Kant's Transcendental Deduction of the Categories
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Kenneth R. Westphal Kenneth Kenneth R. Westphal mmanuel Kant’s ‘Transcendental Deduction of the Categories’ addresses issues centrally debated today in philosophy and in cognitive sciences, especiallyI in epistemology, and in theory of perception. Kant’s insights into these issues are clouded by pervasive misunderstandings of Kant’s Kant’s ‘Deduction’ and its actual aims, scope, and argument. The present edition with its fresh and accurate translation and concise commentary aims to Kant serve these contemporary debates as well as continuing intensive and ’s Transcendental Deduction of the Categories the of Deduction Transcendental ’s Transcendental extensive scholarship on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. Two surprising results are that ‘Transcendental Deduction’ is valid and sound, and it holds independently of Kant’s transcendental idealism. This lucid volume is interesting and useful to students, yet sufficiently detailed to be Deduction of the informative to specialists. Kenneth R. Westphal is Professor of Philosophy at Boğaziçi University, İstanbul. His research focuses on the character and scope of rational Categories justification in non-formal, substantive domains, both moral and theoretical. His books include several volumes on Kant. Critical Re-Examination, Elucidation and Corroboration Kant’s Transcendental Deduction of the Categories Critical Re-Examination, Elucidation and Corroboration Kant’s Revised Second (B) Edition (1787), German Text with New Parallel Translation, for Students, Cognitive Scientists, Philosophers & Specialists. Kenneth R. WESTPHAL Department of Philosophy Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, İstanbul Kant’s Transcendental Deduction Kant’s Transcendental Deduction of the Categories of the Categories Critical Re-Examination, Elucidation Critical Re-Examination, Elucidation and Corroboration and Corroboration Kant’s Revised Second (B) Edition (1787), German Text with New Parallel Kant’s Revised Second (B) Edition (1787), German Text with New Parallel Translation, for Students, Cognitive Scientists, Philosophers & Specialists. Translation, for Students, Cognitive Scientists, Philosophers & Specialists. Kenneth R. WESTPHAL Kenneth R. WESTPHAL Department of Philosophy Department of Philosophy Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, İstanbul Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, İstanbul Published by Published by Helsinki University PressHelsinki University Press www.hup.fi www.hup.fi © The author 2021 © The author 2021 For Jeff Edwards, For Jeff Edwards, generous friend, generous friend, First published in 2021First published in 2021 keen Critical conscience, well-honedkeen Critical in Marburg conscience, well-honed in Marburg Cover design by Ville KarppanenCover design by Ville Karppanen Portrait of Immanuel KantPortrait by unknown of Immanuel artist, Kant circa 1790by unknown artist, circa 1790 ISBN (Paperback): 978-952-369-028-8ISBN (Paperback): 978-952-369-028-8 ISBN (PDF): 978-952-369-029-5ISBN (PDF): 978-952-369-029-5 https://doi.org/10.33134/HUP-7https://doi.org/10.33134/HUP-7 This work is licensed underThis work the Creativeis licensed Commons under the Attribution-NonCommercial- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 InternationalNoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International 4.0) License. (CC BY-NC-ND To view a copy4.0) License. of this To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ or send a letter to or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444Creative Castro Commons,Street, Suite 444 900, Castro Mountain Street, View, Suite California, 900, Mountain 94041, View, California, 94041, USA. This license allowsUSA. for copyingThis license any partallows of thefor copyingwork for any personal part of use, the providing work for personal use, providing author attribution is clearlyauthor stated. attribution is clearly stated. CONTENTS CONTENTS The full text of this bookThe has full been text peerof this reviewed book has to ensurebeen peer high reviewed aca- to ensure high aca-§ 1. Introduction§ 1. Introduction 1 1 demic standards. For fulldemic review standards. policies, Forsee http://www.hup.fi/full review policies, see http://www.hup.fi/ § 2. Kant’s B Deduction:§ 2. BasicKant’s Considerations B Deduction: forBasic its Considerations Understanding for its Understanding4 4 § 3. Text, Translation§ 3. & ElucidationsText, Translation & Elucidations 12 12 § 4. The Concepts§ ‘Space’, 4. The ‘Time’ Concepts & the ‘Space’,Categories ‘Time’ & the Categories 92 92 Suggested citation: Suggested citation: 99 99 Westphal, Kenneth R.,Westphal, 2021. Kant’s Kenneth Transcendental R., 2021. Deduction Kant’s Transcendentalof the Categories: Deduction Critical of the Categories:§ Critical 5. Modality in Sensory§ 5. ExperienceModality in & Sensory Perceptual Experience Judgment, & Perceptualin Brief Judgment, in Brief Re-Examination, ElucidationRe-Examination, and Corroboration. Elucidation Helsinki: and Corroboration.Helsinki University Helsinki: Press. Helsinki University§ Press. 6. Analytical Contents§ 6. Analytical Contents 105 105 https://doi.org/10.33134/HUP-7https://doi.org/10.33134/HUP-7. § 7. References § 7. References 107 107 To read the free, open Toaccess read version the free, of open this bookaccess version of this book online, visit https://doi.org/10.33134/HUP-7online, visit https://doi.org/10.33134/HUP-7 or or scan this QR code withscan your this mobile QR codedevice: with your mobile device: Dear Reader, Welcome to some refreshed considerations of Kant’s revised Deduction of the Cat- egories! I hope my elucidations may prove fruitful, whether pro or contra. – K.R. Westphal Dear Reader, İstanbul, 20 Dec. 2020 1 INTRODUCTION Welcome to some refreshed considerations of Kant’s revised Deduction of the Cat- egories! I hope my elucidations may prove fruitful, whether pro or contra. Concerning Kant’s ‘Deduction of the Categories’, Sir Peter Strawson wrote: – K.R. Westphal İstanbul, 20 Dec. 2020 1 INTRODUCTION Kant’s genius nowhere shows itself more clearly than in his identification of the most fundamental of these conditions [of the very possibility of self-conscious expe- rience] in its most general form … These are very great and novel gains in episte- Concerning Kant’s ‘Deductionmology, of the so greatCategories’, and so novelSir Peter that, Strawson nearly two wrote: hundred years after they were made, Kant’s genius nowhere showsthey haveitself still more not clearly been fullythan absorbed in his identification into the philosophical of the consciousness. (Straw- most fundamental of theseson conditions 1966, 29) [of the very possibility of self-conscious expe- rience] in its most generalBuilding form … upon These Strawson’s are very great insights and novel (also gains in his in episte-subsequent writings), I submit that mology, so great and somy novel previous that, nearly studies two of hundred Kant’s years Critique after of they Pure were Reason made, (Westphal 2004, 2020) have they have still not been fully absorbed into the philosophical consciousness. (Straw- son 1966, 29) made significant further strides in identifying and justifying Kant’s highly original, profoundly important insights, and demonstrating their crucial importance to the- Building upon Strawson’sory insights of knowledge, (also in to his philosophy subsequent of writings),mind and Ito submit cognitive that sciences. This brief book my previous studies of solelyKant’s addresses Critique ofKant’s Pure Reasonown ‘Deduction’. (Westphal 2004, By design 2020) it have is independent of my other made significant further twostrides books, in identifying of the commentary and justifying genre Kant’s and debate,highly original, and is as lucid and exoteric as profoundly important insights,possible. and The demonstrating issues Kant addresses their crucial in the importance ‘Deduction’ to pertainthe- directly to issues cen- ory of knowledge, to philosophytrally debated of mind today and in to philosophy cognitive sciences.and in cognitive This brief sciences, book especially in epistemol- solely addresses Kant’s ownogy and‘Deduction’. in theory By of designperception, it is independentregarding self-consciousness, of my other self-ascription and two books, of the commentaryperceptual genre judgment. and debate, Yet Kant’s and isimportant as lucid insightsand exoteric into theseas issues are clouded by possible. The issues Kantprevalent addresses misunderstandings in the ‘Deduction’ of pertain Kant’s directly ‘Deduction’ to issues and cen- its actual aims, scope and trally debated today in philosophyargument. andThis in edition, cognitive fresh sciences, and accurate especially translation in epistemol- and concise commentary aims ogy and in theory of perception,to serve theseregarding contemporary self-consciousness, debates andself-ascription to refresh andcontinuing scholarship on perceptual judgment. YetKant’s Kant’s Critique important of Pure insights Reason into. these issues are clouded by prevalent misunderstandingsKant’s of Kant’s Transcendental ‘Deduction’ Deduction and its actual of the aims, Pure scope Concepts and of the Understanding, argument. This edition, freshi.e., of and the accurate twelve translationcategories, andhas concisebeen widely commentary criticised aims for failing to demonstrate to serve these contemporarythat the debates categories and areto andrefresh must continuing be applicable scholarship to particular on objects and events we Kant’s Critique of Pure Reasonsense. in our surroundings (esp. Guyer 1987, 1992; Howell