Kant’s Transcendental Idealism and Practical Reason
Kant’s Transcendental Idealism
Metaphysics as a Problem
Kant aimed to establish a critical philosophy, with reason as its focus. This critique, driven by practical rather than theoretical interest, sought to promote human freedom and progress. Philosophy, according to Kant, must address four fundamental questions: What can I know? What ought I do? What may I hope? What is man?
Metaphysics, unlike science, struggles with progress. It grapples with problems inherent to human nature. To become scientific, metaphysics must adhere to the conditions of possibility that govern scientific inquiry. Science comprises judgments linked to form arguments. These judgments require analysis and classification.
Types of Judgments
Analytical judgments: The predicate’s information is contained within the subject; these judgments are explanatory. Synthetic judgments: The predicate adds information not found in the subject; these can be false, are not universal, and are not necessarily true.
Judgments and Experience
A priori judgments: Their truth is independent of experience and universally applicable. A posteriori judgments: Their truth relies on experience and is particular, not universal.
Kant argued that synthetic a priori judgments form the basis of scientific knowledge.
Conditions of Human Knowledge
Empirical conditions: Vary depending on the specific circumstances of knowing. Transcendental conditions: Constant conditions imposed by the subject in every act of knowing. This signifies an active role for the subject in knowledge acquisition.
Critical Analysis of Knowledge
Transcendental aesthetic: Sensitive knowledge as synthesis. Transcendental analytic: Intellectual knowledge as synthesis. Transcendental dialectic: Reason’s illegitimate use of categories when addressing metaphysical problems.
This framework resolves the problem of metaphysics, demonstrating its non-scientific nature, and allows Kant to escape dogmatism.
The Practical Use of Reason
Kant developed a formal ethics, devoid of content, focusing on the form of moral actions. He argued that an action’s moral worth depends not on its content but on the motive behind it. Only actions performed from duty are morally valid.
Types of Actions
- Actions contrary to duty: Knowing one’s moral obligation but doing the opposite.
- Actions in accordance with duty: Performing one’s moral obligation.
- Actions from duty: Performing one’s moral obligation because it is one’s duty.
Kant’s ethics culminates in the categorical imperative, a universal and unconditional moral law. This strict ethical framework requires a holy will to achieve true moral goodness.
Three Postulates of Practical Reason
Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason demonstrates the impossibility of a scientific metaphysics. He proposes three postulates, principles accepted but not demonstrable:
- Liberty: The existence of morality proves freedom, which is the foundation of morality.
- Immortality: Acting from duty requires infinite time, necessitating a holy will beyond our finite lifespan.
- God: Postulating a benevolent and omnipotent God ensures that actions from duty are ultimately rewarded, aligning happiness with morality.