc coursc olthc historyol
mctaphysics Thus, lor cxampIc, it is only Auslcguog and ncvcr lo|ctptc|a||co
that could brine to Iieht somcthine Iikc thc Cucstion olcine |thc 5c|os]tagc)
in 8c|ogaod !|mc. Thcsc conccptsrcccivc considcrablc trcatmcnt in 8c|ogaod
J|mc Thc notion ol what rcmains unsaid in traditional mctaphysicaI tcxts
bccomcs incrcasineIy important in thc Iatcr works by Hcidceecr, particuIarly
in many cssays on poctry and Ianeuaec. ^s an cxampIc, considcr his discus
!runs|u|or's No|cs 2J!
sin o|Farmcnidcs in Fart I o| was|citlco|co|w|atls Callcd J||o||og)
]his samc idca is aIso bchind such kcy Hcidceecrian notions as w|cdct|cluog
|rctricvaI) and lcsttu|t|co |dcsruction, as in dcstruction o| thc history o|
mctaphysics).
Purt Four
I w|cdct|cluog is o|tcn transIatcd as rcpctition. " lts IitcraI scnsc, howcvcr
impIics eoineback to ect somcthine aeain-somcthine wc had oncc but Ic|t
bchind. ]hc somcthine" Hcidceecr is scarchine |or is thc unsad. uItimatcIy
thc 5c|os]tagc In this contcxt no mcrc rcpIay o| thc samc thcmc is caIIcd |or.
sincc in a mcrc rcpIay o| thc Vcstcrn tradition thc unsaid wouId aeain bc
conccaIcd. Hcidceecrs w|cdct|cluogis a rctricvaI whichscrvcsas thc basis |or
a rc-thinkine.
2. ]hc ctymoIoeicaI conncction bctwccn thc Iast two auxiIiary vcrbs in thc
prcccdine scntcncc. can and shouId" ||aoo uodscl)and thc two nouns that
bcein this scntcncc. abiIitics and obIieations" |5c|oKcoocouod5cllco) ,is Iost
in transIation.
J. Vhatis at issuc in this araeraph, which docsnot comc across compIctcIy
in transIation. is thc distinction bctwccn knowIcdec ahcut human bcines |in
whichourtimc isrich)andknowIcdeco|thcPc|ogo|humanbcines |inwhich
our timc is impovcrishcd). ln c||cct, this is thc distinction bctwccn ontic and
ontoIoeicaI knowIcdec |rom5c|ouodZc|t Scc . csp. pp. I 2I D.
. c|oKcooco,5cllco,uodlat]co ^Ithoueh Iost somcwhat in transIation. thcsc
arc thc vcrbs |rom thc thrcc qucstions |can." shouId. " may") rcspcctivcIy
but now in noun |orm.
D. C|. 5c|ouodZc|t, 0||. |ora morc compIctc discussion o|Carc" |5ctgc)
. `lasc|os
7. Fcuct|stausgchtcc|co ]hc is" ||s), thc auxIiary vcrb in thc past tcnsc o|
this Ccrman vcrb, docs notcarry ovcr into IneIish.
B. Lx|stcoz, onc othc cx|stcot|al|ao|ascin. Scc Pc|ogaodmc
9. ]hcwordssc|olassco|cootcarccmphasizcdbybcineprintcdinspaccdtypc.
Formorc on thc conccpts o|thrownncss |aIIine, and pro| cction scc 5c|o uod
Zc|t,csp. JB.
I0. das cx|st|ctcodc5c|codc, namcIy lasc|osccnotc B abovc.
I I . la as in la-sc|o, which is somctimcs transIatcd thcrccine" or cine-
thcrc" to cmphasizc thc pccuIiar charactcr o| ascin's cxistcncc as aIways
cineoutthcrc-ahcad-o|-itscI|. Scc Pc|ogaod J|mc
I 2. ]atc|o 5clhst rcsumabIy thc scI|" to which Hcidceecr is rc|crrine, and
to which thcbcinein qucstion canshowitscI|, is ascin in its worId.
I J. dctCtuod]tagc dctCtuodlcguogdctMctap|,s| |
2J2 !runs|u|ors No|cs
I. \ctgcssco|c|t. Ior morc on this important notion scc 8c|og aoJ Jmc,
B7I . 7-B0.
I D JctuoJamcotalcotclcgsc|cCtuoJa|t
I. ]hisdi||crcncc bctwccncineandbcinesisusuaIIycaIIcd thc CntoIoeicaI
i||crcncc and |caturcs promincntIy throuehout Hcdceecrs work. Scc, |or
cxampIc. thc introduction to 8c|og aoJ !|mc
I 7. Jct8coJl|c||c|tuoJCcwctco|c|tJcslasc|os]hctwo tcrmsdisposition"
|8coJl|c||c|t) and thrownncss" |Ccwcco|c|t) aeain pIay a ccntraI roIc in
8c|og aoJ !|mc, as docs thc tcrm |aIIine" |\ctallco) uscd Iatcr in this para-
eraph. Ior an ovcrvicw o| thcsc important tcrms scc 8c|og aoJ !|mc 2B,
2-, and JB.
IB. s|c||oJas N|c|ts ||oc|o| lt Scc 5c|ouoJc|t, 0, DJ Scc aIso thc
cssay Vas ist Mctaphysik" |Vhat s Mctaphysics")
I-. 5|c|hcoJco, transIatcd hcrc as to hnd oncscI|," is cIoscIy rcIatcd to
8coJl|c||c|t, usuaIIy rcndcrcdasdisposition. " VhiIc Iost in transIation. thc
conncction can bc sccn in thc naturc o| ascins disposition with rcspcct to
bcinesinthcworId,sinccascn hndsitscI|" aIways aIrcadyattuncdto bcines
in this way or that.
20. ]hc passaec, at 2a. is spokcn by thc Stranecr to ]hcatctus and rcads.
Ior obviousIy you havc Ion. bccn awarc o| what you actuaIIy mcan whcn
you usc thc cxprcssion bcine` . Vc, howcvcr, who oncc bcIicvcd wc undcr-
stood it, havc now bccomc pcrpIcxcd. " ]his transIation. which is bascd on
Hcidceecrs rcndcrine o|thc Crcckinto Ccrmanin5c|ouoJc|t |p. I), di||crs
somcwhat |rom thc way Corn|ord transatcs it. ]hc main di||crcncc is thc
rcndcrine o|thc word v, thc prcscntparticipIc o|thc vcrb to bc. "Hcidceecr
transIatcs itintothc Ccrman participIc sc|coJ,asdo withthcEneIishbcine"
Corn |ord opts |or rcaIity" |in Platc !|c CcllcctcJ lalcgucs, cd. I HamiIton
and H. Cairns |Frinccton, I -7J), p. -B7 .
2I . C|gaotcmac||c, |rom Crcck mythoIoe rc|crs t o thc war o| thc Ciants
aeainst cus. t has comc to mcan any war bctwccn eieantic powcrs. ln this
casc thc Ciants" arc FIato and ^ristotIc.
22. Jas5c|coJc,Jasscsc|coJ|st w|c5c|coJcs outsc|coJsc|o|aoo
2J. Thc tcrm Aowcsco bccomcs important |or Hcidceecr in thc ycars im-
mcdiatcIy a|tcr thc writine o| this book. whcn it rc|crs to thc way a thine
comcstoprcscncc or thc way it comcsto bc prcscnt bc|orc us. Hcrc thc morc
coIIoquiaI scnsc sccms to bc appropriatc, namcIy, thc scnsc o| an cstatc. a
dcsienation |or thc cnscmbIc o| propcrty which is what wc havc to show |or
ourscIvcs, as wcII as what pcrsists and survivcs our passine.
2. RcadinehcstoJ|gcAowcsco|c|t|romthc sccond cdition, rathcrthanAowc-
sco|c|t |rom thc |ourth cdition.
2D. ^nd indccd thc qucstionwhichwas raiscd o|oId and is raiscd now
and aIways, andisaIways thc sub|cct o|doubt, viz. what bcine is. . . " Irom
!|c8as|cwt|t|ogsc!Atstctlc,cd. R. McKcon, tr. N . Ross |lcwYork, I -I).
!mns|u|ors No|cs 2JJ
Appcndccs
I . Hcidceecr has paraphrascd Kants words sIiehtIy
2. ln his IneIish transIation o| PP. Kcmp Smith ienorcs thc distinction
bctwccn \cglc|c|uog and Kcmpaat|co |hc transIatcs both as comparison")
Kant in|actdocs distineuish bctwccn thc two tcrms, and itisthis distincton
that Hcidceecr cmphasizcs hcrc.
J. ]hc word inbrackcts appcars in brackcts in thc Ccrman and prcsumabIy
was addcd by Hcidceecr.
. Llcooto|st|ccct|lc. IitcraIIy thcorctician o| knowIcdec.
5 can bc transIatcd as |orcvcr" or aIways. "
. cine which aIways is, prcscncc.
7. Fos is apparcnty thc utch schoIar H. . Fos. onc o|thc participants in
thc avos coursc. l am indcbtcd to Fro|. C. FeecIcr |or his hcIp with this
idcntihcation.
B. hcCcrman tcrms o|Hcidceecr arc daslasc|o,das5c|odasDot|sc|c]hc
Ccrman tcrms o| Cassircr arc. das Fuolt|coalc |m Cc|st d|c Umwaodluog dcs
aspaogl|c|co Paumcs |oc|ocoaodcco
-. ]hc words rcIceatcd toa radicaI . . . Kantwasprcsscd"wcrc addcdbythc
cditor in thc C^ cdition.
. Vas |stdas5c|codc`
I I . d|c lcpc|lao|sc|c wcoduog. ^t xxii. Kant actuaIIy uscs somcwhat
stronecrtcrmswhcnhcrc|crsto`c|ocgaozl|c|cPcvclut|co|acompIctcrcvoIu
tion) , a|tcrthc cxampIcs o|thc ecomctricians and naturaI scicntists.
I 2. c|ocZugaodcl|cgcodc
I J. ]hc |ourth cdition rcads and now" instcad o| onIy"
I. that itis thc hrst stcp . . . o|phiIosophy" was addcd by thc cditorin thc
C^ cdition.
iOSOpV
. . . OHC O| CUCPPCiS mOSI mDOiI3HI 3HU Cxli3OiUH3iV WOiKS . . . .
HUSDCHS3DC |Oi 3HVOHC HICiCSICU H CUCPPCiS IOHPl 3S WC 3S H
CHiiCHl IiCHUS H CimCHCHlCS, CICS, 3HU DOlC3 D OSODV
~ln(cn)rc(u(|on
CUCPPCiS HICiDiCI3IOH O| 3HI iCm3HS 3 C3 CHPHP W3V IO 3GUiCSS
lC SSHCS I3l DOI 3HI 3HU CUCPPCi S3W 3S CiHC3 . . . . H iC3UHP
| un| und |hc uucm u1 Nc|uh\S| (S WC C3H SIiHPPC WI SOuC D3SC
SSHCS O| Hm3H CxSICHCC H IC COmD3HV O| IWO PiC3I mHUS.
-ln(ctu(| onu| Ph| |osoph|cu| Oaur(crlV
bHCC IS OiPH3 DHDC3IOH H I 9Z9, 3iIH CUCPPCiS DiOVOC3IVC
DOOK OH 3HIS Ct| || uuc u1uc KcuSun 3S 3lIi3CICU mHC 3lICHIOH DOl
3S 3H mDOiI3HI COHIiDHIOH IO IWCHICI-CCHIHiV 3HI SCO3iSD 3HU
3S 3 DVOI3 WOiK H CUCPPCiS OWH UCVCODmCHl 3|ICi t|ny und 1| nc.
JS | |l, CH 3iPCU CU I OH HC HUCS u3iP H3 HOI3IOHS u3UC DV
CUCPPCi H S DCiSOH3 CODV O| IC DOOK 3HU |OHi HCW 3DDCHUCCS-
C UCPPCiS DOSlDHD C3lOH HOICS OH IC DOOK, S iCVCW O| LiHSI
L3SSiCiS h| uSuh\ u1b\muu| c u|mS, CUCPPCi5 iCSDOHSC lO iCVCWS
DV KHUO | LUCDiCCI 3HU L3SSiCi, 3HG 3H CSS3V LH IC |SIOiV O| IC
lOSODC3 L3i SHCC I oUU. JC WOiK S SPH|C3HI HOI OH V |Oi IS
HmH3lHP 3SSCSSmCHI O| 3HIS lOHPI DHl 3SO |Oi IS C3DOi3IOH O|
ICmCS |iSI DiO3CCU H c| |Jy und 1|mc, CSDCC3V IC DiODCm O| OW
CUCPPCi DiODOSCU lO CH3Cl IC UCSliHCIOH O| IC mC|3DVSC3 Ii3U-
IOH 3HU IC iOC I3l S iC3UHP O| 3HI WOH U D 3V lCiCH.
Kl LKL JJ S |OO1Ci KCSC3iC COW 3I JiHlV LO CPC, 3iI|OiU,
3HU |OimCi H DiPI COW 3I IC CPC iCVC O| IC KHi LHVCiSIV
H LCim3HV.
bludICS ID LODIDCDI8l DOuPJOH b3S, PCHCi3 CU|Oi
|
htt
P
. //i u
P
rcss. indiana. cdu
| -C-C2 9
0 0 0 0