PHIL5566 · Philosophy

Kant?s Critique of Pure Reason: The Doctrine of Method

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (CPR) represents one of the most significant texts in the history of philosophy. Kant himself defines it as a "treatise of method" (CPR, B XXII). The second part of the work --The Transcendental Doctrine of the Method-- particularly insists on this aspect. It consists of four sections. The first is The discipline of pure reason that deals with the distinction between the method of the mathematics (construction of concepts) and the method of the logic (analysis of concepts). It also treats of the two main forms of theoretical philosophy: the mere opinion (Meinen) and the knowledge (Wissen). The topic of the second section --The canon of pure reason -- is the elucidation of a specific method (Glauben) for the practical use of reason. How a unified whole of metaphysics can be built up as a system from the connection of the theoretical and the practical use of reason is the theme of third section - The Architectonic of Pure Reason ---, the "art of systems" (KrV A 832/B 860). The last section --The History of Pure Reason --can be seen as the "temporal" counterpart of the "spatial" consideration of the system of pure reason in the Architectonic. In addition, some pre-critical writings that prepared the development of The Transcendental Doctrine of Method will also be considered in the course.