Kant - Complete

Question 1

What is Kant’s critique of Hume?

Answer 1

Our minds are not blank receptors, but an active processor of sensory inputs. We process these inputs in terms of the mind’s own inherent structure.

Question 2

What does the Copernican Revolution in philosophy say?

Answer 2

Knowledge is partly created by prior knowledge (or by transcendental/supernatural factors), which the mind imposes upon the data of experience.

Question 3

Who introduced the Copernican Revolution in Philosophty?

Answer 3

Kant introduced the Copernican Revolution in Philosophy.

Question 4

What does Kant mean by “knowledge must conform to objects”?

Answer 4

The mind shapes sensory things into things it can identify and this is then called knowledge.

Question 5

What does Kant mean by “a priori”?

Answer 5

Something that you can know about an object without having to experience the object first (before you first see it).

Question 6

What does Kant think is the ‘failure’, in of the empiricists?

Answer 6

If you’re an empiricist and have a blank slate mind (just a ‘mirror’) then you can’t form the objects because there is no structure there for it to work with.

Question 7

What does Kant say about knowledge with regard to experience and its beginning?

Answer 7

Knowledge may BEGIN with experience, but it does not follow that it all ARISES out of experience.

Question 8

What two things does Kant think our empirical knowledge is composed of?

Answer 8

1. What we receive through impressions, and

2. What the mind contributes to our knowledge.

Question 9

What does Kant believe to be the ‘Pure Concept of Understanding’? Provide ONE example.

Answer 9

The understanding of the unity of the various representations in a judgement

EXAMPLE:
A chair is green (ab)
Value (a) is the chair.
Value (b) is the colour green.

Question 10

Does Kant believe Metaphysical knowledge to be possible?

Answer 10

Kant believes Metaphysical knowledge to be IMPOSSIBLE.

Question 11

Regarding tastes, odours, and colours, Galileo states: “Hence if the living creature were removed, all these qualities would be wiped away and annihilated.” With respect to Kant, Galileo’s
remark relates directly to…:

Answer 11

Kant’s claim that space and time are a priori forms of sensibility.

He says that tastes, odors, and colours are not mind-independent.

Question 12

How does Kant perceive the mind?

Answer 12

It is not a blank slate - instead ‘mind-as-active-processor’.

Question 13

What is causality according to Kant?

Answer 13

The expression of the “if A, then B” logical format.

Question 14

According to Kant what is human experience composed of?

Answer 14

THE COMBINATION OF:

1. The mind with a given original structure.

AND

2. Given sensory inputs.

Question 15

How do we know that ‘all events are caused’ A PRIORI?

Answer 15

Since we are logical beings we must think in terms of the logical format of causality that “if A, then B”.

Thus we know a priori that given our rational constitution, our experience will always appear to us deterministically and mechanically (i.e. as being thoroughly scientifically understandable).

Question 16

Why is the format of causality (“If A, then B”) important to Kant’s philosophy?

Answer 16

Since people are logical beings they can only see the world in terms of “if A, then B”.

Question 17

How does Kant reply to Hume’s conclusion that “all events are entirely loose and separate”?

Answer 17

By showing that the concept of causality is a necessary connection that does not derive from experience.
- Through “If A, then B”

Question 18

What is Kant’s argument for Space?

Answer 18

“A depends upon B, but B does not depend upon A”

• Space is an a priori representation
• It necessarily underlies outer appearances.
• Cannot think of an object without thinking about space as well.
• If you remove space you remove the object, but not vice versa.
• Therefore space is presupposed/a priori.

Question 19

What are Kant’s conclusions about Space, Time and Logical Thinking?

Answer 19

Space, time and logical thinking are only human ways to grasp what is ultimately real.

• Features of the human mind’s innate structure.
• ‘Subjective’ (derived from the subject of experience) insofar as they derive from the essence of the human subject.
• Not features of absolute reality/’things-in-themselves’. (i.e. not ascribable to the mind-independent world).

Question 20

What are Kant’s THREE main conclusions?

Answer 20

1. NEVER KNOW how THINGS are IN THEMSELVES.
2. EXPERIENCE always IN SPACE and TIME and of things CAUSAL connection.
3. Space, time and logical thinking are ONLY AN APPEARANCE of how things are in themselves.

Question 21

What is Hegel’s critique of Kant? THREE parts.

Answer 21

1. Kant assumes that there is a difference between ourselves and this cognition (i.e. reason/logic).
2. Cognition/reason is part of the ultimate reality, not independent of it.
3. We try to understand ultimate reality/the absolute and do that by trying to understand the nature of our capacities. However, Hegel says this is wrong - use our own rational capacities to examine our own rational capacities.

Question 22

What is Hegel’s critique of Kant: ‘We try to understand ultimate reality by trying to understand the nature of our capacities.’

Answer 22

Hegel says this is wrong

- Use our own rational capacities to examine our own rational capacities.

Question 23

What is Hegel’s critique of Kant’s use of reason/cognition?

Answer 23

Kant assumes that there is a difference between ourselves and this cognition (i.e. reason/logic).

Question 24

What is Hegel’s critique of Kant: ‘cognition is independent and separated from the Absolute. I.E. If reason wasn’t there, then the ultimate reality would still be there.’

Answer 24

COGNITION/REASON IS PART OF THE ULTIMATE REALITY, not independent of it.

• We are already ‘in’ the truth.