Kant Glossary Flashcards
analysis
The method of examining concepts by breaking them down into their basic components.
analytic
A judgment is analytic if the meaning of the subject already includes the meaning of the predicate. In other words, the truth of the statement is based solely on the definition of the terms. (Example: “All bachelors are unmarried.”)
aposteriori
A representation or knowledge claim is a posteriori if it is acquired or justified through experience. For Kant, a posteriori knowledge is always contingent, meaning it could be otherwise depending on experience.
appearance
The way things are presented to our senses or understanding. For Kant, appearances are not necessarily illusions but the way objects are experienced by us. Empirical reality is understood through appearances, rather than an opposition between appearance and reality.
apriori
A representation or knowledge claim is a priori if it can be justified or known independently of experience. A priori knowledge involves necessary truths, meaning they are universally and necessarily true regardless of experience. (Example: “7 + 5 = 12.”)
autonomy
The ability of a rational will to govern itself without being controlled by external forces. A person acts autonomously when they follow moral principles they have freely and rationally chosen for themselves. In Kant’s ethics, autonomy is essential for moral responsibility.
categorical
That which is concerned with absolute or unconditional necessity.
category
A type of concept that structures human experience. In Kant’s theoretical philosophy, categories like substance and causation are fundamental for making experience possible.
