Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
'Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics' Summary
Kant declared that the Prolegomena are for the use of both learners and teachers as an heuristic way to discover a science of metaphysics. Unlike other sciences, metaphysics has not yet attained universal and permanent knowledge. There are no standards to distinguish truth from error. Kant asked, "Can metaphysics even be possible?"
David Hume investigated the problem of the origin of the concept of causality. Is the concept of causality truly independent of experience or is it learned from experience? Hume mistakenly attempted to derive the concept of causality from experience. He thought that causality was really based on seeing two objects that were always together in past experience. If causality is not dependent on experience, however, then it may be applied to metaphysical objects, such as an omnipotent God or an immortal soul. Kant claimed to have logically deduced how causality and other pure concepts originate from human understanding itself, not from experiencing the external world.
Unlike the Critique of Pure Reason, which was written in the synthetic style, Kant wrote the Prolegomena using the analytical method. He divided the question regarding the possibility of metaphysics as a science into three parts. In so doing, he investigated the three problems of the possibility of pure mathematics, pure natural science, and metaphysics in general. His result allowed him to determine the bounds of pure reason and to answer the question regarding the possibility of metaphysics as a science.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
GermanPublished In
1783Author
Immanuel Kant
Prussia
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers. Kant's comprehensive and systematic works in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics have made him one o...
More on Immanuel KantDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Public Opinion by Walter Lippmann
Public Opinion is a book by Walter Lippmann published in 1922. It is a critical assessment of functional democratic government, especially of the irra...
The World as Will and Idea, Volume 2 by Arthur Schopenhauer
The World as Will and Representation is the central work of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. The first edition was published in late 1818,...
Beyond Good And Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
First published in 1886 at Nietzsche’s own expense, the book was not initially considered important. In it, Nietzsche denounced what he considered to...
The Rosicrucian Mysteries by Max Heindel
A primer for those interested in the basic philosophy, beliefs & secrets of the Rosicrucians.
Timaeus by Plato (Πλάτων)
Timaeus is one of Plato's dialogues, mostly in the form of a long monologue given by Critias, written c. 360 BC. The work puts forward speculation on...
Studies in Pessimism by Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer, an early 19th century philosopher, made significant contributions to metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics. His work also informed...
Introduction to Metaphysics by Henri Bergson
An Introduction to Metaphysics (Introduction a la Metaphysique) is a 1903 essay by Henri Bergson that explores the concept of reality. For Bergson, re...
Elements of Theology by Proclus
Considered one of the most influential works in ancient theology, this book presents a comprehensive exploration of metaphysics, cosmology, and the di...
The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant
The Critique of Pure Reason, first published in 1781 with a second edition in 1787, has been called the most influential and important philosophical t...
The World as Will and Idea, Volume 1 by Arthur Schopenhauer
The World as Will and Representation is the central work of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. The first edition was published in late 1818,...
Reviews for Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
No reviews posted or approved, yet...