Kant, Positivism and Hermeneutics

Question 1

Explain Kant’s synthesis of empiricism and rationalism.

Answer 1

Kant came up with a 2x2 scheme.

1. a posterio judgment: perceive to verify.
2. a priori judgement: not perceive to verify.
3. analytic judgement: no new knowledge.
4. synthetic judgement: new knowledge.

Question 2

What are Kant’s goals with his synthesis?

Answer 2

He wants to show that synthetic, a priori knowledge is possible. He does this with use of his noumenal world vs phenomenal world theory. We have knowledge of the phenomenal world through forms of sensation and categories of reason. With this, he wants to show that sensory information and reason can work together.

Question 3

What are the problems with Kant’s ideology?

Answer 3

There are three problems with Kant’s epistemology.

1. Kant implies causality in the noumenal world.
2. Synthetic, a priori judgements cannot be falsified.
3. Kant claims to have knowledge about the phenomenal world whereas sceptics reason about the noumenal world.

Question 4

Explain Auguste Comte’s epistemology.

Answer 4

Comte was the philosopher who coined the term positivism. Positivism was focused on applying the method of the natural sciences to societal problems. You apply these methods through the principles of positive thinking: Comte’s law of three stadia.

Question 5

Explain Comte’s law of three stadia.

Answer 5

Science, within society, always goes through three stages.

1. theological stage.
2. metaphysical/abstract stage.
3. positive/scientific stage.

Question 6

Explain Wilhelm Dithley’s epistemology.

Answer 6

Dilthey was a follower of the hermeneutic principles. According to hermeneutics, to solve social problems, you need to develop new methods. Dithley felt that in order to solve problems you need to understand human beings in different terms, we need to understand humans in order to predict them. If we can achieve this, we can achieve objective results.