Table Of ContentKant on the Sources of Metaphysics
In the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant famously criticizes traditional meta-
physicsanditsproofsofimmortality,freewill,andGod’sexistence.Whatis
often overlooked is that Kant also explains why rational beings must ask
metaphysical questions about ‘unconditioned’ objects such as souls,
uncaused causes or God, and why answers to these questions will appear
rationallycompelling tothem.In thisbookMarcus Willaschek reconstructs
and defends Kant’s account of the rational sources of metaphysics. After
carefullyexplainingKant’sconceptionsofreasonandmetaphysics,heoffers
detailed interpretations of the relevant passages from the Critique of Pure
Reason (in particular, the Transcendental Dialectic) in which Kant explains
whyreasonseeks‘theunconditioned.’Hisbookoffersanovelinterpretation
oftheTranscendentalDialectic,pointingoutits‘positive’side,whileatthe
sametimeuncoveringahighlyoriginalaccountofmetaphysicalthinkingthat
willberelevanttocontemporaryphilosophicaldebates.
marcus willaschek is Professor of Philosophy at Goethe University
Frankfurt.
Kant on the Sources of
Metaphysics
The Dialectic of Pure Reason
Marcus Willaschek
GoetheUniversityFrankfurt
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Title:Kantonthesourcesofmetaphysics:thedialecticofpurereason/Marcus
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Description:1[edition].|NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2018.|
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2018024263|ISBN9781108472630(hardback:alk.paper)|
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Subjects:LCSH:Kant,Immanuel,1724-1804.KritikderreinenVernunft.
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This book is dedicated to my dear sons,
Simon and Fabian
Contents
Note on Referencesand Citations page ix
Preface xi
Introduction 1
0.1 BeginningattheBeginning(s) 2
0.2 TheRationalSourcesAccount 3
0.3 OneArgument,FourLevels 6
0.4 Kant’sTwoProjectsintheTranscendentalDialectic 9
0.5 Overview 12
Part I From Reason to Metaphysics 17
Introduction toPart I 18
1 Kant’s Conceptionsof Reason and Metaphysics 21
1.1 Kant’sConceptionofReason 21
1.2 Kant’sConceptionofMetaphysics 36
1.3 Conclusion 44
2 The Logical Use of Reason andthe Logical Maxim 46
2.1 TheLogicalUseofReason 47
2.2 TheContentoftheLogicalMaxim 56
2.3 TheLogicalMaxim,Science,andUniversalHumanReason 64
2.4 Conclusion 70
3 The Supreme Principle ofPureReason 71
3.1 ‘Given’ 72
3.2 RealConditioning 73
3.3 TheUnconditioned 87
3.4 TheSupremePrincipleandthePrincipleofSufficientReason 98
4 Understanding theTransition Passage (A307–8/B364) 103
4.1 ObjectiveValidity 105
4.2 RegulativeandConstitutiveUseofPrinciplesintheAppendixandinthe
ResolutionoftheAntinomy 107
4.3 ATransitioninTwoSteps 120
vii
viii Contents
5 The Transition from theLogical Maxim tothe Supreme
Principleof Pure Reason 127
5.1 Step1:FromtheLogicalMaximtotheRegulativeSupremePrinciple 128
5.2 Step2:FromtheRegulativetotheConstitutiveSupremePrinciple 135
5.3 WhyDoestheSupremePrincipleHoldforThingsinThemselves(butNot
forAppearances)? 152
Conclusion toPart I: The Transition from the Logical Maxim
to the(Constitutive)Supreme Principleand theRational
Sources Account 157
PartII The Other Side ofthe Transcendental Dialectic 163
Introduction toPart II 164
6 The System ofTranscendental Ideas 167
6.1 TranscendentalIdeas 167
6.2 OntheMetaphysicalDeductionoftheTranscendentalIdeas 170
6.3 TheConceptoftheUnconditioned 177
6.4 TheThreeClassesofTranscendentalIdeas 182
6.5 Conclusion 185
7 The Paralogismsand Antinomy Argumentsas ‘Necessary
Inferences ofReason’ 187
7.1 ThePsychologicalIdeasandtheParalogisms 188
7.2 TranscendentalIllusionandTranscendentalRealismintheParalogisms 195
7.3 TheCosmologicalIdeas 202
7.4 TheAntinomies 208
7.5 Conclusion 216
8 ReasonandMetaphysicsin theTranscendental Ideal and
the Appendix 218
8.1 TheTranscendentalIdealandtheNaturalArgumentforGod’sExistence 218
8.2 TheConstitutiveUseofIdeasandPrinciplesintheAppendix 237
9 Transcendental Realismand Kant’s Critique ofSpeculative
Metaphysics 243
9.1 TranscendentalRealismandTranscendentalIdealism 245
9.2 ACritiqueofTranscendentalRealism 247
9.3 LimitsofCognitionwithoutTranscendentalIdealism 251
9.4 TranscendentalIdeasasEmptyConcepts 254
9.5 Conclusion 262
Conclusion toPart II: Transcendental Illusion and the
‘Other Side’ ofthe Transcendental Dialectic 264
Postscript: Kant’sPractical Metaphysics 270
Bibliography 276
Index ofNames 291
Index ofSubjects 294
Note on References and Citations
ReferencestoKant’sCritiqueofPureReasongivethepagenumbersoftheA-
and/or B-edition(s). All other references to Kant’s writings are by volume
and page number of the Academy edition (Kant’s gesammelte Schriften,
ed. Königlich-Preußische Akademie der Wissenschaften, now: Berlin-
Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
1900–).TranslationsfollowtheCambridgeEditionoftheWorksofImmanuel
Kant,ed.PaulGuyerandAllenW.Wood,Cambridge:CambridgeUniversity
Press 1992–2012, sometimes with minor alterations. In case of substantial
deviationsfromtheCambridgeEdition,eithertheGermanoriginalisgivenin
parenthesesortheseareexplainedinanote.Intherarecasesofcitationsfrom
texts notcontained inthe Cambridge Edition,translations aremy own.
The followingworksby Kant are referred toby short titles:
De Mundi On the Form and Principles of theSensible
and Intelligible World (1770; 2:385–420)
Dreams ofa Spirit Seer DreamsofaSpiritSeerElucidatedbyDreams
of Metaphysics (1766; 2:315–84)
False Subtlety The False Subtlety ofthe Four Syllogistic
FiguresProved(1763; 2:45–62)
Groundwork Groundwork ofthe Metaphysics ofMorals
(1785; 4:385–464)
Hechsel Logic HechselLogic(lecturetranscriptnotcontained
intheAcademyedition;quotedfromLectures
on Logic, trans. and ed.J. Michael Young,
Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1992)
Jäsche Logic Immanuel Kant’s Logik(ed. G.B. Jäsche)
(1800; 9:1–150)
Metaphysical Foundations Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science
(1786; 4:465–566)
ix
