|1 !

1\11^ \1
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J1!`1JJ 1\1 J1J
IaHL aHC
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Studics in Contincntal Thouzht
CENERAL EDITR
C H SL L I S
CNS1 INC EDITRS
Robcrt crnasconi
Rudoll crnct
ohn . Caputo
avid Carr
Ldward S. Cascy
Hubcrt L. rcy|us
on Ihdc
avidFarrclI KrcII
Villiam L. Mcridc
. . Mohanty
Mary RawIinson
Tom Rockmorc
CaIvin . Schraz
Rcincr Schrmann
Charlcs L. Scott
Thomas Shcchan
Lcnorc nzsdor| Robcrt Sokolowski
lphonso Linzis rucc N Vilshirc
avid Vood
3IlIu MCIUCyCI
Knt and
thc oblcm o
Mctaphysics
|.(| |1..a. |a|..1
JV1^'i1J1i D
IChaIC 1aL
Indiana Lnivcrsity Ircss
111 11J 11J11111
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M0I00990I, N8IlIR 1V~1VJ
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TRANSLATR S NTRD1 CTIN TTHE FITH EDITIN ix
TRANSTRS INTRD1CTIN T THE F1 RTH EDITIN xi
REFERENCES T VRKS F KANT AND HE D ECCER xv
FREFACE T THE F1RTH EDITIN xvii
FREFACES T THE FIRST, SECN , AND THIRD EDTlNS xix
Introducton
Thc Thcmc and Structurc o[ thc Invcstgaton !
cuo]cld|ogc] t|c|dcac] aFuodamcotal Dotclc t|rcug| t|c|otcrctat|co
c] t|cCritiquc o|urc Rcason asala,|ogc] t|cgrcuod]crMctap|,s|cs
FAR1 NE
Thc Startng Pont [or thc Layng o[ thc Ctound [or Mctaphyscs J-! 2
h 1 . Thc TradonaI Conccpt o[ Mctaphyscs J
h Z. Thc Pont o[ Dcparturc [or thc Layng o[ thc Cround [or
TradtonaI Mctaphyscs
h J. Thc Layng o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphyscs as Crtquc o[ Purc
Rcason" 9
FAR1 1
Cart|ng Dut thc Layng o[ thc Cmund [or Mctaphyscs ! J-BB
A. THECHARACTERIATIN F THEDIMENSINF C NC-ACK |NEEDED
FRCARRY INC 1TTHE LAYINCFTHE CR1ND FRMETAFHYS CS !
I . THEESSENT AL CHARACTERISTICS F THE FIELD F RICN !
h 1. Thc Lsscncc o[ KnowIcdgc n CcncraI !
h . Thc Lsscncc o[ thc Fntudc o[ KnowIcdgc ! B
h . Thc Cround [or thc Sourcc o[ thc Layng o[ thc Cmund [or
Mctaphyscs
2
Cn|cn|s
II. THE MANNER FNVEILINC THE RICIN
h 7. Thc DutInc o[ thc Stagcs n thc Layng o[ thc Cround
[or DntoIog
h 8. Thc Mcthod [or RcvcaIng thc Drgn
. THE STACES F CARRY INCT THE FR ECTIN F THE INNER
FSSIILITY F NTLCY
THE FIRST STACE IN THE CRND-Y INC THE ESSENTIALELEMENTS
F F RE KNVLEDCE
A) FRE INTITIN IN FINITE KNVINC
h 9. Thc LIucdaton o[ Spacc and Tmc as Purc Intutons
h 1 . Tmc as thc UnvcrsaI Purc Intuton
) FRE THINKINC IN FINITE KNVINC
h1 1 . Thc Purc Conccpt o[ Undcrstandng |Noton}
h1Z. Notons as DntoIogcaI Prcdcatcs |Catcgorcs}
THE SECND STACE F THE CRND-LAY INC
2
2
2B
JJ
JJ
J I
JI
J
J
J
J9
THE ESSENTIAL NITY F FRE KNVLEDCE I
h13. Thc Ducston Conccmng thc LsscntaI Unty o[ Purc KnowIcdgc 2
h1 1. Thc DntoIogcaI Synthcss J
h1. Thc PmbIcm o[ thc Catcgorcs and thc RoIc o[
TransccndcntaI Logc
THE THIRD STACE F THE CRNDLAY INC. THE INNER FSSIILITY
F THE ESSENTIAL NITY F NTLCICAL SYNTHESIS
h1. Thc LIucdaton o[ thc Transccndcncc o[ Fntc Rcason
as 8asc Intcnton o[ thc TransccndcntaI Dcducton
h17. Thc Two Ways o[ thc TransccndcntaI Dcducton
a} Thc Frst Way
b} Thc Sccond Way
h18. Thc ItcmaI Form o[ thc TransccndcntaI Dcducton
THE FRH STACEFTHE CRND-LAYINC. THE CRND
FRTHE INNERFSSIILITY FNTLCICA KNVLEDCE
h1 9. Transccndcncc and Makng-ScnsbIc
hZ. Imagc and Schcma
hZ1 . Schcma and Schcma-Imagc
hZZ. Thc TransccndcntaI Schcmatsm
hZ3. Schcmatsm and Subsumpton
B
DJ
DJ
DD
D7
J
2
J
D
B
72
77
Con|cn|s VII
THE FIFTH STACE FTHE CRNDAY INC THE FLLESSENTIAL
DETERMINATIN FNLCCALKNVLEDCE BJ
hZ1. Thc Hghcst Synthctc PrncpIc us thc FuII Dctcrmnuton
o[ thc Lsscncc o[ Trunsccndcncc B !
hZ. Trunsccndcncc us thc Luyng o[ thc Cmund [or
Mctaphvsica Gcncralis BD
FAR1 1HREE
Thc Luyng o[ thc Cround [or Mctuphyscs n Its DrgnuIty
A. THE EXFLICIT CHARACTERIATIN F THE CRNDAID
INTHECRNDYINC
hZ. Thc Formutvc Ccntcr o[ DntoIogcuI KnowIcdgc
us TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton
hZ7. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton us thc
Thrd 8usc FucuIty
. THETRANSCENDENTAL FVER F IMACINATIN AS
B9- !2
B9
B9
9
RT FTHSTEMS 97
hZ8. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton und Purc Intuton 99
hZ9. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton und
ThcorctcuI Rcuson ! J2
h3. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton und PructcuI Rcuson ! J9
h31. Thc DrgnuIty o[ thc PrcvousIy Lud Cround und Kunt\
Shrnkng-8uck [rom thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton ! !2
C. THE TRANSCENDENTA FVER F IMACINATIN AND THE FRLEM
FHMAN FRE REASN ! 2J
h3Z. Thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[ Imugnuton und
Its RcIuton to Tmc ! 2 !
h33. Thc Inncr TcmporuI Churactcr o[ thc TrunsccndcntuI Powcr o[
Imugnuton ! 2J
u} Purc Synthcss us Purc Amrchcnson ! 2D
b} Purc Synthcss us Purc Rcproducton ! 2 7
c} Purc Synthcss us Purc Rccognton !2B
h31. Tmc us Purc Sc-A[[ccton und thc TcmporuI Churactcr
o[ thc ScI[ !J2
h3. Thc DrgnuIty o[ thc PrcvousIy Lud Cround und
thc ProbIcm o[ Mctuphyscs ! J 7
III Cn|cn|s
FART FLR
Thc Layng o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphyscs n a RctrcvaI !J-! 7J
A. THE Y INCFTHE CR1NDFRMETAFHYSI S IN ANTHRFLCY !
hJ. Thc PrcvousIy Lad Cround and thc Outcomc o[ thc Kantan
Layng o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphyscs !
hJ7. Thc Idca o[ a PhIosophcaI AnthmpoIogy !
hJ8. Thc Ducston Conccmng thc Human Lsscncc and thc Authcntc
RcsuIt o[ thc Kantan Cmund-Layng I DJ
. THE FRLEM F FINIT1 DEI N H1 MAN EINCSANDTHE
METAFHY Sl S F DASEIN ! DJ
hJ9. Thc ProbIcm o[ a PossbIc Dctcrmnaton o[ Fntudc
n Human 8cngs ! DJ
h1. Thc OrgnaI Workng-Out o[ thc Ducston o[ 8cng as
thc Way to thc PmbIcm o[ Fntudc n Human 8cngs I DD
h11. Thc Undcrstandng o[ 8cng and Dascn n Human 8cngs I DB
. THE METAFHY S S F DASEIN AS F1NDAMENTAL NTLCY ! 2
h1Z. Thc Idca o[ a FundamcntaI OntoIogy I 2
h1J. Thc Inccpton and tkc Coursc o[ FundamcntaI OntoIogy I
h11. Thc CoaI o[ FuudamcntaI OntoIogy I 7
h1. Thc Idca o[ FundamcntaI OntoIog and thc
Lritiquc o Furc Kcason ! 7J
. NTES N THE KANTK
AFFLNDICLS
II. ERNSTASSIRER. FHILSFHY F SYMLI FRMS. FART V.
MYTHI ALTH1 CHT. ERLIN, ! 92
III. DAVS LE 1RES. KANT S CRl!lQU PUR AND THE TASK F
I 7D
! BJ
A LAY INCFTHE CR1ND FRMETAFHY SI S I 9I
I DAVS DISF1TATIN ETVEEN ERNST ASS RERAND MARTIN HEIDECCER I 9J
N DEREHT'SAND ASSIRER'S R T1 ES FTHE KANTK 2JB
VI. N THEHISTRY F THE FHILSFHI AL HAIRSIN E !B 2I J
REFERENES FRAFFENDIES 2 IB
EDITRS AFTERVRD 2! 9
TRANSLATR'S NTES 22J
TRANSLTR`S INTRDLCT!N T THL FIFTH LDITIN
JHIS VCuUC ICDICUuCCS UV DICVICuS II8HS8IICH C Ko|aod ||cPtohlcm c]
Mc|ap|,s|cs |WHICH W8S O8SCU CH IHC CuIIH CUIIICH C !CIUC22CI5 LCIU8H
ICXI), CXD8HUCU IC IHCuUC IHC HCW U8ICII8S 8UUCU WHCH IHC OCCK W8S
DuOISHCU IH LCIU8H 8S VCuUC J C !CIUC22CIS CCCCICU WCIKS |Ccsam
|ausgahc) IH ! 99 ! , 8HU SIUuI8HCCuSV IHUCDCHUCHIV C IHC CCCCICU
WCIKS8S 8H CXD8HUCU lH CUIIICH. A H8S OCCH CuSICU8!V WIIH IHC ICDuO-
IC8IICH IH IHC LCS8UI8uS28OC C C8CH C !CIUCPCI5 WCIKS IH8I W8S CII2IH8V
DuOISHCU UuIIH2 HIS ICIIUC, IHC LCS8UI8uS28OC CUIIICH |8HU IH IHIS C8SC IHC
IUCHIIC8 IH CUIIICH) H8S OCCH CXD8HUCU IC IHCuUC U8I2IH8 HCI8IICHS IH8I
!CIUC22CI U8UC IH HIS DCISCH8 CCDV C IHC OCCK. JHC PICIWCIU OV IHC
LCIU8H CUIICI, WHICH 8DDC8IS 8I IHC CHU C IHIS VCuUC, CXD8IHS IHC DICVCH-
8HCC C IHCSC U8I2IH8I8. IHCV 8DDC8I IH IHIS VCuUC 8S CCIHCICS UCSI2H8ICU
OV CIICIS, |uSI 8S IH IHC LCIU8H CUIIICH.
!H 8UUIIICH IC IHC U8I2IH8I8, IHIS CUIIICH C IHC r8HIOCCK H8S OCCH CX-
D8HUCU IC IHCuUC CuI HCW 8DDCHUICCS, IHICC C WHICH 8DDC8I HCIC IH LH2ISH
CI IHC ISI IIUC. P28IH, IHC PIC!WCIU OV IHC LCIU8H CUIICI UCSCItOCS IHC
I8IICH8C CI IHCuUIH2 IHCSC ICXIS, 8S WC 8S IHC!U8IICH 8OCuI IHCII CII2IH8
LC!U8H DuOIC8IICH.
PS IHC IC8UCI UI2HI CXDCCI, WIIH SC U8HV VCICCS 8I WCIK IH 8 SIH2C OCCK
|!CIUC22CIS CII2IH8 DuOISHCU ICXI, UV II8HS8ICI5 HCICS IC IH8I ICXI,
!CIUC22CIS SuOSCOuCHI U8I2IH8 HCICS, CCUUCHIS CI CCIICCIICHS OV IHC LCI-
U8H CUIICI, 8HU, H8V, CCUUCHIS CI CC!!CCIICHS OV IHC It8HS8ICI IC IHCSC
HCW U8I2IH8I8), IHC CCHVCHIICHS CI ICHUCIIH2 IHC V8IICuS CVCS C CCUUCH-
I8IV UI2HI OC 8 OII CCHuSIH2. !H IHC IHICICSI C C8!IIV, ! H8VC 8UCDICU IHC
CCWIH2 CCHVCHIICHS.
JHC U8IH OCUV C IHC ICXI 8DDC8IS SuOSI8HII8V 8S II UIU IH IHC DICVtCuS
CUIIICH C UV II8HS8IICH, IHCuUIH2 !CIUC22CIS ICXI, !CIUC22CI5 CCIHCICS IC
IH8I ICXI UC8I2H8ICU OV HuUOCIS, 8HU UV JI8HS8ICIS CICS CCCCICU 8I IHC
O8CK C IHC VCuUC 8S CHUHCICS, UC8I2H8ICU OV HuUOCIS IH OI8CKCIS, ' | !
H8VC U8UC 8 CW CCIICCIICHS IC UV C!t2IH8 II8HS8IICH WHCIC ! H8VC CuHU CI
OCCH HCIICU C UISI8KCS, 8HU ! H8VC ICVISCU SCVCI8 C UV CII2IH8 II8HS8ICI5
CHUHCICS IC ICCCI CH8H2CS U8UC IC IHC LCIU8H ICXI. JHCSC 8IICI ICVISICHS
8IC 2CHCI8V IHUIC8ICU 8S SuCH IH IHC OCUV C IHC HCIC. !H IHC U8IH OCUV C
IHC ICXI, 8HU IH !CIUC22CIS CII2IH8 HCICS 8HU IHC U8I2IH8I8 HCW 8UUCU, !
H8VC KCDI IHC C8IICI CCHVCHIICH C DuIIIH2 LCIU8H WCIUS IH8I 8IC UICuI
IC ICHUCI, CI IH8I H8VC UuIIDC SH8UCS C UC8HIH2, IH II8ICS IH SOu8IC OI8CKCIS
IUUCUI8ICV CCWIH2 IHCII CCCuIICHCC IH IHC II8HS8IICH.
IX
x !runs|u|or: In|rouc|ion |o |nc Ii||n Li|ion
In addition, Hcidczzcrs marzinalia havc bccn inscrtcd at thc |oot o| thc
cazc whcrc thcyoccur, bcIowany|ootnotcs|romthcorizinaI cubIishcdbook.
Thcsc marzinaIia arc dcsiznatcd byIcttcrs within thc body o|thc tcxt. Ccca-
sionally within thcscmarzinalnotcs. thc Ccrman cditor has in|cctcda chrasc
or commcnt, thcsc arc cncloscd in itaIic brackcts. | . ^ny transIators com-
mcnts I havc addcd to thcsc marzinaIia arc in squarc brackcts, ' , and arc
labclcd tr. " Inaddition thc abbrcviations VS and SS uscd in |ootnotcs rc|cr
to thc Vintcr Scmcstcr and Summcr Scmcstcr o| thc acadcmic ycar, usuaIIy
to Hcidczzcr's Iccturcs or courscs durinz thosc scmcstcrs. Thc abbrcviation
C^ rc|crs to thc Ccsamtauszabc, thc collcctcd cdition o| Hcidczzcr's works
bcinz cublishcd by Vittorio Klostcrmann Vcrlaz. Irank|urt am Main. Thc
abbrcviation CPP rc|crs to Kants Cr|t|aac c] Parc Pcasco, tr. lorman Kcmc
Smith |London. MacmiIIan, I 929, I 2th imcrcssion !97J)
I would likc to acknowIcdzc FctcrVarnck o|VandcrbiIt Lnivcrsity |or his
assistancc in transIatinz ^cccndix II. Hcidczzcrs rcvicw o|Lrnst Cassircrs
P||lcscp|,c]5,mhcl|cFcrms, voIumc 2 M,t||calJ|cag|t, |orthisvoIumc. ]his
cssay acccarcd crcviousIy inLnzIishin J|cP|ct,c] J||o||ogLssa,sh,Mart|o
Hc|dcgcr,translation, notcs,and commcntary by. C. Hartand]. C. Maraldo
|loominzton. Indiana Lnivcrsity Frcss, ! 97) , cc. J2-D. Howcvcr, convcn-
tions |or rcndcrinz Hcidczzcrs tcxts in LnzIish havc cvolvcd sincc that timc,
ncccssitatinz a rcworkinz o| that transIation. My cro|ound thanks to Mr.
Varnck |or his cxccllcnt rctransIation o| this cssay, accomcIishcd in a short
timc with Iittlc advancc noticc.
Thc |razmcntary stylc o| a numbcr o|thc mazina notcs. as wcII as o|
^cccndiccs I and rclIccts thccharactcr o|thcCcrman orizinaI.
ichard Ta|t
TRANSLTR`S INTRDICTIN T THL FIRTH LDIT!N
Martin Hcidczzcrs wcll-known and controvcrsial bookKaotaod t|cPtohlcm
c]Mctap|,s|cswashrstpublishcdinCcrmanin I 929withsubscqucntcditions
appcarinzin I9DJ, I9D, and I97J. ^lthouzh thc sccond and third cditions
arc csscntially rcproductions o|thc hrst in thc |ourth and hnal cdition Hci-
dczzcraddcdsomcvcrysi znihcant matcrial tothcbookinadditiontomakinz
scvcral rcvisions tothc orizinaltct. Thistranslationisbascdon thc dchnitivc
|ourth cdition, althouzh it docs takc account o| thc variations in thc carlicr
cditions as appropriatc.
Kaotaodt|cPrchlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs is si znihcantbothas a maor contribu-
tion to twcnticth-ccntury Kant scholarship and as a pivotal work in Hcidcz-
zcr's own dcvclopmcnt in thc pcriod |ollowinz thc publication o|his mor
work, 8c|ogaodJ|mc,in I 927. ^s an intcrprctation o| Kant. Hcidczzcr's book
has attractcd a zrcat dcal o|attcntion as wcll as scholarly controvcrsy sincc
its orizinal publication in I 929. This particular intcrprctation o| Kant was
workcd out in thc ycars immcdiatcly |ollowinz thc appcarancc o| 8c|ogaod
mc, and is zroundcd as wcll in a lccturc coursc |rom I 9272B |now pub-
lishcd as volumc 2D o| Hcidczzcrs Ccsamtausgahc and bcinz translatcd by
Farvis Emadand Kcnncth Maly|orthis publishcr) , inwhichhc attcmptcd to
comc to tcrms with a conncction that hc saw bctwccn Kants chaptcr on thc
Schcmatism and thc problcm o|timc.
Twoothcrsourccs|orthisbookwcrca lccturc dclivcrcdinizainScptcm-
bcr I 92B and, most importantly, a scrics o|lccturcs that Hcidczzcr dclivcrcd
at thc avosHcc|sc|ulcin March I 929. Thc avos lccturc scrics was partic
ularlyimportantbccausc itbrouzht tozcthcrHcidczzcr and Ernst Cassircr,a
notcd authority on Kant and thc cditor o| thc modcm cdition o| Kants
collcctcd works. urinzthis coursc Hcidczzcrand Cassircr dclivcrcd a total
o|scvcn lccturcs ||our by Cassircr, thrcc by Hcidczzcr). and thcy dcbatcd
somco|thcmorccontrovcrsialaspcctso|HcidczzcrsKantintcrprctation|c. z. ,
his cmphasis on thc transccndcntal powcr o| imazination, or his attcmpt to
link his rcadinz o| Kant to thc procct o| a |undamcntal ontolozy that hc
proposcd in8c|ogaod J|mc). In thc prc|acc to thc |ourth cdition o|Kotaod
t|cPrchlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs ,Hcidczzcr pointsoutthcimportancco|thislccturc
scrics|orwritinzthat book |hc bczan to writc itimmcdiatcly a|tcr thc avos
coursc), and hc includcs as appcndiccs to that cdition a summary hc had
madc o| his thrcc lccturcs and a rcport o| his disputation with Cassircr in
conncction with thc lccturcscach dclivcrcd. Thc hnc points o|Kant scholar
ship aircddunzthis disputation |ormavitalparto|thc contcxt o|thisbook.

xII !runs|u|ors In|muc|ion |o |nc Iour|n Li|ion

Cvcr thc ycars, Kao|aod||c Ptchlcm c] Mc|ap|,s|cs has cmcrzcd as thc cor-
ncrstonc o| an imcortant and ori zi nal |i| controvcrsial) dircction in Kant
i ntcrcrctationthat conti nJcs to asscrt aninllJcncc toda
om thc standcoint o|thc dcvclocmcnt o| Hcidczzcrs own thoJzht
wcll, this book is o| civotal imcortancc bccaJsc it takcs Jc and cxtcnds a
nJmbcr o|thcmcs sJzzcstcd in 8c|ogaod J|mc, in carticJlar thc croblcm o|
how Hcidczzcr crocoscd tocnacthis dcstruction" o|thc mctachysical tradi-
tionand o|what rolc his rcadinz o|Kant woJld clay i nthat cro| cct. It is this
croblcmatic which accoJnts |or what somc havc callcd thc violcncc" o|
Hcidczzcrsi ntcrcrctation. Cnlywithi nthclast|cwycars, howcvcr, bczi nni nz
with thc cJblicationi nCcnnano|Hcidczzcrs carly lcct Jrc coJrscs. havc wc
rcallybccnablcto scc how thoroJzhlythc croblcmatic o|Ko|aod||cPthlcm
c] Mc|ap|,s|cswascmbcddcd i nthc dcvclocmcnt o|Hcidczzcrs thoJzht. Vc
can now scc, |or cxamclc, how Hcidczzcr was strJzzlinz to distancc his
thoJzht |rom thc crcvailinz nco-Kantiantcndcncy in Ccnnanchilosochical
circlcs atthis timc, and howonc asccct o|this distancinzi nvolvcd his hizhly
ori zi nal i ntcrcrctationo| Kant |azain, thc avos discJtationwith Cassircr is
illJminatinzhcrc) . This ncwly cnrichcd contcxt rcqJircs that wc Jndcrstand
thc crcscnt book i ntcrms o| its i ntimatc rclationshi c to thc varioJs lcctJrc
coJrscs Hcidczzcr zavc i nthc latc I 92Js, thc most imcortant o| which arc
only now acccarinz in Lnzlish |or thc hrst timc.
Kao| aod ||c Ptchlcmc] Mc|ap|,s|cs was crcvi oJsly translatcd by]amcs S.
ChJrchill |I ndiana Lnivcrsity Frcss, I 92). bJt that cditionhas bccn oJt o|
crint |or ovcr tcn ycars. ccaJsc it was donc in I 92. bc|orc any rcalbody
o| Hcidczzcrs works in Lnzlish cxistcd. ChJrchill's translation occasionally
|allsi nto awkwardandmislcadinzrcndcrinzs o|thc orizinal thatmakc ithard
to Jsc toda^dditionally, asthc datc sJzzcsts. ChJrchillbascd his translation
on thc sccond cdition o|Hcidczzcrs book and hcnccitcontains nonc o|thc
avos matcrials. In scitc o|its |laws, howcvcr, I madc |rcqJcnt rc|crcnccs to
ChJrchills translation in crccarinzthc crcscnt vol Jmc and I am i ndcbtcd to
it in many claccs.
Thc crcscnt translation crcscrvcs thc lanzJazc and zrammatical constrJc-
tions Jscd by Hcidczzcr to thc zrcatcst cxtcnt cossiblc. Thc carazrachinz,
|ootnotcs, and |ootnotc nJmbcrinzo|thc ori zi naltcxthavc bccnrctai ncd. To
|acilitatc comcarison, thc cazinationo|thc Ccnnancditionacccars insqJarc
brackcts i nthc rJnni nz hcads o| this translation.
Thc tcchnical dcviccs Jscd in thc tcxt havc bccn kcct to a minimJm.
Hcidczzcrs |ootnotcs arc consccJtivcly nJmbcrcd throJzhoJt thc tcxt and
acccar at thc bottom o| cach cazc. Thc translation also incl Jdcs a sct o|
translator's notcs, which acccarat thc cnd o|thc tcxt. Ior casc o|idcnticat
ion, thc translators notcs arc consccJtivcly nJmbcrcd withincach ma|orscc
tion and notc nJmbcrs arc containcd in sqJarc brackcts. Lxclanatory i ntcr-
colations and sJcclcmcntal i n|ormation addcd by thc translator to thc tcxt
!runs|u|ors In|ru:|ion |o |nc lour|n Li|ion xIII
and |ootnotcs aIso acccar within brackcts. In thc |cw instanccs whcrc Hci
dczzcr himscI| amcndcd thc tcxt, his words or chrascs arc containcd within
braccs. ^ny dcviations |rom thcsc convcntions arc cIarihcd in thc notcs.
ikcanyschoIarIy cro|cct,thistransIationhasbcnchtcdinmanyways |rom
contacts I had with various ccocIc durinzthc coursc o| my work. ^bovc aII
I wouId Iikc to thank my wi|c and dauzhtcrs |or thcir caticncc, sorcIy tricd
attimcs, durinzthc timc ittookto hnish thc transIation. I wouId aIso cartic
uIarIy Iikc to thankoscch IcII |or his caticnt and wisc counscI with somc
carticuIarIy nazzinz crobIcmscarIyonandohn SaIIis |orhis cncourazcmcnt
and hcIcin my zcttinzinvoIvcd with this crocct in thc hrst cIacc. I wouId
aIso Iikc to thank CharIcs Shcrovcr, whosc dctaiIcd and insi zht|uI rcvicw o|
thchnishcdmanuscri ctaIIowcdmctocorrcctanumbcro|mistakcs. Fro|cssor
ShcrovcraIso has indcIibIy ctchcd in my mind, and I hocc inthis transIation,
thc imcortant Kantian distinction bctwccn Ccgcostaod and Dh)c|t. IinaIIy I
wouId Iikc to thank Fro|cssor C. FzzcIcr, Fro|cssor C. Ccthmann, and r.
Hozcmann |or thcir hcIcin cIari|yinzscvcraI coints o| |act |or mc
In scitc o|aII thc hcI c|uI discussions and commcnts I havc rcccivcd inthc
coursco|doinzthis transIation, I takc |uII rcsconsibiIity|or any mistakcs that
stiII rcmain.
ThistransIationwasmadc cossibIcin cartthrouzh zrants|romthc lationaI
Lndowmcnt |or thc Humanitics and Intcr lationcs.
ichard Ta|t
RLILRLNCLS T VRKS I KAN1 AND HLIDLCCLR
Iormosto|hisrc|crcnccs toKantswritinzs. Hcidccrrc|crs tothcstandard
Cassircr cdition. citcd in thc notcs as wct|c Thc |uII citation is lmmaoucl
Kots wct|c, cd. Lrnst Cassircr with thc coIlaboration o| Hcrmann Cohcn,
^rtur uchcnau. Ctto uck. ^Ibcrt CrIand and KcIIcrmann. ! ! voIs.
|crlin runo Cassircr, ! 9! 2, rccrintcd, ! 922, rcissucd, Hildcshcim.
Ccrstcnbcrz. !97J).
Inaddition to thc Cassircr cdition, thc |oIIowinzworks havc bccn rc|crrcd
to at various coints.
ImmanucIKant.Ktt||dcttc|oco\ctoujt , cd. RaymundSchmidt|Hamburz
IclixMcincr, ! 92, 2nd rcviscd cdition. !9JJ, with indcx by KarI VorIndcr,
!97 ! , rccrintcd ! 97) . FhiIosochischc ibliothck. vol J7a. TransIation Ct
t|aucc]PutcPcasco,tr. lorman KcmcSmith |London. MacmiIIan. !929, !2th
imcrcssion. !97J).
ImmanucI Kant, Kt|t|| dctpta|t|sc|co \ctouo]t, cd. KarI VorIndcr |Ham-
burz. IcIix Mcincr, !929 9th cdition| , rccrintcd, ! 97) , FhiIosochischc
ibliothck. voI. JB. Translation. Ct|t|auc c] Ptact|cal Pcasco, tr. Lcwis Vhitc
cck |IndianacoIis. obbs-McrrilI, ! 97B) .
ImmanucI Kant. Kt|t||dct Uttc|ls|ta]t, cd. KarI VorIndcr |Hamburz. IcIix
Mcincr, !92 th cdition| , rccrintcd, !97). FhiIosochischc ibliothck. vol.
J9a. TransIation. Ct|t|auc c]]udgmcot, tr. ]. H. crnard |lcwYork. Ha|ncr.
! B92, rcviscd and rccrintcd. !9D!) .
I naddition, thc |oIIowinzcditions o|Hcidczzcrs maorwork 5c|ouodZc|t
havc bccn citcd at various coints in thc notcs.
Martin Hcidczzcr, 5c|ouod Zc|t |Tbinzcn. licmcycr VcrIaz, !927, !Jth
unaltcrcd cdition. !97) . Translation. 8c|ogaodJ|mc,tr.]ohn Macquarric and
Ldward Robinson |lcwYork. Harccr G Row. ! 92).
Martin Hcidczzcr. Ccsamtausgahc, cd. Iricdrich-ViIhcImvonHcrrmann ct
al. |Irank|urt am Main. KIostcrmann, ! 97D-). ^s o| ! 99 accroximatcly D
volumcshadbccnrclcascd. o|which5c|ouodZc|tisvoIumc 2. Kotuodd
PmhlcmdctMctap|,s||was cubIishcd as voIumc J in !99 ! .
xv
FRLFACL T THL FLRTH LDITIN
InHcidczzcrs ccrsonaI cocy o|thc rstcditiono|this book thcrc is a notc
onthctitIc cazc that,| Jdzinzbythchandwritinz,datcs|romthcmid I 9JJs.
Thc notc rcads.
Ko|hcc|
Vith8c|ogaodJ|mcaIonc soon
cIcar that wcdid not cntcri nto
thc rcaI qJcstion scc I J . T and cstrJction|
^ rc|Jzc Jndcrway and
not ncw discovcrics
in Kant Fhilolozy.
ci nz| ci nzncss-Cb|cctncss
and timc"
Schcmatism
bJt at thc samc timc thc carticJlar way is obstrJctcd
and is madc sJsccctibIc to misintcrcrctation
Scc Fart IV

citrzcczi nni nzto ncwbczi nninzConccct

o| c|Icction
Thc crcccdinzrcmarks mcntioncdthcdccisivc motivation|or thc cJbIica-
tion o| thc Kant book thc misJndcrstandinz o|thc CJcstion o| cinz crc-
scntcd in8c|ogaodJ|mcwhich had aIrcady bccomc cIcar in I 929. In crc-
carinzthc Icct Jrc coJrsc onKants C||aucc] Purc Pcascothat was hcId i n
thcVintcrScmcstcro| I9272B,

myattcntionwasdrawnto thc chactcron

Schcmatism, and I zlimcscd thcrcin a conncction bctwccn thc crobIcm o|
Catczorics, that is, thc crobIcm o|cinzintraditi onaI Mctachysics and thc
chcnomcnono|timc. I nthis way thc manncr o| qJcstioninz|rom 8c|ogaod
|mccamcinto cIay as ananticicationo|myattcmctcdi ntcrcrctationo|Kant.
Kants tcxt bccamc a rc|Jzc, asI soJzht inKant anadvocatc |or thcqJcstion
o|cinzwhich I coscd.
! . This rc|crs toFart J o|ivision I o|8ctngand!imc.
2. Thc dcstructiono|thc histoy o|noIoey in iv sion II ol8cingand !imc
J. Thc |ourth pan o|thc Kant book.
+. 8citragczurPht|osophictCA, vol. 5). Thcwordordcro|thcIasttwoI ncso|ths transcrp
tion has bccn chanecd |rom that o| thc lourth cdition to that o| thc CA cdition. Th tcxt o| this
|ootnotc hasaIso bccnchanecd to rc|cct thc pubIicaton o|thc 8citragc inthc CAin I 9B9-tr. |
xvii
v Ircjucc |o |nc Iour|n Li|ion
Thc rc|uec, morcovcr, dctcrmincd in this way, Icd mc to intcrprct thc
Ct||aucc] PurcPcasco |rom within thc horizon o|thc manncr o|qucstionine
sct |orth in8c|ogaodJ|mc In truth, howcvcr, Kants qucstion is |orcien to it,
cvcnthouehitwouIdhavceivcnanothcrmcaninetothcprcsupposcdmanncr
o|qucstionine.
'

ln Iatcr writines |scc thc prcIiminary notc to thc third cdition, I -D) l
attcmptcd to rctract thc ovcrintcrprctation l hcrdcu|uog| without at thc samc
timc writine a corrcspondineIy ncw vcrsion o|thc Kant book itscI|
HansecoreHoppcprovidcsan instructivc criticaI ovcrvicwo|thc chanec in
my Kant intcrprctation, rc|crrine to carIicrcriticaI commcnts in thc anthoIoey
lurc|hl|c|c | I-70), pubIishcd byVittorio KIostcrmann, pp. 2B-J! 7.
Thc discussion o| thc TransccndcntaI Fowcr o| Imaeination" sct |orth in
thc Kant book is suppIcmcntcd by Hcrmann Mrchcn inhis Marbure disscr-
tation | ! -2B)cntitIcd, ic EinbiIduneskra|tbciKant,"]a|rhuc|]arP||lcscp||c
uod p|ocmcoclcg|sc|c Fcrsc|uog, voIumc XI |SaaIc Max licmcycr HaIIc,
I -J0). ^n unaItcrcd cdition was pubishcd by Max licmcycr |Tbinecn
I -70) as an o||prnt.
Thc Kant book, writtcn immcdiatcIy a|tcr thc concIusion o| thc sccond
avos Hcc|sc|ulc coursc |March I 7^priI ! -2-), was bascd on thc prcpa-
ratory work | |or that coursc| |scc thc prc|acc to thc hrst cdition).
Thc appcod|x to thc prcscnt cdition contains my summary o| my thrcc
avos Iccturcs on Kants Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco and thc Task o|a ayine o|
thc Cround |or Mctaphysics" |appcarineinthc lavcscrPcvuc, I 7, I -2-, pp.
I -- I -) .
lnaddition thcrc is a rcport on thcdisputationbctwccn Ernst Cassircrand
mc inconncctionwith thc Iccturcs wc hcId. n thrcc Iccturcs, Cassircr spokc
about phiIosophicaI anthropoIoey, spccihcaIIy, about thc probIcm o|spacc, o|
Ianeuaec, and o|dcath
Thc Kantbookrcmainsanintroduction, attcmptcd bymcanso|aqucstion-
abIc diercssion, to thc |urthcr qucstionabiIity which pcrsists conccrnine thc
Cucstion o|cine sct |orth in 8c|ogaod J|mc.
ThcerowineandunacknowIcdecdanxictyinthc |acco|thinkinenoIonecr
aIIows insieht into thc |orect|uIncss o| cine which dctcrmincs thc aec.
l wouId Iikc inparticuIar tothankthc pubIishcr, r. VittorioKIostcrmann,
|or his Ionestandine intcrcst inthis book. My thanks arc aIso cxtcndcd to r.
HiIdceard cick |Vicsbadcn) andr. ricdrich-VihcImvonHcrrmann|rci-
bure im rciseau) |or thc carc|uI handIine o|thc corrcctions.
End o|^ueust I-7J
M. H.
5 Thc tcxt o|thc DaoscrDispu|a|ion i sa transcript compiIcdby. olnow and . Rittcr
who wcrc panicipants in thc avoscoursc. Accordinetoacommunication |rom ollnow, it
is not a word-|or-word protocoI buts rathcr a subscqucnt cIaboration bascd on notcs takcn at
thc t mc. . oIlnow |uishcd thc typcd tcxt orthc purposc o| ypcscttine, and |or thatwc
wouIdthankhim hcc
FRLFACL T THL FIRST LDITIN
Thc csscntiaIs o| thc |oIIowine intcrprctation wcrc hrst prcscntcd in a |our-
hour Iccturc durine thc Vintcr Scmcstcr o| I -272B

and Iatcr on scvcraI

occasions in Iccturcs and Iccturc-scrics |at thc Hcrdcr Institutc in Riea in
Scptcmbcr ! -2Band in a coursc atthc lavcsctHcc|sc|ulc | thc avos ^cad
cmy in March o|this ycar | I-2-| ).
This intcrprctation o|thc Ct|||aucc] PutcPcasco arosc inconnccton with
a hrst workine-out o| Fart Two o|8c|ogaod J|mc |Scc 8c|ogaod J|mc, hrst
haI|, ina|thuc|]atP||lcscp||cuodp|aocmcoclcg|sc|cctsc|uog, cditcd by E.
Husscrl,voI.VIII | ! -27 ,p. 2J|. Thcpaeinationo|asccond,corrcctcdcdition.
which has nowappcarcd, corrcsponds with that o|thc a|thuc|. )
'

ln Fart Two o|8c|ogaod!mc,thc thcmc o|thc |oIIowineinvcstieationwas

trcatcd on thc basis o| a morc comprchcnsivc manncr o| qucstionine. y
contrast,aproercssivcintcrprctationo|thc Ct|||aucc]PutcPcascowasrc|cctcd
thcrc. Thc prcscnt pubIication shouId scrc as a httine suppIcmcnt to that
|book .

^t thc samc timc this invcstieation scrvcs as a historicaI" introduction o|

sorts to cIari|ythcprobIcmatic trcatcd inthchrst haI|o|8c|ogaodJ|mc
^nothcr cssay o|minc, which has aIso appcarcd as a monoeraph, providcs
|urthcr cIarihcation o| thc euidine manncr o| qucstionine. cm wcsco dcs
Ctuodcs|scccs|sc|t|]at. Hussctl,a suppIcmcntary voIumc tothca|thuc|
]atP||lcscp||cuodp|aocmcoclcg|sc|cctsc|uog, ! -2-, pp. 7 I - I I 0. )

Thc prcscnt work is dcdicatcd to thc mcmory o|Max SchcIcr. lts contcnt
wasthcsub|ccto|thcIastconvcrsationinwhich thcauthorwasaIIowcdoncc
aeain to |ccI thc un|cttcrcd powcr o|his spirit.
Todtnaubcre im bad. SchwarzwaId
Fcntccost ! -2-
xIx
FRLFACL T THL SLCND LDITIN
Thiswork.whichwaspubIishcdtwodccadcsaeoandwhichimmcdiatcIysoId
out, appcars hcrc unaItcrcd. lt rctains thc |orm in which it has bccn both
succcss|uI and unsucccss|uI in various ways.
Rcadcrs havc takcn constant o||cnsc at thc vioIcncc o| my intcrprctations.
Thcir aIIceation o| vioIcncc can indccd bc supportcd by this tcxt.
FhiIosophicohistoricaIrcscarchisaIwayscorrcctIysub|ccttothischarecwhcn-
cvcr it is dircctcd aeainst attcmpts to sct in motion a thoueht|uI diaIoeuc
bctwccn thinkcrs. In contrast to thc mcthods o| historicaI phiIoIoey, which
hasitsownaecnda,a thoueht|uI diaIoeuc is boundbyothcrIawsIawswhich
arc morc casiIy vioIatcd. In a diaIoeuc thc possibiIity o|eoine astray is morc
thrcatcnine, thc shortcomines arc morc |rcqucnt.
Thc instanccs in which l havc eonc astray and thc shortcomines o|thc
prcscntcndcavorhavc bccomc so cIcartomc onthc path o|thinkine durne
thc pcriod rc|crrcd to abovc that I thcrc|orc rc|usc to makc this work into a
patchwork by compcnsatine with suppIcmcnts, appcndiccs and postscripts.
Thinkcrs Icarn |rom thcir shortcomines to bc morc pcrscvcrine.
Ircibure im rciseau
]unc !-D0
7
FRLIIMINARY NTL T THL THIRD LDITIN
Thc |oIIowine may scrvc as a euidc |or corrcctIy undcrstandine thc tidc o|
this work Thc probIcm |or Mctaphysics, namcIy thc qucstion conccmine
bcinesas such inthcir totaIity, iswhat aIIows Mctaphysics as Mctaphysics to
bccomc a probIcm. Thc cxprcssion Thc FrobIcm o|Mctaphysics" has two
scnscs.
To suppIcmcnt thc prcscnt work, thc rcadcr shouId rc|cr to thc |oIlowne
o|s J|cscuhc das5c|o |Irank|urt a. M. VcrIae Vittorio KIostcrmann, -J)
and l|c Fragc oac| dcm l|og Zu Kao|s Lc|rc vco dco |raoszcodco|alco
Codsa|zco |binecn VcrIae Max licmcycr, -2).'

Frcibure im rciseau
Sprine -D
xi
lntroduction
Thc Thcmc and Structurc o[ thc Invcstgaton
HC CCWIH2 IHVCSII28IICH IS UCVCICU IC IHC I8SK C IHIC!D!CIIH2 r8HIS
Ct|t|aucc] PurcPcasco8S 8 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS 8HU IHuS C
D8CIH2 IHC D!COCU C UCI8DHVSICS OCC!C uS 8S 8 uHU8UCHI8 CHICC2y
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C HuU8H OCIH2S WHICH IS IC D!CD8!C IHC CuHU8IICH C! IHC UCI8DHVSICS WHICH
OCCH2S IC HuU8H H8Iu!C. !uHU8UCHI8 LHICC2V IS IHC UCI8DHVSICS C
HuU8H 8SCIH WHICH IS !COuI!CU C! UCI8DHVSICS IC OC U8UC DCSSIOC. II
!CU8IHS uHU8UCHI8V UIC!CHI !CU 8 8HIH!CDCC2V 8HU !CU IHC DHIC-
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CH8!8CIC!ISIIC CHICC2IC8 8H8VIIC C 8SCIH 8S D!C!COuISIIC 8HU IHuS IC U8KC
CC8! C! WH8I Du!DCSC 8HU IH WH8I W8V, WIIHIH WHICH OCuHU8!ICS 8HU WIIH
WHICH D!CSuDDCSIIICHS, II DuIS IHC CCHC!CIC OuCSIICH. VH8I IS IHC HuU8H
OCIH2! !CWCVC!, D!CVIUCU IH8I 8H IUC8 H!SI U8HICSIS IISC IH!Cu2H IIS DCWC!
IC IuUIH8IC, IHC IUC8 C uHU8UCHI8 CHICC2V WI D!CVC IISC 8HU D!CSCHI
IISC IH 8H IHIC!D!CI8IICH C IHC Cr|||aucc]PurcPcasco8S 8 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU
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CCHSIUC! IHC OuIUIH2 I!8UC. II IS I!uC IH8I UCI8DHVSICS IS HCI 8 OuIUIH2 C!
SI!uCIu!C 'Cchaudc| IH8I IS 8I H8HU, OuI IS !C8V IH 8 HuU8H OCIH2S 8S 8
H8Iu!8 CCHSI!uCIICH C! 8!!8H2CUCHI. PS 8 CCHSCOuCHCC, 8VIH2 IHC 2!CuHU
. Critiquco]PurcRcon, 2d cd. p. 2 . Thc hrst cd ton|A)andthcsccond |) arcuxtaposcd

2 Kant and thc FmbIcm O Mctaphyscs |i-JI
C! UCI8DHVSICS C8H UC8H IC 8V 8 CuHU8IICH ' uodamco|| uHUC! IHIS H8Iu!8
UCI8DHVSICS, C! !8IHC! IC !CD8CC CHC WHICH H8S 8!C8UV OCCH 8IU WIIH 8 HCW
CHC IHICu2H 8 D!CCCSS C SuOSIIIuIIH2. !CWCVC!, II IS D!CCISCV IHIS !CD!C-
SCHI8IICH WHICH WC UuSI KCCD CuI C IHC IUC8 C 8 2!CuHU-8yIH2, H8UCV IH8I
II IS 8 U8IIC! C IHC OVD!CUuCI !CU IHC CuHU8IICH 'CruodlagcoC 8H 8!C8UV-
CCHSI!uCICU OuIUIH2. L!CuHU-8VIH2 U !8IHC! IHC D!C|CCIIH2 C IHC OuIUIH2
D8H IISC SC IH8I II 82!CCS WIIH IHC UI!CCIICH CCHCC!HIH2 CH WH8I 8HU HCW
IHC OuIUIH2 WI OC 2!CuHUCU. LVIH2 IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSIC8 8S IHC
D!C|CCIIH2 |Lo|ocr]co| C IHC OuIUIH2 D8H, HCWCVC!, IS 828IH HC CUDIV D!C-
UuCIH2 C 8 SVSICU 8HU IIS SuOUIVISICHS. !I IS !8IHC! IHC 8!CHIICCICHIC CI!-
CuUSC!IDIICH 8HU UCIHC8IICH C IHC IHHC! DCSSIOIIIV C UCI8DHy8IC8, IH8I IS,
IHC CCHC!CIC UCIC!UIH8IICH C IIS CSSCHCC. P UCIC!UIH8IICH C CSSCHCC, HCW-
CVC!, IS H!SI 8CHICVCU IH IHC SCIIIH2-!CC C IHC CSSCHII8 2!CuHU.
L8VIH2 IHC 2!CuHU 8S IHC D!C|CCIICH C IHC IHHC! DC88IOIIIV C UCI8DHVSICS
L IHuS HCCCSS8!IV 8 U8IIC! C CIIIH2 IHC SuDDC!IIH2 DCWC! C IHC 8!C8UV-8IU
2!CuHU OCCCUC CDC!8IIVC. VHCIHC! 8HU HCW IHIS I8KCS D8CC IS IHC C!IIC!ICH
C IHC C!I2IH8IIV 8HU SCCDC C 8 2!CuHU-8VIH2.
! IHC CCWIH2 IHIC!D!CI8IICH C IHC Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco SuCCCCUS IH
O!IH2IH2 IC I2HI IHC C!I2IH8IIV C IHC C!I2IH C UCI8DHVSICS, IHCH IHIS C!I2IH8-
IIV C8H CHV !C8!V OC uHUC!SICCU I II W8S 8SC 8!C8UV !COuI!CU C! IHC CCHC!CIC
H8DDCHIH2 C IHC CIIIH2-SD!IH2-C!IH 'Lo|spr|ogcolassco|. IH8I IS IC S8V, I IHC
8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS CCUCS IC OC !CI!ICVCU ' o|cdcr|cl||
JC IHC CXICHI IH8I UCI8DHVSICS OCCH2S IC 8HU I8CIIC8V CXISIS WIIH HuU8H
H8Iu!C, II H8S 8!C8UV UCVCCDCU IH SCUC C!U. !CHCC 8H CXDICII 8yIH2 C
IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS HCVC! 8DDC8!S CuI C HCIHIH2, OuI !8IHC! 8!ISCS
!CU IHC SI!CH2IH 8HU WC8KHCSS C 8 I!8UIIICH IH8I SKCICHCS CuI IHC DC88IOI-
IIICS C 8 OC2IHHIH2 C! IISCl VIIH !CC!CHCC IC IHC I!8UIIICH CHCCSCU IH IISC,
IHCH, CVC!V 2!CuHU-8VIH2 IS, WIIH !CC!CHCC IC WH8I C8UC C8!IC!, 8 I!8HSC!U8-
IICH C IHC S8UC I8SK. JHuS, IHC CCWIH2 IHIC!D!CI8IICH C IHC Cr|||aucc]Purc
PcascoUuSI, 8S 8 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS, SCCK IC O!IH2 IC I2HI
8 Cu!CU UIVISICH.
! JHC SI8!IIH2 DCIHI C! IHC 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS.
2. JHC C8!!VIH2-CuI C IHC 8yIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS.
J. JHC 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS IH IIS C!I2IH8IIy
. JHC 8VIH2 C IHC 2!CuHU C! UCI8DHVSICS IH 8 !CI!ICV8.
to onc anothcr in cxcmpIary |ashion in Raymund Shmidts cdition |Mcincrs FhiIosophishc
ibiothck, 2). nwhat |oIIows, this work wiII aIways bc itcd a ording to both A and .
|Thcsc samcpagc rc|crcncs arc rctaincd by Kcmp Smith in hs EngIish transIation o| thc Cri-
- r.
HL Ll!CLO!lL C! 1HL !OL^ C! ^ \lO^MLl1^l Ll1CLCL1
1HKCLLH 1HL !l1LKKL1^1!Cl C! 1HL CkH0uL Of IukL KON
^5 ^ L1!lL C! 1HL LKCLlO !CK wL1^H15!L5
0r| Lnc
HC bluIlIDP 1OIDl OI lHC
uVIDP O lHC LIOuD0 OI
%CluDHV5IC5
JHC CXDCSIlICH C lHC r8HlI8H Sl8IlIH2 DCIHl C! 8yIH2 lHC 2!CuHU C! UCl8-
DHySICS L COuIV8CHl lC 8HSWC!IH2 lHC OuCSlICH. Hy CI r8Hl UCCS 8yIH2 lHC
2ICuHU C! UCl8DHySICS OCCCUC lHC Ct|t|aacc]PatcPcasco`JHC 8HSWC! UuSl
OC UCVCCDCU lHICu2H 8 UISCuSSICH C lHC CCWIH2 lHICC OuCSlICHS. | ! ) HICH
CCHCCDl C UCl8DHySICS IS CuHU IH r8Hl! |2) H8l IS lHC Sl8IIIH2 DCIHl C!
lHC 8VH2 C lHC 2ICuHU CI lHIS lI8UIlICH8 UCl8DHySICS! |J) Hy L IHIS
2!CuHU-8yIH2 8 CIIlIOuC C Du!C !C8SCH!
h 1. Thc Tmdtonal Conccpt o[ Mctaphyscs
HC HC!I2CH !CU WIlHIH WHICH r8Hl S8W UCl8DHySICS 8HU IH lCIUS C
WHICH HIS 2!CuHU-8yH2 UuSl OC XCU U8y OC CH8I8ClCII2CU tCu2Hy Oy UC8HS
C D8uU28IlCHS UCHHIlICH. Mctap|,s|:acsts:|cot|apt|ma :cgo|t|co|s|amaoac
pt|o:|p|a :cot|ocos." NCl8DHySICS IS lHC SCICHCC WHICH CCUDIISCS lHC DISl
D!IHCIDCS C HuU8H KHCWCU2C. !H lHC CCHCCDl C lHC D!Sl DIIHCIDCS ' ctstco
Ptoz|p|co| C HuU8H KHCWCU2C ICS 8 DCCuI8I 8HU 8l DISl 8 HCCCSS8Iy 8U-
OI2uIly `Admctap|,s|:amtc]ctaotctcotclcg|a, :csmclcg|a,ps,:|clcg|actt|cclcg|a
oatatal|s.
,,
JHC UClIVCS 8HU HISlC!y C lHC UCVCCDUCHl 8HU CCHSCIU8lICH C
2. A. C. aumeartcn Mc|aph,sica, 2dcd. t ! 7+J), . |itcraI transIation "Mctaphysics is thc
scicncc thatcontains thc hrstpr ncipIcs o|human knowIcdec"tr.
J. Ibid. , 2. |itcraI rans ation "noIoey cosmoIoey, psychoIoey, and naturaI thcooeyrc|cr
to mcaphysi"-tr.
aMctaphysicsis thc hrstsccnccin so|aras t compr scsthcdcc s vc erounds orwhahuman
knowinercprcscnts.
J
Kant and thc FmbIcm O Mctaphysics |-7I
IHIS bCHC8SIIC CCHCCDI C UCI8DHVSICS 8IC HCI D!CSCHICU HCIC. P SHCII !CCI-
CHCC IC WH8I IS UCSI CSSCHII8 SHCuU [SuCC IC CCSCH IHC D!CDCU8IIC
CCHICHI C IHIS CCHCCDI 8HU D!CD8!C uS C! uHUCISI8HUIH2 IHC uHU8UCHI8
UC8HIH2 C IHC r8HII8H SI8!IIH2 DCIHI CI IHC 2ICuHU-8VIH2.`
!I IS KHCWH IH8I IHC IHIII8. DuICV ICCHHIC8 UC8HIH2 C IHC CXD!CSSICH
1 1 ouot) |IHC CCCCIIVC ICIU C! IHCSC C PIISICICS IIC8IISCS IH8I WCIC
8I!8H2CU |IH SCOuCHCC 8ICI IHCSC DCCH2IH2 IC IHC P|,s|cs) 8IC! DCC8UC 8
DHICSCDHIC8V IHICIDICICU CH8I8CICIISIIC C WH8I IS CCHI8IHCU IH IHCSC IC-
8I!8H2CU I!C8IISCS. JHIS CH8H2C C UC8HIH2. HCWCVC!. IS HCI 8S H8IUCSS 8S
DCCDC C!UIH8!IV IHIHK. K8IHC!, II CH8HHCCU IHC IHIC!D!CI8IICH C IHCSC IIC8-
IISCS IH 8 SDCCIC UI!CCIICH, 8HU IHCICDV IHC IHICIDICI8IICH UCIC!UIHCU WH8I
P!ISICIC IIC8ICU 8S NCI8DHVSICS. PCVCIIHCCSS. WC UuSI 8SK WHCIHC! WH8I
IS D!Cu2HI IC2CIHCI IH IHC P!ISICICI8H Mc|ap|,s|cs IS UCI8DHVSICS. PUUII-
ICUV r8HI HIUSC SII W8HIS IC 8SSI2H 8 SuDSI8HII8 UC8HIH2 UI!CCIV IC IHC
CXDICSSICH. PS 8I 8S IHC H8UC UCI8DHVSICS IS CCHCCIHCU. II IS HCI IC DC
DCICVCU IH8I II 8ICSC DV CH8HCC DCC8uSC II HIS SC CX8CIV WIIH IHC SCICHCC.
HCW oot IS C8CU P8Iu!C. DuI WC C8H 8!!IVC 8I IHC CCHCCDI C P8Iu!C IH
HC CIHCI W8V IH8H IHICu2H CXDCIICHCC, SC IH8I IHC SCICHCC WHICH CCWS
ICU II IS C8CU NCI8DHVSICS |ICU c1, |taos, 8HU p|,s|ca) !I IS 8 SCICHCC
IH8I IS. SC IC SDC8K, CuISIUC C IHC CU C DHVSICS, WHICH ICS CH IHC CIHC!
SIUC C II.
.,

HC ICCHHIC8 CXDICSSICH IISC. WHICH CCC8SICHCU IHIS DXCU. SuDSI8HII8
IHICID!CI8IICH, SDI8H2 CIIH ICU 8 UIHCuIV CCHCCIHIH2 IHC uHDI8SCU uHUCI-
SI8HUIH2 C IHC W!IIIH2S C IHC cctus at|s|c|cl|cum C!UCICU IH IHIS W8y !H
SuDSCOuCHI bCHC8SIIC HICSCDHV |LC2IC. HV8IC8, LIHIC8), IHCIC W8S HC UISCI-
DIHC CI I8UCWC!K IH WHICH IC IHSC!I DICCISCV WH8I P!ISICIC SIICVC CI HCIC
xpmD otooooio, 8S 8uIHCHIIC DHICSCDHV C! DHICSCDHV C IHC HI2HCSI
CIUC!. c1 1 ouotY IS IHC IIIC C 8 uHU8UCHI8 DHICSCDHIC8 UICu|y
. FoIIowinethcprcccdcnto|H FichIcrs UocrChris|ianWo sOn|o|ogic| ! 920),KantsrcIation
ship to traditionaI mctaphics has rcccntIycomc tobcmorc urecntyand morccomprchcnsivcIy
rcscarchcd. Scc abovc aII thc invcsieation by H. Hcimsocth, "Dic mctaphysischcn Motivc in dcr
AusbiIdune dcs kritischcn IdcaIismus," in Kn|s|udicn, voI. XXIX t !92+), pp. 2 ||. and aIso
Mc|aph,sik und Kri|ik oci A. Crusius, in 8ci|rag zur on|o|ogtschcn \orgcschich|c dcr Krt|ikdcr
Rcincn \cnun]| im I. ]ahrhundcr|, in Schr|cn dcr Kniocrgcr Gc|chr|cn Gcsc||scha]| lll ]ah
Cistcswiss. KI. H|t. J t ! 92). In addition thcrc is thc Ionecr work by M. Vundt, Kan| a|s
Mc|aph,sikcr.in8ci|rag zurGcschich|cdcrdcu|schcnPhi|osophicimach|zchn|cn]ahrhundcr|!92+).
R. Kroncrs \onKan|ois Hcgc|, 2 voIs. | ! 92 ! and !92). prcscnts Kantian phiIosophyinvicwo|
thc historyo|mctaphysics a|tcrKant. nthc hisoyo|mctaphysicsinCcrman IdcaIism scc aIso
NicoIas Hanmann, Dic Phi|osophicdcs dcu|schcn ldca|ismus, Fan I |!92J) and Fart II |!929). A
critiuc o|thisrcscarchisnot possibIchcrc. nc thineshouIdbc notcd,howcvcr |romthc stan,
aII thcscworksadhcrctothcintcrprctationo|thcCri|iquco]PurcRcasonas"Thcoryo|KnowIcdec
or"EpistcmoIoey," and, morcovcr, thcy aIso cmphasic mctaphysics and "mctaphysica motivcs.
5 . M. Hcinc, \or|csungcnKan|socrMc|aph,sikausdrciScmcs|cn.AbhdIe. dcr K. Schsisch.
Ccs. dcVisscnscha|tcn VoIumc XV, phI-hist. KI. !B9. p. . |Scp. S !B.). SccalsoKant,
UocrdicFor|schri||cdcrMc|aph,siksci|lioniz undWo , Wcrkc, VIII, p J0I.
s I . |/- 9
JHIS UICu!V 8SC H8U I!S O8SIS 'Ctuod| IH !HC 8CK C C8II!V CCHCCIHIH2
!HC CSSCHCC C !HC D!COCU 8HU IH !HC HUIH2S 'Lt|coo|o|sscl UISCuSSCU IH !HC
lV8IICuS SCC!ICHS. JC !HC CX!CH! !H8! P!IS!C!C HIUSC H8S 8HV!HIH2 !C S8V
8OCu! !HIS, 8 ICU8IK8OC UCuOIH2 ' Dcppcluogl 8DDC8IS DICCISCV IH !HC UC!CI-
UIH8!ICH C !HC CSSCHCC C !IIS! HICSCDHy ! IS OC!H KHCWCU2C C OCIH2S
8S OCIH2S
|
|v n V) 8HU 8SC KHCWCU2C C !HC UCS! ICU8IK8OC IC2ICH C
OCIH2S |1II1o1ov {cVoc) Cu! C WHICH !HC OCIH2 8S 8 WHCC |xo/ou)
UC!CIUIHCS I!SC.
JHIS Uu8 CH8I8C!CII28!ICH C !HC zpmD Ot/oooo UCCS HC! CCH!8IH !WC
uHU8UCH!8V UICICH! W8VS C !HIHKIH2 !H8! 8IC IHUCDCHUCH! C CHC 8HC!HCI,
HCI U8V CHC C !HCU OC WC8KCHCU CI CIUIH8!CU IH 8VCI C !HC C!HCI, HCI IS
I! CVCH DCSSIOC CI !HC 8DD8ICH! UISuHI!V !C OC H8S!IV ICCCHCICU IH!C 8 uHI!y
! IS C UuCH 2IC8!CI V8uC !C IuUIH8!C !HC 2!CuHUS CI !HC 8DD8ICH! UISuHI!V
8HU !HC U8HHCI IH WHICH OC!H UC!C!UIH8!ICHS OCCH2 !C2C!HCI 8S !HC C8UIH2
D!COCU C 8 HIS! DHICSCDHV C OCIH2S. JHIS !8SK OCCCUCS 8 !HC UCIC
uI2CH! OCC8uSC !HC 8OCVC-UCH!ICHCU UCuOIH2 UCCS HC! HIS! CCCuI WI!H P!IS-
!C!C. K8!HCI, !HC DICOCU C DCIH2 H8S DICV8ICU SIHCC !HC OC2IHHIH2S C
8HCICH! DHICSCDHy
Du! !C ICU8IH WI!H !HC DICOCU C !HC CSSCH!I8 UC!CIUIH8!ICH C NC!8-
DHVSICS, WC C8H 8H!ICID8!C WH8! WCuU H8VC OCCH S8IU. NC!8DHVSICS IS !HC
uHU8UCH!8 KHCWCU2C C OCIH2S 8S SuCH 8HU 8S 8 WHCC. JHIS UCHI!ICH,
HCWCVCI, C8H CHV H8VC V8uC 8S 8H 8HHCuHCCUCH! C !HC DICOCU, !H8! IS, C
!HC OuCS!ICH. H WH8! UCCS !HC CSSCHCC C !HC KHCWCU2C C DCIH2 OV OCIH2S
IC! JC WH8! CX!CH! UCCS !HIS HCCCSS8IiV CDCH uD IH!C 8 KHCWCU2C C OCIH2S
8S 8 WHCC! VHV UCCS !HIS DCIH! 8HCW !C 8 KHCWCU2C C !HC KHCWCU2C C
DCIH2! JHuS, NC!8DHVSICS SIUDV ICU8IHS !HC !I!C CI !HC DHICSCDHIC8
UICu!y
VCS!CIH UC!8DHVSICS 8!CI P!IS!C!C CWCS I!S UCVCCDUCH! HC! !C !HC 8S-
SuUD!ICH 8HU IUDCUCH!8!ICH C 8 DICVICuSV CXIS!IH2 PIIS!C!CI8H SVS!CU, Ou!
I8!HCI !C 8 8CK C uHUCIS!8HUIH2 CCHCCDIH2 !HC OuCS!ICH8OC 8HU CDCH H8!uIC
C !HC CCH!I8 DICOCUS C! OV 8!C 8HU PIIS!C!C. JWC !HCUCS H8VC UC!CI-
UIHCU !HC UCVCCDUCH! C !HC 8OCVC-UCH!ICHCU bCHC8S!IC CCHCCD! C UC!8-
DHVSICS, 8HU 8! !HC S8UC !IUC !HCV H8VC IHCIC8$IH2V HIHUCICU !HC DC55IOII!V
!H8! !HC CII2IH8 DICOCU8!IC C8H OC !8KCH uD CHCC 828IH.
LHC !HCUC CCHCCIHS !HC UIVISICH C !HC CCH!CH! C UC!8DHVSICS 8HU 8IISCS
ICU LHIIS!I8HI!V5 UCVCu! IH!CIDIC!8!ICH C !HC WCIU. PCCCIUIH2 !C !HIS IH!CI-
DIC!8!ICH, CVC!V OCIH2 !H8! IS HC! UIVIHC IS CIC8!CU. !HC Uo|vctsum H !uIH, !HC
HuU8H OCIH2 H8S 8 SDCCI8 D8CC 8UCH2 !HC CIC8!CU OCIH2S !C !HC CX!CH! !H8!
CVCIV!HIH2 UCDCHUS CH !HC S8V8!ICH C !HC HuU8H SCu '5cclco|c|l 8HU I!S
C!CIH8 CXIS!CHCC 'L|s|coz JHCICCIC, 8CCCIUIH2 !C !HIS WCIU- 8HU 8SCIH-
CCHSCICuSHCSS ' wcl| uod Dasc|oshcou|sc|o| , !HC !C!8I!V C OCIH2S IS UIVIUCU
IH!C LCU, P8!uIC, 8HU HuU8HKIHU, 8HU !C C8CH C !HCSC SDHCICS ICSDCC!IVCV
IS !HCH 8ICU JHCCC2V |!HC CO|CC!
l2I
C WHICH IS !HC summumcos), LCSUCC2V
Kant and thc Fmblcm O Mctaphysics ' 9- I0I
8HU SVCHC!C2y JHCV CCHSlIlulC lHC UISCID!IHC C Mc|ap|,s|:a 5pc:|al|s H
CCHlI8Sl. Mc|ap|,s|:a Ccoctl|s |LHlC!C2V) H8S 8S IlS CO]CCl lHC OCIH2 I
2CHCI8! |cos :cmmuoc)
JHC ClHCI lHCUC lH8l IS CSSCHlI8! CI lHC UCVC!CDUCHl C lHC bCHC!8SlIC
CCHCCDl C NCl8DHVSICS CCHCCD IlS lVDC C KHCW!CU2C 8HU IlS UClHCU. bIHCC
IlS CO|CCl IS lHC OCIH2 '5c|codc IH 2CHCI8! 8HU lHC HI2HCSl OCIH2 das |c:|s|c
5c|codcl IH WHICH CVCIVCHC l8KCS 8H IHlCICSl |r8Hl). NCl8DHVSICS IS SCICHCC
C lHC HI2HCSl UI2HIlV. lHC OuCCH C lHC SCICHCCS. PCCCIUIH2!V, lHC lVDC C
KHCW!CU2C Il H8S UuSl 8!SC OC lHC UCSl II2CICuS 8HU lHC UCSl OIHUIH2. JHIS
ICOuIICS lH8l Il OC 8SSIUI!8lCU lC 8H 8DDiCDII8lC IUC8! CI KHCW!CU2C. 8S U8lH-
CU8lIC8! KHCW!CU2C IS ICDulCU lC OC. !l IS I8lICH8! IH lHC HI2HCSl SCHSC 8HU
8 DIICIi OCC8uSC Il IS IHUCDCHUCHl C CH8HCC CXDCIICHCCS. I.C. , Il IS DuIC SCICHCC
C IC8SCH. JHuS lHC KHCW!CU2C C OCIH2S IH 2CHCI8! |Mc|ap|,s|:a Ccoctal|s)
8HU lHC KHCW!CU2C C IlS DIIHCID!C UIVISICHS |Mc|ap|,s|:a5pc:|al|s) OCCCUC 8
SCICHCC CSl8O!ISHCU CH lHC O8SIS C UCIC IC8SCH.
PCW r8Hl 8UHCICS lC lHC DuIDCSC C lHIS UCl8DHVSICS. IHUCCU. HC SHIlS Il
SlI!! uIlHCI IH lHC UIICClICH C Mc|ap|,s|:a5pc:|al|s,WHICH HC C8!!S 8ulHCHlIC
UCl8DHVSICS. UCl8DHVSICS IH IlS HH8! CHU. !H VICW C lHC CCHSl8Hl UISC8I-
II82C C 8!! uHUCIl8KIH2S IH lHIS SCICHCC. IlS IHCCHSISlCHCV 8HU IHCHC8CV.
HCVCIlHC!CSS 8!! 8llCUDlS lC CXlCHU lHC DuIC KHCW!CU2C C IC8SCH UuSl HISl
DC HC!U D8CK uHlI! lHC OuCSlICH C lHC IHHCI DCSSIOI!IlV C lHIS SCICHCC L
C!8IiHCU. JHuS 8IISCS lHC l8SK C 8 2ICuHU-!8VIH2 IH lHC SCHSC C 8H CSSCHlI8!
UClCIUIH8lICH C UCl8DHVSICS. !CW UIU r8Hl uHUCIl8KC lHIS CSSCHlI8! UC!IUIl8-
lICH C UCl8DHVSICS!
h2. Thc Pont o[ Dcparturc [or thc Layng o[ thc Cmund
[or TradtonaI Mctaphyscs
!H UCl8DHVSICS 8S lHC DuIC. I8lICH8! KHCW!CU2C C WH8l IS CCUUCH lC
[8!!| OCIH2S.
'

8HU 8S KHCW!CU2C C lHC SDCCIHC WHC!CHCSS C IlS DIIHCID!C

UIVISICHS. lHCIC lI8HSDIICS ICU lIUC lC lIUC 8H CVCISlCDDIH2 C WH8l CXDC-
IICHCC C8H CCI C lHC D8IlICu!8IS 8HU C lHC D8IlS. !H CVCISlCDDIH2 lHC SCHSI-
O!C. lHIS KHCW!CU2C SCCKS lC 2I8SD SuDCISCHSIO!C OCIH2. !lS DICCCUuIC, HCW-
CVCi, H8S DCCH uD lC HCW UCIC!V 8 I8HUCU 2ICDIH2 8HU. WH8l IS WCISl C 8!!.
8 2ICDIH2 8UCH2 UCIC CCHCCDlS.' NCl8DHVIC8 !8CKS OIHUIH2 DICC C lHC
IHSI2HlS Il C!8IUS. VH8l 2IVCS lHIS UCl8DHVSICS lHC IHHCI DCSSIOI!IlV lC OC WH8l
Il W8HlS lC OC!
P !8VIH2 C lHC 2ICuHU CI UCl8DHVSICS IH lHC SCH5 C 8 UC!IUIl8lICH C IlS
. crdicFortsrhrtttc, p. 2JB.
7. X.
s2. |I 0-I I 7
inncr possibility, hovcvcr, must nov aim abovc all lor thc hnal cnd olmcta-
physics, i. c. , lorancsscntialdctcrminationolMc|ap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s.In an cxccp-
tional scnsc, thcn, thisis knovlcdcc olthcsupcrscnsiblc bcinc. ]hc qucstion ol
thcinncr possibility olsuchknovlcdcc, hovcvcr, is prcscntcd as throvn back
upon thc morc ccncral qucstion ol thc inncr possibility ol a ccncral makinc-
manilcst olbcincs as such. round-layincis nov clucidation olthc csscncc ol
a comportinc tovard bcincs in vhichthis csscncc shovs itscllin itscllso that
allasscrtions about it bccomc provablc on thc basis olit.
ut vhat thcn docs thc possibiity ol such a comportinc tovard bcincs
cntail` Is thcrc an indication" olvhat makcs such a comportinc possiblc` In
actual lact. |it is| thc mcthod ol thc natural scicntists. pon thcm a licht
brokc . . . ]hcy rcalizcd that rcason has insicht only into vhat it produccs
itscllaccordinc to its ovn dcsicn o|V| , that it must not allov itscll to
clinc, as it vcrc, to Maturc's apron strincs, but must lcad thc vay vith
principlcs ol its judcmcnts accordinc to pcancnt lavs, and that it must
constrain Maturc to ansvcr its ovn qucstions. In thc hrst placc, th prc-
viously projcctcd plan" ol onc Maturc in ccncral dctcrmincs in advancc thc
constitution olthc cincolbcincs, to vhichallqucstionsthatarc invcsticatcd
should bc capablc ol bcinc rclatcd. ]his prcliminary plan ol thc cinc ol
bcincsisinscribcdvithin thc basic conccpts and principlcs olthc Scicncc ol
Maturc to vhich vc alrcady rclcrrcd. Hcncc, vhat makcs thc comportinc
tovardbcincs|ontic knovlcdcc) possiblc isthc prcliminaryundcrstandincol
thc constitution olcinc, ontolocical knovlcdcc.
Mathcmatical natural scicncc civcs an indication ol this lundamcntal con-
ditional conncction bctvccn ontic cxpcricncc and ontolocical knovlcdcc.
Hovcvcr, its nction lor thc layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics cxhausts
itscll thcrcin, lor thc rclcrcncc to this conditional conncction L not yct thc
solutionto thcproblcm. Itisrathcronlya statcmcnt olthc dircctioninvhich
it,to bcundcrstoodin itsmorc lundamcntalunivcrsalitymust hrstbcsoucht.
Vhcthcrit can bc loundonly thcrc, and vhcthcr it canbc lound at all, i . c. ,
vhcthcr thc idca ol a Mc|ap|,s|ca 5pcc|al|s i n ccncral can bc projcctcd in
accordanccviththc conccptolpositivc |scicntihc)knovlcdcc-prccisclythis
should hrst bc dctcrmincd.
]hc projcction olthc inncrpossibilityolMc|ap|,s|ca5pcc|al|shasbccn lcd
back bcyond thc qucstion conccrninc thc possibility ol ontic knovlcdcc to
thcqucstion conccincthcpossibility olthatvhich makcs ontic knovlcdcc
possiblc. It is, hovcvcr, thc problcm olthc csscncc olthc prcliminary undcr-
standinc ol cinc, i. c. , ol ontolocical knovlcdcc in thc broadcst scnsc. ]hc
problcmolthc inncrpossibilityolontolocyncvcrthclcssincludcsthcqucstion
concrninc thc possibility olMc|ap|,s|caCcoctal|s. ]hc qucst lor a layinc ol
B. x .
B Kant and thc Fmblcm O Mctaphysics | ! I -!Jl
thc cround lor Mctap|,s|ca 5pcc|al|s is in itscll lorccd back to thc qucstion
conccrninc thc csscncc olMctap|,s|ca Ccocral|s.
Vith thc layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics put in this vay, hovcvcr,
Kant is broucht immcdiatcly into thc dialocuc vith ^ristotlc and Ilato. Cn-
tolocy nov bccomcs a problcm lor thc hrst timc. Vith that, thc hrst and
dccpcst shock vavc strikcs thc structurc ol traditional mctaphysics. ]hc in-
dctcrminacy and obviousncss vith vhich Mctap|,s|ca Ccocral|s hithcrto
trcatcd thc commonality olthc cos ccmmuoc disappcars. Ior thc hrst timc,
thc qucstion ol thc croundlayinc rcquircs clarity conccrninc thc manncr ol
univcrsalization and thc charactcr ol thc stcppinc-bcyond vhich lics in thc
knovlcdcc ol thc constitution ol cinc. Vhcthcr Kant himscll achicvcs thc
lull clarihcation olthis problcm rcmains a subordinatc qucstion. It is cnouch
that hc rccocizcd its ncccssity and abovc all, that hc prcscntcd it. onsc-
qucntly, it also bccomcs clcar that ontolocy in no vay rclcrs primarily to thc
layinc ol thc cround lor thc positivc scicnccs. Its ncccssity and its rolc arc
croundcd in a hichcr intcrcst vhich human rcason hnds in itscll. Mov
bccausc Mctap|,s|ca Ccocral|s providcs thc ncccssary prcparation lor
Mctap|,s|ca 5pcc|al|s, hovcvcr, thcn in layinc thc cround lor thc lormcr, thc
csscntial dctcrmination olthc lattcr must bc translormcd.
ayinc thc cround lormctaphysics as a vholc mcans unvcilinc thc inncr
possibility ol ontolocy ]hat is thc truc scnsc, bccausc it is thc mctaphysical
scnsc |rclcrrinc to mctaphysics asthc onlythcmc) olvhat hasbccn misintcr-
prctcd constantly undcr thc hcadinc ol Kants opcrnican Rcvolution. p
to novit has bccn assumcd that all ourknovlcdcc must conlorm to obccts.
ut all attcmpts to cstablish somcthinc in rccard to thcm a prioriby mcans
ol conccpts throuch vhich our knovlcdcc vould bc cxtcndcd havc comc to
nothinc undcr this assumption. Hcncc, vc must attcmpt lor oncc to hnd out
vhcthcrvc micht not procrcssbcttcrin thc tasks olmctaphysicsilvc assumc
that obccts must conlorm to our knovlcdcc. ]his vould acrcc bcttcr vith
vhat is dcsircd, namcly, thc possibility ol havinc a knovlcdcc ol ob|ccts a
priori, oldctcrmininc somcthinc about thcm bclorc thcy arc civcn to u8.'
ViththisKantvantsto say. not all knovlcdcc is ontic, and vhcrc thcrc
is such knovlcdcc, it is only possiblc throuch ontolocical knovlcdcc.
]hrouch thc opcrnican Rcvolution, thc old conccpt ol truth in thc scnsc
ol thc corrcspondcncc |adacauat|c) ol knovlcdcc to thc bcinc is so littlc
shakcn that it |thc opcrnican Rcvolution| actually prcsupposcs it | thc old
conccp oltruth| , indccd cvcn crounds it lor thc hrst timc. Cntic knovlcdcc
can onlycorrcspond to bcincs |ob| ccts) ilthis bcincas bcinc is alrcadyhrst
apparcnt 'ccohar| ,i. c. , is alrcady hrstknovn in thc constitution olits cinc.
^pparcntncss olbcincs |ontic truth) rcvolvcs around thc unvcilcdncss ol thc
. locrdic For|:chri||c, p. J0.
I 0. x.
sJ. |IJ-I 1I 9
constitution ol thc cinc olbcincs |ontolocical truth) , at no timc, hovcvcr,
can ontic knovlcdcc itscll conlorm to thc ob|ccts bccausc, vithout thc
ontolocical, it cannot cvcn havc a possiblc to vhat. "
Vith this it has bccomc clcar that thc layinc olthc cround lor traditional
mctaphysics bccins vith thc qucstion ol thc inncr possibility ol ontolocy as
such. ut vhy docs this cround-layinc bccomc a `Cr|t|aucc] PutcPcasco"`
hJ. Thc Laying o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphysics as
"Critiquc o[ Purc Rcason
Kant rcduccs thc problcm ol thc possiblity ol ontolocy to thc qucstion.
Hov arc a priori synthctic |udcmcnts possiblc`" ]hc intcrprctation ol this
lormulation ol thc problcm makcs it clcar that thc layinc ol thc cround lor
mctaphysics is carricd out as a critiquc olpurc rcason. ]hc qucstion conccrn-
inc thc possibility ol ontolocical knovlcdcc rcquircs its prcliminary charac-
tcrization. In kccpinc vith thc tradition, Kant undcrstands knovinc in this
lormula as|udcinc. Vhat kind olknovlcdcc is undcr considcration in onto-
locical undcrstandinc` It is that |knovlcdcc| in vhich thc bcinc is knovn.
Vhat is knovn thcrc, hovcvcr. bcloncs to thc bcinc, no mattcr hov it is
alvays cxpcricnccd and dctcrmincd. ]hisknovn vhat-cinc ' wassc|o olthc
bcinc is broucht lorvard a priori in ontolocical knovlcdcc prior to all ontic
cxpcricncc, althouch it is prcciscly lor this ontic cxpcricncc . Knovlcdcc
vhich brincs lorth thc quiddity ' wasgc|alt ol thc bcinc, i . c. , knovlcdcc
vhich unvcils thc bcinc itscll, Kant calls synthctic. " ]hus thc qucstion con-
ccrninc thc possibility olontolocical knovlcdcc bccomcs thc problcm olthc
csscncc ola priori synthctic|udcmcnts.
]hc instancc that crounds thc lccitimacy ol thcsc matcrial |udcmcnts
'sa:||alt|gco Ur|c|lc conccrninc thc cinc olbcincs cannot lic in cxpcricncc,
lor cxpcricncc olbcincs is itscllalvaysalrcadycuidcd byontolocicalundcr
standinc, vhichbccomcsacccssiblc throuchcxpcricncc ina morc dctcrmina-
tivc rcspcct. Cntolocicalknovlcdccishcncc a|udcinc accordincto crounds
|principlcs) vhich arc not broucht lorthcxpcricntially
ut ourlacultyolknovncaprioriaccordinctoprinciplcsKantthcnnamcs
purc rcason. " Iurc rcason is that vhich supplics thc principlcs to knov
somcthinc cntircly a pror." Hcncc, insolar as thc principlcs containcd in
rcason constitutc thc possibility ol a priori knovlcdcc, thc unvcilinc ol thc
possibility ol ontolocical knovlcdcc must bccomc an clucidation ol thc
! ! . Krttik dcr Urtct|skra]t, Frclacc to thc First Edition | ! 790). Wcrkc,, p. 2J5. |TransIation
Crt|iquco]]udcnt, l!. H. rnard.
!. A ! ! , 2+.
!0 Kant and thc Fmblcm O Mctaphysics ' !- !I
csscncc o|purc rcason. ]hc dclimitation o|thc csscncc o|purc rcason, hov-
cvcr, is at thc samc timc thc di||crcntiatinc dctcrmination o| its noncsscncc
and, vith that, thc imitation and rcstriction |critiquc) o|its csscntial possi
biitics. ync thc cround |or mctaphysics as unvciinc thc csscncc o|ontol-
ocy is ritiquc o| Iurc Rcason. "
Itisontoocica knovcdcc, i . c. , thc a priori synthcsis, |or thc solc sakc o|
vhich thc vhoc critiquc is undcrtakcn. "`ust bycstabishinc thc cuidinc
probcm o| this croundinc o| mctaphysics, a morc prccisc dctcrmination o|
this synthcsisbccomcsall thc morcprcssinc. Mot onlydid Kantccncralyusc
thiscxprcssioninamultitudco|scnscs,butthcsc manymcanincs arccvcn
intcrtvincd vthin thc |ormula |or thc problcm o| thc layinc o| thc cround
|or mctaphysics. ]hc qucstion conccrns thc possibility o| a priori synthctic
judcmcnts. Mov cvcry|udcmcnt as such is arcady an I conncct". namcly,
subjcct and prcdicatc. ^s |udcmcnts, anaytic" |udcmcnts arc also alrcady
synthctic, cvcn i| thc cround |or thc univocity o| thc subjcct-prcdicatc con-
ncction ics mcrcy in thc rcprcscntation o|thc subjcct dct5uhc|tvctstclluogl .
ut thc synthcticjudcmcnts, thcn, arc synthctic" in a tvo|old scnsc hrst, as
|udcmcntsinccncral,and sccond,inso|arasthcccitimacyo|thcconncction"
|synthcsis) o| thc rcprcscntation is broucht |orth" |synthcsis) |rom thcbcinc
itsc|vith vhich thc|udcmcnt is concccd.
nsynthcticapriorijudcmcnts,hovcvcr, vhicharcnovthcprobcmbc|orc
us, it isa mattcr o|stil anothcrtypc o|synthcsis.]his othcrtypc o|synthcsis
shoud brinc|orth somcthinc about thc bcincvhich vas notdcrivcd cxpcri
cntialy |rom it. ]his brincinc|orth o| thc dctcrmination o| thc cinc o| thc
bcinc is a prciminary sc|rcatinc to thc bcinc. ]his purc rcationto . . . "
|synthcsis) |orms hrst and |orcmost thc thatupon-vhich daswctau andthc
horizon vthin vhich thc bcinc in itsc| bccomcs cxpcricnccabc in thc cm
pirical synthcsis. It is nov a qucstion o|cucidatinc thc possibility o|this a
priori synthcsis. Kant cas an invcstication conccrninc thc csscncc o| this
synthcsis a transccndcnta invcstication. ! cntitc all knovlcdcc transccndcn-
tal that is occupicd in ccncral not so much vith obj ccts as vith thc kind o|
knovcdcc vc havc o| obj ccts, inso|ar as this is possibc a priori. " Hcncc,
transccndcntal knovlcdcc docs notinvcsticatc thc bcinc itsc|, but rathcr thc
possibiity o|thc prcliminaryundcrstandinco|cinc, i. c. , atoncandthcsamc
timc thc constitutiono|thc cinc o|thcbcinc. I t conccrns thc stcppinc-ovcr
|transccndcncc) o|purc rcason to thc bcinc, so that it can hrst and |orcmost
bc adcquatc to its possiblc ob|cct.
]o makc thcpossibility o|ontoocyintoa probcm mcans. toinquirc asto
thcpossibility i . c. , astothccsscncc o|thistransccndcnccvhichcharactcrizcs
! J. A !+, 28
! +. Scc 7bcIow, p. 2.
I . 2 |A ).
hJ. lI c-I /I
thcundcrstandincolcinc, tophilosophizctransccndcntally ]hisisvhy ant
uscs thc dcsicnation ransccndcntal Ihilosophy" lor Mctap|,s|ca Ccocral|s
Dotclcg|a'in ordcrto makc thc problcmatic oltraditional ontolocy disccrn-
ablc. ^ccordincly, vhcn mcntionincthis traditional ontolocy, hcspcaks olthc
transccndcntal philosophy ol thc ancicnts."

'
]hc Cr|t|auc c] Purc Pcasco, hovcvcr, civcs no systcm" ol transccndcntal
philosophy, but rathcr it is a trcatisc on mcthod." In this contcxt, hovcvcr,
that docs not sicnily a doctrinc conccrninc thc tcchniquc lor procccdinc. It
sicnihcs instcad thc vorkinc out ol a complctc dctcrmination ol thc vholc
contour"andthcvholcintcrnal, articularstructurc"olontolocy nthislayinc
olthccroundlormctaphysicsaspro|cctionolthcinncrpossibilityolontolocy,
thc complctc skctch ola systcm ol mctaphysics is dravn. "
1hc intcntion olthc Cr|t|aucc] PurcPcasco, thcrclorc, rcmains lundamcn
tally misundcrstood, ilit is intcrprctcd as a thcory olcxpcricncc" or cvcn as
a thcory ol thc positivc scicnccs. ]hc Cr|t|auc c] Purc Pcasco has nothinc to
do vitha thcoryolknovlcdcc.'' Iloncccncrally could allovthc intcrprcta
tion olthc Cr|t|aucc] PurcPcasco as a thcory olknovlcdcc, thcn that vould
bc to say that itis not a thcory olontic knovlcdcc |cxpcricncc), but rathcr a
thcory ol ontolocical knovlcdcc. ut cvcn vith this conccption, alrcady lar
rcmovcd lrom thc prcvailinc intcrprctation ol thc 1ransccndcntal ^csthctic
and^nalytic,vc havcnotcncountcrcdvhatis csscntial, namcly, thatontolocy
asMctap|,s|caCcocral|s, i. c. , as thc basic part 'Cruodstc|| ol mctaphysics as
avholc, iscroundcd 'hcgraodct| ,andhcrc lorthc hrst timcitissccnlorvhat
it is. Vith thc problcm ol transccndcncc, a thcory ol knovlcdcc" is not sct
in placc olmctaphysics, but rathcr thc inncr possibility olontolocy is qucs-
tioncd.
Il its truth bcloncs to thc csscncc ol knovlcdcc, thcn thc transccndcntal
problcmolthcinncrpossibilityolapriorisynthcticknovlcdccis thc qucstion
conccrnincthc csscncc olthctrutholontolocical transccndcncc. tisa mattcr
oldctcrmininc thc csscncc ol transccndcntal truth, vhich prcccdcs all cm-
pirical truth and makcs it possiblc. " Ior no knovlcdcc can contradict it
vithoutlosincall contcnt at thc samc timc, i . c. , all rclation toany ob|cct and
conscqucntly all truth. " Cntic truth ncccssarily ad|ustsitscllto thc ontoloc-
ical. ^ccordincly, thc lccitimatc intcrprctation olthc scnsc olthc Copcrnican
Rcvolution" is rcncvcd. cncc, vith this rcvolution ant lorccs thc problcm
ol ontolocy to ccntcr stacc. othinc can bc prcsupposcd on bchall ol thc
problcmatic ol thc possibility lor oricinal, ontolocical truth, lcast ol all thc
!. A 85| . 87J A 27, J0Jscc aso Locrdic Iortchrittc, pp 2J8, 2J, 29, J0! .
!7. ! l J
! 8. ii.
!9. iii.
20 A !, !85
2! A 2|., 87
!2 Kant and thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics | ! 7-!BI
]a:|umolthctrutholthcpositivcscicnccs. Cnthccontrary thccround-layinc
must pursuc thc a priori synthcsis cxclusivcy in itscll, pursuc it to thc sccd
'Kc|| vhich providcs its cround and vhich aovs that synthcsis to dcvclop
into vhat it is |alovs it t obc possiblc in csscncc).
rom thc clcar insicht into thc pcculiarity ol a layinc ol thc cround lor
mctaphysics Kant says ol thc ||auc c]Putc Pcasco ]his vork is dilhcut
and dcmands a rcadcr rcsovcd to think himscll cradually into a systcm in
vhichnothincyctlicsat itscround ascivcn cxccpt lorrcason itscll, and |vho|
thus sccks to dcvclop knovcdcc lrom its oricinal sccds vithout scckinc thc
support olany lact .
^22
]hus, thc task thcnariscs olshovinc hov this dcvcopmcnt ol thc possi-
biity olontolocy lm its sccds is to bc carricd out.
22. Fr|cyomcnuZucincrcJcn |n||iycn Mc|urhV:i|, s+, Wcr|c, IV, p. 2J.
0r| 1w0
LuIIVIDP Lul lHC uVIDP O lHC
LIOuD0 OI %CluDHV5IC5
In ordcr to pro|cct thc inncr possibility ol ontolocical knovlcdcc, vc must
hrst havc opcncd up a vicv into thc dimcnsion olcoinc back 'D|cos|codcs
Pac|gaogs to thc cround vhich supports thc possibility olvhat vc arc scck
inc in its csscntial constitution. ov, it is thc ncccssary latc ol any rca
incursion into a hithcrto conccacd hcld that at hrst it is dctcrmincd littlc by
littlc. " In thc coursc olthc advancc itscll, thc dircction olan approach is hrst
consolidatcd and thc lcasibility ol thc path is dcvclopcd. cncc, il thc hrst
incursion lrom thc sccurity and unvavcrinc dircctivc lorcc P|c|||ta]| olthc
crcativc opcnincup rcmains opcrativc, thcn to bccin vith vc arc lackinc an
cxplicit, systcmatic uprootinc and markinc ol thc hcld. Indccd, Critiquc
rcquircs knovlcdcc ol thc sourccs, and Rcason must knov itscll "` ^nd
ccrtainly it is throuch thc Critiquc that ant hrst laboriously cxtractcd this
most oricinal scll-knovinc olRcason.
]hc lollovinc intcrprctation, on thc othcr hand, must cxplicitlyinsurc thc
cuidincvicvinadvanccandsoanticipatcthc mainstaccsolthcinncrproccs
sion olthc vholc ol thc crund-layinc, bccausc it |th intcrprctation is not
yctandnolonccrinposscssionolthcoricinaldircctivclorccolthcpro|cctinc.
clorc vc allovthc carryinc-out olthc layinc ol thccroundlor mctaphysics
to bc pcrlormcd, vc must sccurc thc vicv ol that dimcnsion ol thc cround-
layincvhich cocs back. "]his part is thus dividcd into tvo scctions
^. ]hcCharactcrization olthcOimcnsionoloinc-ack |nccdcd lorCar-
ryinc Cut thc ayinc olthc roundlorMctaphysics.
2J. Kunt: hunJ:chrIr|ichcr uch|u, voI. , Mctaphysk tOcs. chrItcn, cd. Frcu. Akad. d.
Vsscnscha|cn III. 5. )!928, Nr. +892.Scc.Erdmann,c|cioncnKuntsur|tischcnFhi|osorhic,
II, 2I 7.
! J
! Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs |20-2! I
8 1hc Staccs ol Carryinc Cut thc Irojcction ol thc Inncr Iossibility ol
Cntolocy.
A. 1HE CHARAC1ERIZA1IN I 1HE DIMENSIN I
CINC-ACK |NEEDEDI IR CARRYINC I1 1HE LAYINC
I 1HE CRIND IR ME1AFHYSICS
1hc task is thc csscntial dctcrmination ol ontolocical knovlcdcc throuch
clucidation ol its oricin in thc sccd vhich makcs it possiblc. ]o that cnd,
clarity must prcvail hrst and lorcmost vith rcspcct to thc csscncc olknovl-
cdcc in ccncral, vith rcspcct to thc placc and manncr olits hcld oloricin. In
thc prcvious intcrprctation ol thc Cr|||auc c] PurcPcasco, it is prcciscly thc
prcliminaryand sulhcicntcharactcrizationolthc oricinal dimcnsionthatvas
undulyncclcctcdorvasmisintcrprctcd.1hcrclorc,aproductivcappropriation
|Aoc|gouog ol its lundamcntal tcndcncy throuch a dctcrmination ol thc in-
tcntions ol thc vork, vhich lluctuatc in any casc, cannot succccd. 1occthcr
vith thc charactcrizationolthc hcld ol oricin, vc mustalso allov thc manncr
olthc unvcilinc ol thc oricin to bc charactcrizcd in its pcculiarit
! 1HE ESSEN1IAL CHARAC1ERIS1ICS
I 1HE IIELD I RICIN
h1. Thc Lsscncc o[ KnowIcdgc n CcncmI
ant docs not discuss thc csscntial charactcristics ol thc hcld ol oricin
cxplicitly or thcmatically, instcad, hc takcs thcm lor crantcd in thc scnsc ol
scll-cvidcnt prcsuppositions. " 1his is all thc morc rcason vhythc intcrprc-
a. DcvcIop morc prcciscybyprocccding |rom thc diIcrcncc bctwccn knowcdgc |Lrrcnn|nis
as rc-rrcscn|iny | \or-s|c||cn| and as Know|cJyc | Wisscn| knowIcdgc |Lrrcnn|nis| as KnowIcdgc
| Wisscn| o| thc gudng conccpt scc VS ! 9J5J Dic Fruyc nuch Jcm Diny. Zu Kun|s hrc von
Jcn|runszcnJcn|u|cn OrunJsd|zcn. GA vo ! p. !J|. |Whu| Is u Thiny, tr. V arton andV
Dcutsch South cnd Gatcway, I 97), p. !J2|| -tr
b. Scc p. !B. Thc rc|crcncc sto Hcidcgcrs notc "c" on at pagc-tr.
h1. |2I -22I ! J
tation shoud not bc pcrmittcd to ovcrok thc prcviously vorkcdout lunc-
tion olthcsc assumptions. "]hcycanbc summarizcd in thc thcsis
]hccround lorthc sourcc '0ucllgruod| lorayincthc croundlormctaphys-
ics is humanpurc rcason, so that it is prcciscly thc humanncss olrcason, i . c. ,
its hnitudc, vhich vilbccsscntia lor thc corc olthis problcmatic olcround
ayinc. cncc, it is vorthvhic lor thc charactcrization ol thc hcld ol oricin
to conccntratc on thc carihcation ol thc csscncc ol thc hnitudc ol human
knovcdcc. ]his hnitudc ol rcason, hovcvcr, in no vay consists only or
primariy in thc lact that human knovinc dcmonstratcs many sorts ol
dchcicncics such as instability, imprccision, and |thc potcntial lor makincl
crrors. Rathcr, this hnitudc lics in thc csscntial structurc olknovcdcc itscll.
]hc tactica imitcdncss olknovcdcc is hrst and lorcmost a conscqucncc ol
this csscncc.
In ordcr to sct lorth thc csscncc ol thc hnitudc ol knovcdcc, a ccncral
charactcrization olthc csscncc olknovinc is rcquircd. ^rcadyinthis rccard,
vhat ant says in thc hrst scntcncc olthc thcmatic discussion in thc Cr|t|auc
c]PurcPcascoisusuay appraiscdmuch tooichty nvhatcvcrmanncrand
byvhatcvcrmcansaknovinc'c|ocLr|cooto|s| mayrclatc to objccts, |otu|t|co
is that throuch vhich it rclatcs itscllimmcdiatcy to thcm, and upon vhich
althoucht as a mcans is dircctcd. "'
n ordcr to undcrstand thc Cr|t|auc c] Purc Pcasco this point must bc
hammcrcd in, so to spcak knovinc is primarily intuitinc. Irom this it at
oncc bccomcs ccar that thc ncv intcrprctation ol knovlcdcc as |udcinc
thinkinc) violatcs thc dccisivc scnsc olthc antian problcm. ^ll thinkinc is
mcrclyinthc scrvicc olintuition.]hinkinc isnot simpyaloncsidc intuition,
aso" at hand, but rathcr, accordinc to its ovn inhcrcnt structurc, it scrvcs
2 A l 9, JJ cmphasis by Kant himscI|).
c. human
d. Scc CFR, J0 prority o|intuition Scc | Ubcr Jicl For|:chi||c Mcincr). p. ! 57.
c. csscntiaIIy Scc p J Scc p. 7. Thc rc|crcncc i sactuay toHcidcggcr marginaI notc "b"
onthatpagc-tr.
|. Scc p !7, "propcrIy spcaking |Thc rc|crcncc is to Hcidcgcr marginaI notc on that
pagc-tr.-whatdocsthismcan ntuitinghcrcmcansthcbcingitscI|hu:bccnmuJcuccurcn|ua
whathasbccn|u|cnin|romwhatisthcrc |-nchmcnJc:| . Knowing| Lr|cnncnl is"primariIy,"i. c. ,
hrstand|orcmost,accordingtothcyrounJo|itscsscnccashnitc)thinkingbcIongs,as somcthing
:cconJu, toprcciscIy |hi: c::cncc, onIy |or that rcason is it somcthing primary ut "sccondary"
is mcant hcrc in thcscnsc o| thc structurc o|thc construction o|thc csscncc, notinthc popuIar
scnsco|"|undamcntaIIysupcr|Iuous.Frcciscybccauscknowingiscrimuri|Vintuition,unin|ui|iny
u|onc is ncvcr |or us knowcdgc In that rcgard, scc thc samc rcIativity with rcspcct to thc
Transccndcnta Acsthctic, p. 7
g. Scc 2I9 Vn|hc|ic untyi nunV consciousncssas"whatisc::cn|iu| inanyknowIcdgc o|thc
ob|cc|o|thc scnscs."ut"synthcsis"thcrc isstiI scrvitudc, i . c. , knowIcdgchcrcisc::cn|iu||V1ni|c.
hinking is ony csscntiaI bccausc intuition as cttingbccncountcrcd isnJumcn|u||V c::cn|iu|
|OrunJwc:cn||ichl . To bc surc, undcrstanding surpasscs intuition-in its nitudc and nccdincss.
An thc grcatcr|hi: priority,aII thc morcunconditionaI thc dcpcndcncyuponintuition. A thc
Icss |rcason todisconncctthcm.
I Kaht ahd thc FmbIcm O MctaphysIcs | 22-2I
that to vhich intuition is primarIyandconstanty dircctcd. Il thinkinc is to
bc csscntiay rcativc to intuition, hovcvcr, thcn both intuition and thinkinc
must havc a ccrtain inhcrcnt rcationship that aovs thcir unihcation. ]his
rcationship, this dcsccndcncy lrom thc samc cass |ccnus), is cxprcsscd in
thc lact that lorboth ol thcm `Pcprcsco|a||coinccncra |rcpracsco|a||c)"isthc
spccics."
In thc hrst pacc, rcprcscntation" hcrc has thc broad, lorma scnsc accord-
inc to vhich onc thinc indicatcs, announccs, prcscnts anothcr. Mov this
rcprcscntinc can bc such that it takcs pacc vith consciousncss." ]hcrc
bconcs to it a knovcdcc ol thc announcinc and ol thc havnc-bccn-an
nounccd by somcthinc |pcrccp||c) Mov ilthc rcprcscntincolsomcthinc oc
curs throuch somcthinc othcr than thc rcprcscntinc, so that thc rcprcscntcd
in this rcprcscntinc is instcad rcprcscntcd as such |i. c. , consciousy"), thcn
such a rcprcscntinc is a rclcrrinc to vhat prcscnts itscl as such in thc rcprc-
scntinc. In this scnsc olobjcctivc pcrccption, " knovcdcc is a rcprcscntinc.
]hc knovinc rprcscntinciscithcr intuition or conccpt ||o|u||usvclccoccp
ms) " ]hc lormcr rcatcs immcdiatcy to thc ob| cct and is sincc, thc attcr
rclcrs to it mcdiatcy by mcans ol a lcaturc vhich scvcra thincs can havc in
common. ' ^ccordinc to thc hrst scntcncc ol thc Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco
quotcd abovc, knoinc is a thinkinc intuitinc. ]hinkinc, hovcvcr, is in
ccncra rcprcscntinc," it is in thc scrvicc ony ol that particuar ob|cct or ol
thc concrctc bcinc itscl in its immcdiacy and it is to bc madc acccssibc to
cvcryonc. Lach olthcsc tvo intuitionand thinkinc isindccd rcprcscntation,
but is not yct knovcdcc. "
"
Irom this onc coud concudc that a rcciproca and indccd luy baanccd
rcationship prcvais bctvccn intuitincand thinkinc. ^s a rcsut, onc maysay
vIth cquajustihcation. knovincis intuitivc thinkinc, and thusatbottom |m
Ctuodc is ccrtainy|udcmcnt.
Incontrast tothis, hovcvcr,vcmustmaintainthatintuition constitutcsthc
authcntic csscncc ol knovcdcc and that, dcspitc thc rcciprocity ol thc rca-
tionship bctvccn intuitinc and thinkinc, |intuition docs posscss authcntic
importancc. ]hisstands out ccary butnot|ust onthcbasisolKant'scxpana-
tion, quotcd abovc, vhichcmphasizcs thcvord Intuition. " Rathcr, onyvith
this intcrprctation ol knovcdcc is it aso possibc to crasp vhat is csscntia
in this dchnition, namcy, thc hnitudc olknovcdcc. ]hat hrstscntcncc olthc
Cr|||aucc]PurcPcascois arcady no onccra dchnition olknovIncin ccncra,
25. A J20, J|.
2. Ibid.
2. Ibid.
2B. crJicFor|schri||c, p. J! 2.
h. Scc A 2I , J2 comparing Lockc and Lcibniz, scnsibiIity and undcrstanding arc "two
compIctcIy diIcrcnt sourccs o|rcprcscntations.
h1. |21-2JI ! 7
but rathcr is arcady thc dctcrminatIon o l thc csscncc ol human knovcdcc.
Cn thc othcr hand, any knovcdcc ol vhat conccrns man In dIstinction
lrom od oranothcr hIchcr spirIt' consists olconccpt and intuItion. "
hc csscncc ol hnitc human knovcdcc Is Iustratcd by thc contrast bc-
tvccn it and thc idca ol inhnitc dIvInc knovcdcc, or |o|u||us cg|oaus

Sti, divinc knovcdcc is intuitIonnotbccausc it is divinc but bccausc itis

knovcdcc Inccncra. Movthc dIlcrcnccbctvccninhnitcandhnItc intuition
consists in thc lact that thc lormcr, In Its immcdiatc rcprcscntation ol thc
individua, i. c. , olthcuniquc, sincuarbcincasa vhoc, hrstbrincsthisbcInc
into its cinc, hcps it to its cominc-into-bcinc |cg) ^bsoutc IntuItInc
voud not bc absoutc Ilit dcpcndcd upon a bcincarcady at hand andIlthc
intuitabc hrst bccamc acccssibc in its takinc thc mcasurc" ol this bcinc.
OIvIncknovinc IsrcprcscntincvhIch, inIntuItInc, hrst crcatcs thc intuitabc
bcinc as such. ut bccausc It immcdiatcy ooks at thc bcinc as a vhoc,
simpysccincthrouch it inadvancc, It cannot rcquIrc thInkInc.]hinkinc as
such Is thus arcady thc mark ol hnitudc. Oivinc knovinc is intuition |lor
aitsknovcdcc mustbc intuitionandnot |||o||og, vhichavays shovsItscl
to havc imits).'`
utthcdccisivcccmcntinthcdillcrcnccbctvccninhnitcandhnitcknov-
cdcc voud not bc craspcd and thc csscncc ol hnItudc voud bc mIsscd il
oncvcrc tosaythatdivincknovIncIsonyintuitincvhic human |knovInc
on thc othcr hand Is a thinkinc IntuItInc. ]hc csscntIa dIllcrcncc bctvccn
thcsckinds olknovcdcc icsinstcad primariy In Intuitincitscl, sincc prop-
cry spcakInc cvcn knovinc is intuItion. ]hc hnItudc ol human knovcdcc
must hrst ol a bc soucht in thc hnitudc ol its o intuition. ]hat a hnitc,
thInkInc crcaturcmustaso" thinkisancsscntiaconscqucncc olthchnItudc
olits ovnintuitInc. CnyIn thIs vaycan thc csscntiay subordinatc pacc ol
a thinkInc" bc sccnin thc corrcct icht. Invhatdocsthccsscncc ol hnItc
intuItion Ic, thcn, and vIth It thc hnItudc olhuman knovcdcc In ccncra`
29. Ibid.
J0. 72.
J. !J9, !+5.
J2. 7 ! .
i . Scc Fortsrhnttc VorIndcr), p . 92.
. AItogcthcr hrst ithas aIrcadyassuch aIIowcd its "obcct" tocomc |onh.
k. ltis"|rcc |rom aII scnsibiIityand at thcsamc timc|rmthc nccd |or knowingbymcans o|
conccpts"|ibid. ).
. "primariIy"
iB Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 2J-2I
h. Thc Lsscncc o[ thc Finitudc o[ KnowIcdgc
In thc hrst placc, vc can say nccativcly. hnitc knovlcdcc is noncrcativc
intuition. Vhat has to bc prcscntcd immcdiatcly in its particularity must
alrcady havc bccn at hand" inadvancc. Iinitc intuition sccs that it is dcpcn-
dcnt upon thc intuitablc as a bcincvhich cxistsin its ovn richt . ]hc intuitcd
is dcrivcd '|crgclc|tct| lrom such bcincs thus, this intuition is also callcd
|otu|tusdcr|vat|vus. dcduccd" ' ahgclc|tctc"|. that is, intuition vhich conduccs
's|c| |ctlc|tcodc Aosc|auuog| Iinitc intuition ol thc bcinc cannot civc thc
ob|cct lrom out ol itscl. It must allov thc ob|cct to bc civcn. Mot cvcry
intuition as such, but rathcr only thc hnitc, is intuition that takcs thincs in
stridc. " Hcncc, thc charactcr ol thc hnitudc olintuition is lound in its rcccp-
tivity Iinitc intuition, hovcvcr, cannot takc somcthinc in stridc unlcss that
vhichisto bc takcninstridc announccs itscll. ^ccordinc to its csscncc,hnitc
intuition must bc solicitcd or alcctcd by that vhich is intuitablc in it.
ccausc thc csscncc olknovlcdcc lics primarily in intuition and bccausc
thc hnitc csscncc ol man providcs thc thcmc lor thc cntirc | task ol layinc
thc cround lor mctaphysics, Kant thcrclorc continucs immcdiatcly altcr thc
hrst scntcncc ol thc Ct|auc ]his intuition takcs placc, hovcvcr, only
insolar as thc ob|cct is civcn to us but this, in turn, is only possiblc, to us
human bcincs at lcast, insolar as thc mind is allcctcd in a ccrtain vay" It L
truc that thc phrasc tous humanbcincs at lcast" vas inscrtcd in thc sccond
cdition, but this only makcs it morc obvious that in thc hrst cdition hnitc
knovlcdcc is thc thcmc lrom thc outsct.
ccausc humanintuitionas hnitc takcsinstridc" andbccausc thc possibll-
ity ol a rcccivinc" vhich takcsinstridc 'c|ocs ||ooc|mcodco 8c|cmmcos'|
rcquircsallcction,thcrclorcorcansolallcction, thc scnscs," arc in lactncccs-
JJ. 72 This phrasc is particuarIy di|cut to rcndcr into Eneish bccausc Hcidceecr is
payine two wordsaeainstcach othcr which havc thc samc root ||citcn,toIcad) and which o|tcn
scrvc as synonys tboth can bc rcndcrcd as dcrivativc). Hc docs this by pIayine wth thc
ctymooeicaI scnsc o|thc prchxcs o| cach word, such that aogc|citctc is intcndcd to convcy thc
scnsc o|"Icadineaway,whiIchcr|citcndcconnotcsaIcadinetoward. "Toprcscrvcthcsctwoscnscs
o| dcrivation as wcII as Hcidceecrs word pay, l havc rcndcrcd thcsc tcrms as dcducine" and
conducine rcspcctivcy, rccctine thc tin roots dcdurcrc and conduccrc
J. A !9, JJ.
a.utnotdcduccd 'dcduzicrt|bychancc|romabsoutclntuitioninitsstucturacsscncc,hnitc
knowine is that which comcs|orth|m, i . c. , aows itsc| to bc eivcn |rom cIscwhcrc instcad o|
crcatine itscl|) what is not mcant,howcvcr, is that hnitc nowinewouId bc a dcvativc" o|thc
absoutc. Vith rcspcct to thc qucstion o|thc ontic oriein. this is not trcatcd in any wa
c This notc comcs bc|orc b in thc transation bccausc o| thc dillcrcnt word ordcr in thc
orieina Ccrman-tr not thc propcr thcmc, indccd. that is know|cdgc, scc p. ! abovc. hc
rc|crcncc is to Hcidceecrs mareina notc b onthat paectr.
b. asnaturaI prcdisposition o|mcn
d. indccd,prcrisc|, inscrtcd in itat that
c. That which comcs ncar-rcccivc 8cikommcndcsoc-kommcnl
hJ. |2c-28I ! 9
sary Human In|uI|Ion, |hcn, Is no| scnsIblc" bccausc I|sallcc|Ion |akcs pacc
|hrouch scnsc orcans," bu| ra|hcr |hc rcvcrsc. ccausc our OascIn Is hnI|c
cxIs|Inc In |hc mIds| olbcIncs |ha| alrcady arc, bcIncs |o vhIch I| has bccn
dclIvcrcd ovcr-|hcrclorc I| mus|ncccssariy |akc |hIs arcadycxIs|Inc bcInc
In s|rldc, |ha| Is |o say I| mus| ollcr I| |hc possIbIlI|y ol announcInc I|scll.
Crcans arc ncccssary lor |hc possIblc rclayInc ol |hc announccmcn|. ]hc
csscncc olscnsIbII|ycxIs|s In |hc hnI|udc olIn|uI|Ion. ]hc orcans |ha|scrvc
allcc|Ion arc |hus scnsc orcans bccausc |hcy bclonc |o hnI|c In|uI|Ion, I . c. ,
scnsIbIlI|y. VI|h |hIs, Kan| lor |hc hrs| |Imc a||aIns a conccp| ol scnsIbIlI|y
vhIch Ison|olocIcal ra|hcr |han scnsualIs|Ic. ^ccordIncly, IlcmpIrcally allcc-
|Ivc In|uI|Ion olbcIncsdocs no| nccd |o coIncIdc vi|h scnsIbIlI|y," |hcn |hc
possIbIlI|y ol a noncmpIrical scnsIbIl|y rcmaIns csscn|Ially opcn.`
Knovcdcc Is primarlly In|uI|Ion, I . c. , a rcprcscn|Inc|ha|ImmcdIa|cly rcp-
rcscn|s |hc bcInc I|scl. Hovcvcr, Il hnI|c In|uI|Ion Is nov |o bc knovlcdcc,
|hcnI|mus|bcablc|omakc|hcbcIncI|scllasrcvcalcdacccssIblcvI|hrcspcc|
|o bo|hvha| and hovI| Islorcvcryonca|all |Imcs. IInI|c, In|uI|Inccrca|urcs
mus| bc ablc |o sharc In |hc spccIhc In|uI|Ion olbcIncs. IIrs| olal, hovcvcr,
hnI|c In|uI|Ion as In|uI|Ion alvays rcmaIns bound |o |hc spccIhcaly In|uI|cd
par|Iculars. ]hc In|uI|cd Is only a knovn bcInc Il cvcryonc can makc I|
undcrs|andabc |o oncsclland |o o|hcrs and can |hcrcby communIca|c I|. So,
lor cxamplc, |hIs In|uI|cd par|Icular-|hIspIcccolchalk-mus|allovI|scl|o
bc dc|crmIncd as chak, or ra|hcr as a body In |h vay vc arc ablcjoIn|y
|o knov |hIs bcInc as|hc samc lor all olus. In ordcr |o bc knovcdcc, hnI|c
In|uI|IonalvaysrcquIrcssucha dc|crmIna|Ion ol|hc In|uI|cd as |hIs and|ha|.
In such a dc|crmInInc, vha| Is rcprcscn|cd In accord vI|h In|uI|Ion Is
lur|hcr rcprcscn|cd vl|h a vIcv |ovha|I| Is In ccncral. "Such dc|crmInInc,
hovcvcr,docsno||hcma|Icayrcprcscn||hcccncralassuch. I|docsno|makc
|hc corporcalI|y ol |hc |hInc In|o an objcc|. Ins|cad, |hc dc|crmIna|Ivc rcprc-
scn|Inc olvha| s In|uI|Ivcly rcprcscn|cd Indccd |akcs a ook a| |hc ccncral,
bu|onlykccpsI| ||hcccncral InvicvIn ordcr|odIrcc|I|scll|o |hc par|Icular
and |hus |o dc|crmInc |hc par|Icular lrom |ha| vicvpoIn|. ]hIs ccncra"
rcprcscn|Inc, vhIch as such Is In scrvicc |o |hc In|uI|Inc, makcs vha| Is
rcprcscn|cd In |hc In|uI|Ion morc rcprcscn|ablc

In |hc scnsc |ha| I|crasps

J5. Scnsbc intution s cthcpurc intuition tspacc and timc) or cmprca ntuition o|what
isimmcdatcIy rcprcscntcd,throuehscnsation, as actua in spacc and tmc. |.
|. nordcr inecncra to arrivc atbcines
e. to eraspths bcttcr Rcprcscntnein ecncraI -rcprcscntineinconccpts-thinkine-udeine
makcsthc intuitivcIyeivcnpartcuIarmorcrcprcscntao|c
.
. provdcd that thcconccpt appIics to many indvidua obccts, 2 provdcd hat ths univcrsaI
is acccssbIc to cvcryonc, J. so ocings thcmscIvcs arc hrst morc acccssbc)
is that ncccssaryand why Thc rcprcscntinewhich takcs thines in strdc qua intuitine thus wiII
bc taking,andso isithrstabIc to havc a bcine." And bccausc thinkineissoncccssa twhy) and
thcrcbymadcmorcrcprcscnabIc,thcrc|orcsubscrvicnt inintuitionasrcpracscntatiostiIInobcines
ndccd-providcd that a|tcr aI wc ncvcr|ustintuit
20 Kant and thc Froblcm ol MctaphysIcs |2B-29I
manyundcronc, andonthcbasisolthiscomprchcnsivccraspinc | Umgtcjcos|
it applics to many" Hcncc, Kant namcs this rcprcscntinc in ccncral
|tcptacsco|a||c pct oc|as :cmmuocs). '

rcprcscntinc in conccpts. " ]hc dctcr-

minativc rcprcscntincthcrcbyshovsitscllasthc Rcprcscntation conccpt ol
a rcprcscntation" |intuition).

Octcrminativc rcprcscntinc, hovcvcr, is in

itscll an asscrtion ol somcthinc about somcthinc |prcdication). ]udcmcnt L
thcrclorc thc mcdiatc knovlcdcc olan objcct, that is, thc rcprcscntation ola
rcprcscntation olit."`]hc lacultyoljudcinc,"hovcvcr, isthcundcrstandinc,
andthc rcprcscntincthatis propcrtoitmakcsthcintuitionundcrstandablc."
Insolar as thc|udcinc |act oldctcrmination is csscntially dcpcndcnt upon
intuition, thinkincisalvays unitcd vithitby virtuc olits scrvicc to intuition.
y mcans ol such a union |synthcsis), thinkinc is mcdiatcly rclatcd to thc
ob|cct. ]his bccomcs cvidcnt |truc) in thc unity ola thinkinc intuition. ^c-
cordincly, thc synthcsis ol thinkinc and intuitinc accomplishcs thc makinc-
cvidcnt ol thc cncountcrcd bcinc as ob|cct. Vc vill thcrclorc call it thc
vcritativc synthcsisvhich makcs |somcthinc truc ||or cvidcnt).

his |syn-
thcss coincdcsvth thc abovcmcntioncdbrincinclorvard"olthc rclcvant
dctcrminatcncss olthc bcincs thcmsclvcs.
]hinkincvhich unitcs vith intuiion in thc vcritativc synthcsis, hovcvcr, L
nov and lor its part namcly, |udcinca unilyinc |synthcsis) in anothcr
scnsc. Kant says. ^|udcmcnt is thc rcprcscntation ola unityolthc conscious-
ncss olvariousrcprcscntations, orthc rcprcscntationolthc rclationshipbctvccn
thc samc, insolar as thcy constitutc a conccpt. "`'udcmcnts arc lunctions ol
unity" i. c , a rcprcscntinc olthcunilyincunity olconccpts in thcircharactcr as
prcdicatcs. ]his unilyInc rcprcscntinc vc namc prcdicativc synthcsis.
]hc prcdicativc synthcsis, hovcvcr, docs notcoincidcvith thatunilyinc in
vhichjudcincprcscntsitscllasthc|oinincolsubjcctand prcdicatc. ]hislattcr
synthcsis olsub|cct and prcdicatc vc namc thc apophantic
^ccordincly, in thc vcritativc sythcsis, vhich in ccncral constitutcs thc
csscncc ol hnitc knovlcdcc, thc prcdicativc synthcsis and thc apophantical
synthcsis arc ncccssarilyjoincd toccthcr into a structural unity olsynthcscs
Mov, ilonc maintains that thc csscncc olknovlcdcc accordinc to Kant is
synthcsis," thcn this thcsis still says nothinc as lonc as thc cxprcssion syn-
thcsis is allovcd to rcmain in ambicuous indctcrminacy
Iinitc intuition, as somcthinc innccd oldctcrmination, is dcpcndcnt upon
thc undcrstandinc, vhich not onlybcloncs to thc hnitudc olintuition, but is
itscll still morc hnitc in that it lacks thc immcdiacy ol hnitc intuitinc. Its
J. A B, 9J.
J7. Scc I . Kant. Logik. inHanuchzu\or|cungcn,cd G .schc, Wcrkc,VIII, !7. p. +08.
h. rieht hcrc. and on thc erounds that thc criticaI conccpto|udemcnt wasintroduccd
. I) Thc csscncc o|ana|,tic and s,n|hc|ir udemcnts |or thcmscvcs- thc csscncc o|ths
di||ccnc both as thc indcx o| thc nitudc o|knowcdec and o||hinking.
hJ. |2-JI I 2 !
rcprcscntInc rcquIrcs thc IndIrcctIon Umocg| ola rclcrcncc to a unIvcrsal by
mcans oland accordInctovhIchthc scvcralpartIcularsbccomc conccptually
rcprcscntablc. ]hIs cIrcuItousncss 'Umocg|g|c||| |dIscursIvcncss) vhIch bc-
loncs to thc csscncc olundcrstandInc Is thc sharpcst Indcx olIts hnItudc.
Hovcvcr,just as thcmctaphysIcal csscncc ol hnItc IntuItIon as rcccptIvIty
nov rctaIns In Itscll thc unIvcrsal, csscntIal charactcr ol IntuItIon In that It Is
cIvInc," so too thc hnItudc ol thc undcrstandInc also IndIcatcs somcthInc
morc olthc csscncc olabsolutc knovlcdcc, namcly an orIcInal IntuItIon an
IntuItIon vhIchlctssomcthIncsprinc lorth. '' Inand throuch IntuItInc, thIs
|oricInal IntuItIon hrstbrIncs lorth thc IntuItablc bcInclrom out olItscll. Cl
courscthc undcrstandInc, rclatcdto hnItcIntuItIonasI tI s, I snomorccrcatIvc
than Is IntuItIon . It ncvcr produccs thc bcInc, but rathcr, as dIstInct lrom
thc takInc-InstrIdc" ol an IntuItInc, It Is a typc olbrincInc-lorth. Cl coursc,
judcmcntaboutbcIncs docs notsImplybrinclorth thc unIvcrsal In vhIchthc
IntuItcd comcs to bc conccptually rcprcscntcd. In tcrms ol Its contcnt, thc
unIvcrsal Is dcrivcd lrom thc IntuItablc. Cnly thc manncrIn vhIch thIs con-
tcnt as a comprchcnsIvclycraspcd unIty applIcs to many Is thc rcsult olthc
undcrstandInc.
In producInc thc lorm ol thc conccpt, thc undcrstandInc hclps to sct lorth
|hc|s|lco| thc contcnt ol thc objcct. In thIs sort ol scttInc" '5|lcos, thc
pcculIar rc-prcscntInc ' \ct-s|lco olthInkInc rcvcals Itscll.'' ]hc mctaphysI-
cal csscncc olthc undcrstandInc, vhIch Is productIvc" In thIs vay, comcsto
bc codctcrmIncd throuch thIs charactcr olthc lrom out ol Itscll" |sponta-
ncIty), but vithout ccttIncto thc hcart olthc mattcr.
]hchnItudc olknovlcdcchasbccncharactcrizcdhIthcrto as IntuItIon that
takcs thIncs In strIdc and that Is thcrclorc thInkInc. ]hIs clarIhcatIon ol
hnItudc took placc vIth rclcrcncc to thc strcturc ol knovInc. y virtuc ol
thc lundamcntal sIcnIhcancc vhIch hnItudc has lor thc problcmatIc ol thc
layinc olthc cround lormctaphysIcs, thc csscncc olhnItc knovlcdcc should
comc to bc IllumInatcd lrom stIll anothcr sIdc, namcly vith a vIcv tovard
vhat Is knovablc In such knovlcdcc.
IlhItc knovlcdccsIntuItIonthattakcsthIncsInstrIdc, thcnthcknovablc
must shov Itscll lrom Itscll. Vhat hnItc knovlcdcc can makc manIlcst lrom
thIs IscsscntIally thc bcIncvhIchshovs Itscll,I . c. , thc appcarInc, appcarancc.
]hc tcrm appcarancc" mcans thc bcInc Itscll as objcct ol hnItc knovlcdcc.
Morc prccIscly statcd only lor hnItc knovlcdcc Is thcrc anythInc at all lIkc
an objcct. It alonc Is dclIvcrcd ovcr to thc bcInc vhIch alrcady Is. InhnItc
togcthcr |Thisnotationiskcycd to thc Gcrman word Stc||cns, which I havctransatcd as
"sctting," as in "sctting |onh", but it is aIso thc "prcscnting" |stc||cn') in "rc-prcscnting" |vor-
stc||cn) a|cwwords atcron. ThcGcrman notation issimpIy thcprchxZu-."which woud rcsut
in thc word Zu-stc||cns" |atachcd as indicatcd. In this contct, Zu-stc||cns shouId bc transIatcd
as somcthing Iikc thc "sctting-togcthcr"-tr.
Oo|cctivit, is 8cing 5c,n| | inthc cmpiricaI scnsc
22 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs 'J ! -J2l
knovlcdcc, hovcvcr, cannot bc opposcd by any such bcinc to vhich it must
conlorm. Such conlorminc-to . . . vould bc a dcpcndcncy-on . . . , and
thcrclorc hnitudc. Inhnitc knovinc is an intuitinc vhich as such allovs thc
bcinc itscll to stand lorth. ^bsolutc knovinc discloscs thc bcinc |in thc act
ol lcttinc-stand-lorth and posscsscs it in cvcry casc only" as that vhich
stands lorth in thc lcttinc-standlorth, i. c. , it is discloscd as a thinc vhich
stands lorth 'als Lot-staod| Insolar as thc bcinc is discloscd lor absolutc
intuition, it is" prciscly in its cominc-intocinc. It is thc bcinc as bcincin
itscl, i . c. , notas obj cct. Strictly spcakinc, thcrclorc, vc do notrcallyhitupon
thc csscncc olinhnitc knovlcdcc ilvc say this intuitinc ishrst produccd in
thc intuitinc ol thc objcct. "
]hc bcinc inthcappcarancc" isthc samc bcincas thc bcincinitscll, and
thisalonc.^sa bcinc, it alonc can bccomc anobjcct, althouchonlylorahnitc
|act ol knovlcdcc. Mcvcrthclcss, it rcvcals itscll in accordancc vIth thc man-
ncr and scopc olthc ability that hnitc knovlcdcc has at its disposal to takc
thincs in stridc and to dctcrminc thcm.
Kant uscs thc cxprcssionappcarancc" in a narrovcr and in avidcrscnsc.
^ppcaranccs inthc vidcr scnsc |phcnomcna) arc a kind olobjcct,"
"
namcly,
thc bcinc itscllvhich hnitc knovinc, as thinkinc intuition that takcs thincs
instridc,makcsapparcnt.^ppcaranccinthcnarrovcr scnsc mcans thatvhich
|in appcarancc in thc vidcr scnsc) is thc cxclusivc corrclatc ol thc allcction
that is strippcd olthinkinc |dctcrmininc) and thatbcloncs to hnitc intuition
thc contcnt olcmpirical intuition. ]hc undctcrmincd objcct 'Ccgcostaod| ol
an cmpirical intuition is callcd appcataocc ^ppcarinc mcans to bc an
Cbjcct ' Dhc|t| olcmpirical intuition.

^ppcaranccs 'Ltsc|c|ouogco|arcnotmcrcillusion 5c|c|o| ,butarc thcbcinc

itscll. ^nd acain, this bcinc isnot somcthinc dillcrcnt lrom thc thincin itscll,
but rathcr this |thinc in itscll is prcciscly a bcinc. ]hc bcinc itscll can bc
apparcntvithoutthcbcincin itscll" |i. c. , asathincvhichstandslorth) bcinc
knovn. ]hc doublc charactcrIation ol thc bcinc as thinc in itscll" and as
appcarancc" corrcsponds to thc tvolold manncr accordinc to vhich it |thc
bcincl can stand in rclationship to inhnitc and hnitc knovinc. thc bcinc in
thc standinclorth 'Lotstaod| and thc samc bcinc as objcct 'Ccgcostaod|

|
Ilinlact thc hnitudc olhumanbcincsisthcbasislorthcproblcm ollayinc
thc cround lor ontolocy in thc Ct|t|aucc] Putc Pcasco, thcn thc critiquc" ol
this dillcrcncc bctvccn hnitc and inhnitc knovlcdcc must carry spccial
vcicht. ]hus Kant says olthc Ct|t|aucc]PutcPcascothat thc Cbjcct is tobc
JB. A 2J5 hcading, 29.
J9. A 20, J.
0. A B9, ! 2 ! .
. notthc samcncss o|thc Vhat, but rathcr thc That o|thc X
m. notthc cpIicit thcmc
hJ. |J2-J1I 2J
takcn| oa|wc]cldscosc,namcy, as appcarancc andasthIncI nItscl."
'
StrIcty
spcakInc, onc should not spcak ol Cbcct" 'Dh)c||"| ,bccausc lor absoutc
knovcdcc thcrc can bc no ob|ccts cs |c|oc Ccgcos|aodcgchco| In thc scnsc
olthIncs vhIch stand acaInst It . In thc Dpus Pcs|umum Kant says that thc
thIncInItsclIsnota bcIncdIlcrcntlromthc appcarancc, I . c. , thc dIllcrcncc
bctvccn thc conccpt ol a thInc In Itscl and thc appcarancc Is not ob|cctIvc
but mcrcy sub|cctIvc. ]hc thInc In ItsclIs not anothcr Cbjcct, but Is rathcr
anothcraspcct |tcspcc|us)olthc rcprcscntatIon ol ||csamcDh)cc|.

ascd on thIs IntcrprctatIon ol thc conccpts appcarancc" and thInc In

Itscl, vhIch Is orIcntcd tovard thc dIllcrcncc bctvccn hnItc and InhnItc
knovcdcc, It Isnov aso possIbc to carIlyvhat thccxprcssIonsbchIndthc
appcarancc" and mcrc appcarancc" mcan. ]hIs bchInd" cannot mcan that
lorhnItcknovcdcc as such, thc thIncIn ItsclstI standsIn opposItIon toIt.
SImIary, It cannot mcan that thc thInc In Itscl docs not bccomc luy"
craspcd,thatItscsscnccIslrccloatIncandyctoccasIonaybccomcs IndIrccty
vIsIbc. Rathcr, thc cxprcssIon bchInd thc appcarancc" cxprcsscs thc lact that
hnItcknovcdccashnItcncccssarIyconccas atthcsamc tImc, andItconccas
In advancc so that thc thInc In Itscl" Is not ony Impcrlccty acccssIbc, but
Is absoutcy InacccssIbc to such knovcdcc by Its vcry csscncc. Vhat Is
bchInd thc appcarancc" Is thc samc bcIncasthcappcarancc. ccausc It ony
cIvcsthc bcIncas ob|cct,hovcvcr, thIs appcarancc docs notpcrmIt that samc
bcInc to bc sccn lundamcntay as a thInc vhIch stands lorth. ^ccordInc t
thc C||auc, cvcrythInc In an appcarancc Is ItsclacaIn appcarancc. "
It Is thcrclorc a mIsundcrstandInc olvhat thc thInc In Itscl mcans Ilvc
bcIcvc that thc ImpossIbIIty ol a knovcdcc ol thc thInc In Itscl must bc
provcn throuchposItIvistIc crItIquc. Such attcmpts atproolsupposcthc thInc
In Itscl to bc somcthInc vhIch Is prcsumcd to bc an objcct vIthIn hnItc
knovcdcc In ccncra, but vhosc tactIca InacccssIbIIty can and must bc
! xxvii .
2. Kant, Opus Pos|umum, prcscntcd and commcntcd upon by E Adickcs 920), p. 5J
tC55) Emphasis addcdbythc author
J. Kant, "bcr cinc Entdcckung, nach dcr aIc ncuc Kritik dcr rcincn Vcrnun|t durch cinc
Itcrc cntbchrIich gcmacht wcrdcns" 790). Wcrkc, VI, p. 27.
n. morc prcciscy |oncshouId| aIso not |spcako|| "thc which isincctain way" dasso
Scicndc| , |or God i sinnoway a bcing |ScicndcsI i|"cing ' Scin"I bcIongs to hnitudc
o. Scc C 57 "Thc conccpt o| a thing in itscI| |as| its countcrpartX is ncccssariy sct in
opposition to thc conccpto|anobcctasappcarancc, but notasoncobcct|rca|i|cr) di||crcntiatcd
|rom othcrs distinct, givcn inrcaIity-rathcr, simpIy accordingtoconccpts||ogiccopposi|um) as
somcthing which is givcn |daoi|c), but |rom which |somcthing| wiI bc abstractcd, and which
mcrcIysubcctivcIy constitutcs a mcmbcr o|thc cIassihcation as obcctivc noumcnon. This nou
mcnon, howcvcr, is nothing morc than a rcprcscntation o|rcason in gcncraI, and |with| thc
qucstion How is synthctic a pioi knowIcdgc possibc it is| not a particuar bcc Oo)ck|l ,
which wouId bc what i s obcctivc |das Gcgcns|nd|ichc| i n thc phcnomcnon rc|crcncc b y R.
anckc, Dic Kan|-ln|crrc|a|ion Mar|in Hcidc

crs, Archiv |. systcmatschc FhiIosophic und

Sozioogic XXXI p. 27! ).
2 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics 'J-JJI
provcn. ^ccordincly, thc mcrc" in thc phrasc mcrc appcarancc" is not a
rcstrictincand diminishincolthc actuality olthc thinc, but is rathcronly thc
nccation ol |thc assumption thatthcbcinccanbcinhnitclyknovninhuman
knovlcdcc. . . . |in thc vorld olscnsc), hovcvcr dccply vc inuirc into its
objcts, vc havc to do vith nothinc but appcaranccs. "
Iinally thc csscncc ol thc dicrcnccbctvccnappcarancc and thinc in itscll
appcars vith particular clarity in thc doublc mcaninc olthc cxprcssion out-
sidcus." Inbothmcanincs, thcbcincitscllisalvaysmcant. ^sthincinitscll,
it is alvays outsidc us to thc cxtcnt that vc as hnitc crcaturcs arc cxcludcd
lrom thc kind ol inhnitc intuition vhich pcrtains to it. Il it sicnihcs thc
appcaranccs, thcn it is outsidc us to thc cxtcnt that vc oursclvcs arc indccd
not this bcinc, and yct vc havc a mcans ol acccss to it. ^t thc samc timc,
hovcvcr, thc discussion olthc dilcrcncc bctvccn hnitc and inhnitc knovl-
cdcc vitha vicv to thc dilcrcnccincharactcrbctvccn vhatisknovn incach
rcspcctivcly nov points out that thcsc conccpts ol appcarancc and thincin-
itscll, vhich arc lundamcntal lor thc Cr|||auc. can only bc madc undcrstand-
ablc and part ol thc vidcr problcm by basinc thcm morc cxplicitly on thc
problcmatic ol thc hnitudc ol thc human crcaturc. ]hcsc conccpts, hovcvcr,
do not rclcr to tvo classihcations ol ob|ccts arranccd onc bchind thc othcr
vithin thc" complctcly indilcrcnt, hxcd |hcld ol knovlcdcc.
Vith this charactcrization ol thc hnitudc ol human knovlcdcc, vhat is
csscntial to thc dimcnsion vithin vhich thc task ol layinc thc cround ol
mctaphysics takcs placc is rcvcalcd. ^t thc samc timc thcrc rcsults a clcarcr
indication olthc dircction vhich thc |proccss ol coinc back to thc sourcc ol
thc inncrpossibility olontolocy has to takc.
h. Thc Cround [or rhc Sourcc o[ rhc Laying o[ rhc Cround [or Mcraphysics
]hc intcrprctation olthc csscncc olknovlcdcc in ccncral and its hnitudc
in particular rcvcalcd that hnitc intuition |scnsibility) as such rcquircs dctcr-
mination throuch thc undcrstandinc. Convcrscly, thc undcrstandinc, vhich
in itscllisalrcadyhnitc, isdcpcndcnt upon intuition Iorvc canundcrstand
nothic cxccpt vhat onc ol our vordsbrincs vith it corrcspondinc to somc-
thinc in intuition.
,,
Hcncc, vhcn Kant says Mcithcr ol thcsc qualitics
scnsibilityandundcrstandinc is to bc prclcrrcd to thc othcr," it appcars to
contradict |thc lact that thc lundamcntal charactcr ol knovinc is tobc lound
A 5, 2|.
5. A J7J.
A 277, JJJ.
7 A 5 , 75.
hc. |JJ-J/ 2J
in intuition. ]hc ncccssaryvayi nvhichscnsibilityandundcrstandincbclonc
toccthcrin thccsscntialunityolhnitc knovlcdcchovcvcr.docsnotcxcludc
but rathcr includcs an ordcr ol prcccdcncc in thc structural croundinc ol
thinkinc in intuition, vhich cxists as thc initial rcprcscntinc. Ircciscly this
ordcrolprcccdcncc conccrnincthc rclcxivc bcloncinc-toccthcr olscnsibility
and undcrstandinc must not bc ovcrlookcd, it must not bccomc lcvclcd oll
to an indilcrcnt corrclation ol contcnt and lorm, ilvc vant to comc closcr
to thcinncrmost coursc 'Zugc olthc Kantian pblcmatic.
Mcvcrthclcss. lor thc qucstion olcoinc back to thc cround lortc sourcc
|0ucllgtuod olthc possibilityolhnitc knovlcdcc, it appcars sulhcicnt tohold
to thc simplc and rclcxivc duality ol its clcmcnts. ^nd this is all thc morc
ncccssary as Kant himscll cxprcssly hxcs thc sprincinc lorth" olour knovl-
cdcc in tvo basic sourccs 'Ctuodaucllco ol thc mind". Cur knovlcdcc
sprincs lorth lrom tvo basic sourccs ' Ctuodaucllcol ol thc mind thc hrst is
thccapacitytorcccivcrcprcscntations |rcccptivitylorimprcssions) ,thcsccond
is thcpovcrto knovan ob|cct throuch thcsc rcprcscntations |spontancity ol
conccpts). "
"
^nd cvcn morc pointcdly. Kant says that othcr than thcsc
tvo sourccs olknovlcdcc 'Lt|cooto|saucllco |scnsibilityandundcrstandinc),
vc havc no othcrs.
his duality ol sourccs, hovcvcr, is no mcrc|uxtaposition. Rathcr, only in
thc union olboth olthcm as prcscribcd bythcirstructurc can hnitc knovl-
cdcc bcvhat its csscncc rcquircs. Cnly throuch thcir union can knovlcdcc
sprinclorth."]hc unity olthcirunihcation isncvcrthclcss nota subscqucnt
rcsultolthc collisionolthcscclcmcnts. Rathcr,vhatunitcsthcm, thissynthc-
sis," must lctthcclcmcntsin thcirbcloncinctoccthcrandthcironcncsssprinc
lorth. Il hnitc knovlcdcc, hovcvcr, has its csscncc prciscly in thc oricinal
synthcsis ol thc basic sourccs 'Ctuodaucllco and ilthc layinc ol thc cround
lor mctaphysics must push ahcad into thc csscntial cround ol hnitc knovl-
cdcc, thcn it is incscapablc that thc naminc vhich indicatcs thc tvo basic
sourccs 'Ctuodaucllco alrcady succcsts an allusion to thc cround ol thcir
sourcc '||tco0ucllgtuod| , i . c. , to an orIcinal unity
]hus in both thc introduction and thc conclusion to thc Ct|t|auc c] Putc
Pcasco, Kant civcs a rcmarkablc charatcrization ol thc tvo basic sourccs
vhich cocs bcyond thcir mcrc cnumcration. Cnly this much appcars to bc
ncccssary by vay ol introduction or anticipation. namcly, that thcrc arc tvo
stcms ol human knovlcdcc, scos|h|l|t, and uodctstaod|og, vhich pcrhaps
sprinc lorth lrom a common, but tousunknovn, root. ]hrouch thc lormcr,
ob|ccts arc civcn to us throuch thc lattcr, thcy arc thoucht. "'
Vc shall
B. A 50, 7.
9. A 29, J50.
50. A 5 , 75|.
5 ! A ! 5, 29.
2 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics | J7-JB
contcnt oursclvcs hcrc vith thc complction olour task, namcly, mcrcly to
outincthcarc||tcctco|cola knovcdccarisinclrom purcrcascoandindoinc
so vc shall bccin lrom thc point at vhich thc common root olour povcr ol
knovcdcc ' Lr|cooto|s|ra]t| dividcs and throvs out tvo stcms, onc olvhich
is rcasco y rcason I hcrc undcrstand thc vhoc hichcr laculty olknovlcdcc
and am thcrclorc contrastinc thc rational vIth thc cmpirical." ]hc cmpirI-
cal" hcrc sicnihcs thc cxpcrIcncinc takinc ol thincs in strIdc rcccptivIty,
scnsibility as such.
Hcrc thc sourccs" arc undcrstood as stcms" vhich sprinc lorth lrom a
common root. ut vhcrcas in thc hrst passacc thc common root" vas
quaihcd vith a pcrhaps," in thc sccond thc common root" is rcputcd to
cxist. Moncthclcss, in both passaccs this root is ony alludcd to. Kant not
only lails to pursuc it lurthcr, but cvcn dcclarcs that it is unknovn to us. "
Irom this, somcthinccsscntial ariscs lor thc ccncral charactcr olthc Kantian
ayincolthc cround lormctaphysics itlcadsnot to thc crystal clcar, absolutc
cvidcncc ol a hrst maxim and principc, but rathcr cocs into and points
consciouslytovard thc unknovn. Itis a philosophizinc ayIncolthc cround
lor Ihiosoph
II 1HE MANNER I INVEIIINC 1HE RICIN
h /. Thc DutInc o1 thc Stagcs n thc Layng o1 thc Cmund [or DntoIogy
]hc croundinc olmctaphysics is thc projcction ol thc inncr possibiity ol
apriorisynthcsis. Itscsscncc mustbcdctcrmincd, anditsoricininthccround
ol its sourcc '0ucllgruod| mustbc prcscntcd. ]hc cxplanation olthc csscncc
ol hnitc knovlcdcc and thc charactcrization ol thc basic sourccs 'Cruod-
aucllco| havc circumscribcd thc dimcnsion ol thc rcvcalinc ol thc csscntia
oricin. In this vay, hovcvcr, thc qucstion ol thc inncr possibility ol a priori
synthctic knovlcdcc has attaincd morc prccision and at thc samc timc has
bccomc morc compcx.
]hc prcparatory cxposition ol thc problcm ola croundinc ol mctaphysics
yiclds thc lollovinc. Knovcdcc olbcincs is only possiblc on thc crounds
ol a prior knovcdcc, lrcc ol cxpcricncc, ol thc constitution ol thc cinc ol
52. A BJ5. BJ.
5J. Sccabovc. 2, p. .
h/. |J8-10 27
bcincs. Mov hnitc knovlcdcc |thc hnitudc ol vhich is i nqucstion) is csscn-
tiallyan intuition olthc bcinc vhich takcs it in stridc and vhich is dctcrmi-
nativc. Ilhnitcknovlcdccolbcincsistobcpossiblc, thcnitmustbc croundcd
in a knovinc olthccinc olbcincs prior to all rcccivlnc. or its ovn possi-
bility, thcrclorc, thc hnitcknovlcdccolbcincsrcquircsaknovincvhichdocs
not takc thincs in stridc |and vhich is apparcntly nonhnitc) , such as a crc
ativc" intuitinc.
So thc qucstion conccrninc thc possibility ol a priori synthcsis narrovs
dovn o this Hov can a hnitc crcaturc, vhich as such is dclivcrcd ovcr to
bcincsandisdircctcdby thc takinc-in-stridc olthcsc samc bcincs, knov, i . c. ,
intuit, prior t oall |instanccs ol takinc thc bcinc i nstridc, vlthout bcinc its
crcator`" Inothcrvords. hovmust this hnitc crcaturc bcvith rcspcct to thc
constitution olits ovn cinc so that such a brincinc-lorvard olthc constitu-
tion olthc cinc olbcincs vhich is lrcclrom cxpcrIcncc, i . c. , an ontolocical
synthcsis, is possiblc`
Ilthc qucstion conccrninc thc possibility ola priori synthcsis is lramcd in
this vay hovcvcr, and il all knovlcdcc as hnitc is bilurcatcd into thc tvo
prcviously mcntioncd clcmcnts, i . c. , il it is itscll a synthcsis, thcn a pcculiar
complication cntcrs into thc qucstion conccrninc thc possibility ol a prlori
synthcsis. or this synthcsis is not idcntical vith thc abovc-namcd vcritativc
synthcsis, vhich is conccrncd solcly vIth ontic knovlcdcc.
]hc ontolocical synthcsis, as knovlcdcc in ccncral, is alrcady synthctic, so
that thc layinc ol thc cround must bccin vith a scttinc lorth ol thc purc
clcmcnts olpurc knovlcdcc |purc intuition and purc thinkinc). ^ltcrthat, it
isolvaluc to clarily thc charactcrolthc oricinal,csscntial unity olthcsc purc
clcmcnts, I. c. , thc purc vcritativc synthcsis. ]hIs should bc donc in such a
vay, hovcvcr, that it aso dctcrmincs purc intuition a priori. ]hc conccpts
bcloncinctoit notjusttothcir lorm,butalso tothcircontcnt-must sprinc
lorthprlortoallcxpcricncc. Inthiscasc,hovcvcr, thcpurc prcdicativcsynthc-
sis, vhich ncccssarily bcloncs to thc purc vcritativc synthcsis, is ola spccial
sort. ]hcrclorc, as viththcontolocicalsynthcsis, thc qucstionconccrnincthc
csscncc olthc ontolocical prcdicatc" must shilt to thc ccntcr olthc problcm
olthc apriori synthcsis.
]hc qucstion ol thc inncr possibility olthc csscntial unity ola purc vcrita-
tivcsynthcsis, hovcvcr, pushcsuscvcn lurthcrback to thc clarihcation olthc
orlcinal cround lor thc inncr possibility ol this synthcsis. y unvcilinc thc
csscncc ol purc synthcsis lrom its cround, thcn, thc insicht hrst ariscs as to
thc cxtcnt to vhich ontolocical knovlcdcc can bc thc condition lor thc
possibilityolonticknovlcdcc. In thisvay,thc lull csscncc olontolocical truth
is circumscribcd.
^ccordincly, layinc thc cround lor ontolocy runs throuch hvc staccs as
indicatcdbythclollovinchcadincs |!) thc csscntial clcmcntsolpurcknovl-
cdcc, |) thc csscntial unity olpurc knovlcdcc, |J) thc inncr possibility ol
2B Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs |0-!I
thc csscntial unity ol ontolocica synthcsis, |) thc cround lor thc inncr
possibiity ol ontoocica synthcsis |D) thc lu dctcrmination ol thc csscncc
olontoocical knovlcdcc.
h8. Thc Mcthod [or RcvcaIing thc Drigin
]hc provisional charactcrization ol thc csscntia structurc ' wcscoshaucs ol
hnitcknovlcdcchasarcadyrcvcacdavcatholstructurcs5ttu||utcovhich
bcloncinhcrcntlytosynthcsis. Mov tothc cxtcnt thatpurcvcritativcsynthcsis
contains thc idca ol knovlcdcc vhich in a ccrtain scnsc appcars to bc nonh-
nitc, thc qucstion olthc possibiity olontolocy lor a hnitc crcaturc bccomcs
morc compicatcd. Iinally, thc indications conccrninc thc cround lor thc
sourcc olthc basic sourccs ol hnitc knovcdcc

and its possibc unity lcads

to thc unknovn.
ivcnthc charactcr olthccadincprobcmandthc dimcnsionolitspossiblc
trcatmcnt, it is not surprisinc that thc vay in vhich thc oricin is discloscd
and thc manncr ol coinc back to thc cround olthc sourcc rcmains undctcr-
mincd lor thc timc bcinc. ]hcir ccrtainty and dctcrminacy hrst crov, as it
vcrc, durinc thc advancc into thc hithcrto conccacd rccion and lrom thc
conlrontation vith vhat shovs itscllthcrc. Indccd, thc rccion olthcunvcillnc
olthcorlcinisnoncothcr thanthchumanmind" |mcoss|vcao|mus) Cpcninc
up this |rccion is |usualy assicncd to Isychoocy. " Hovcvcr, to thc cxtcnt
that this conccrns an intcrprctation ol knovlcdcc," thc csscncc ol vhich
commonly has to do vith judcinc |lcgcs), ocic" must aso bc a partncr to
this opcnincup olthc mind. Vhcnconsidcrcdsupcrhialy, Isychoocy" and
ocic" dividc this task or, in othcr vords, struccc lor prccmincncc and in
this vay cxtcnd and translorm thcmscvcs.
utilonthc onchandonc considcrsthcoricinaityanduniqucncssolvhat
Kant soucht and ilon thc othcr hand onc sccs thc qucstionabc charactcr ol
vhat hasbccn handcd dovn, namcy, that ncithcr ocic" nor Isycholocy"
is at al suitablc lor such a probcmatic, thcn it provcs to bc hopccss to vant
to cct hold ol vhat is csscntial in thc Kantian ayinc ol thc cround lor
mctaphysics by mcans ol a manua shovlnc a locical" or psychoocica"
vay olqucstioninc orby mcans ola complctcly supcrhial conncctincolthc
tvo. Hovcvcr, thc lact that ]ransccndcnta Isychoocy" mcrcly cxprcsscs a
pcrpcity bccomcs clcar as soon as onc has craspcd thc lundamcntal and
mcthodolocical dilhcutics that arc invovcd in thc dctcrmination olthc hnitc
human csscncc.
]ust this, thcn, rcmains. to cavc opcn thcmcthodlorunvciincthc oricin,
and not to prcss it hastily into a handcd-dovn or ncvly dcviscd disiplinc
Vith this lcavinc opcn ol thc charactcr ol thc mcthod, vc must, ol coursc,
h8. |1I -12I 29
rcmcmbcr thc cxplanatonvhich Kanthimscllollcrcd conccrninc thc Ct|||auc
c] Putc Pcasco mmcdiatcly alcr its complction ]his sort ol inquiry vill
alvays rcmain dilhcult ."
^l thc samc, a ccncral indication ol thc lundamcntal charactcr ol thc
proccdurc lor this layinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics is rcquircd. ]hc typc
ol invcstication can bc undcrstood as analytic" in thc broadcst scnsc. It
conccrns hnitc purc rcason vith a vcv to hov, onthc crounds olitscsscncc,
it makcs somcthinc likc ontolocical sythcsis possiblc. ]hat s vhy Kant
dcscribcs thc Ct|||aucas a studyolourinncr naturc." ]his rcvcalinc olthc
csscncc ol human Oascin is to thc philosophcrs, hovcvcr, cvcn a duty "
orall that, hovcvcr, analytic" docsnotmcan anunknottincandbrcakinc
up olhnitc purc rcason into its clcmcnts, but rathcr thc rcvcrsc an unknot-
tinc"asa lrccincvhichlooscns thc sccds 'Kc|mc olontolocy Itunvcils thosc
conditions lrom vhichanontolocyasavholcisallovcdtosprout 'auc|mco
accordinc to its inncr possibility In Kants ovn vords, such an analytic is a
brncinc ol itscll to licht throuch rcason, " it is vhat rcason brincs lorth
cntircly lrm out ol itscll." ^nalytic thus bccomcs a lcttincbc-sccn
Sc|colassco| olthc ccncsisolthc csscncc olhnitc purc rcason lromits propcr
cround.
In such an analytic, thcrclorc, lics thc pro|cctinc anticipation olthc cntirc
inncr csscncc olhnitc purc rcason. Cnlyin thc thorouch dcvclopmcnt olthis
csscncc docs thc csscntial structurc ol ontolocy bccomc visiblc. ^s thus un-
vcicd, this structurc at thc samc timc dctcrmincs thc construction ol thc
substructurcs 'Fuodamco|c ncccssary to it. ]his pro|cctinc lrccinc ol thc
vholc, vhich an ontolocy csscntially makcs possiblc, brincs mctaphsics to
thc cround and soil CtuoduodPcdco in vhich itis rootcd as a hauntinc"
olhuman naturc.
5 Lcttcrto M. cr. !7B!. Wkc. X. p. l9B. | TransIation isinKant. Phi|osophira|Corrcspon
dcnc I /J9-99. cd. and tr A. wcig |Chicago. nivcrsity olChicago Frcss. !97). p 95 Thc |uII
scntcncc by Kant rcads, This sort o|invcstigaton wiII aways rcmain dilcut. lor it incudcs thc
mctaph,sirso| mcaph,sirstr
55. A 70J, 7 !
5. AXX.
57. v. Thc crman Hcimsurhungis transIatcd by Kcmp Smith as "visitation, but thc tcrm
aIsoconnotcsa hauntingoran obscssion. I rcndcr it"haunting"toshowthc scnsc in which thc
qucstionsKantasksarcanincscapabIcandIingcringparto|humannaturc.VcshouIdatthcsamc
timc bcattuncdto thc IitcraIscnsc olthc word. which suggcss thcsccking ola homc-tr
a. Scc TransccndcntaI c|IcctonasthcCritiquc'mcthod.A 22l . J! 9
b. Making |uid, bringinginto |Iux rgin
c Dis-articuIating |Zcr-g|icdcrn . bringingthcunit,o|thc artiru|ation |G|icdcrungl toIight.
J0 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs '2-JI
. 1HE S1ACES I CARRYINC I1 1HE FR]EC1IN I
1HE INNER FSSIIII1Y I N1ICY
^t this point, thc ntcrprctation ol thc Ct|||auc must bc rcvivcd and thc
lcadinc problcm must bc alhrmcd morc prcciscly Vhat is at issuc is thc
csscntial possiblllty ol ontolocical synthcsis. Vhcn unloldcd, thc qucstion
rcads. Hov can hnitc human Oascin pass bcyond |transccnd) thc bcinc in
advancc vhcn this bcinc is not only somcthinc it did not crcatc itscll, but
somcthinc at vhich it must bc dircctcd in ordcr to cxist as Oascin` ]hc
problcm ol thc possibillty ol Cntolocy is accordincly thc qucstion ol thc
csscncc and csscntial cround olthc transccndcncc olthc prcllminary undcr
standinc ol cinc. hc problcm ol thc transccndcntal, i . c. , ol thc synthcsls
vhichconstitutcs transccndcncc, thus can also bc put in thisvay. Hovmust
thc hnitc bcinc that vc call human bcinc" bc accordinc to its inncrmost
csscncc so that in ccncral it can bc opcn to a bcinc that it ltscll is not and
that thcrclorc must bc ablc to shov ltscll lrom itscll
]hc staccs to ansvcrthis qucstlon havc alrcadybccn skctchcd out abovc.
It isnovvorth rcvlcvinc thcm indivldually althouch vith a disclaimcrcon-
ccrninc onc lntcrprctation that vould cxhaustivcly trcat all ol thcm in thc
samc vay Vc thcrcby lollov thc inncr movcmcnt ol thc Kantian cround-
layinc, but vithout holdinctohis partlcular arranccmcnt and thc lormulation
thcrcin. It is vorth coinc back bchind thcsc in ordcr to bc ablc to asscss thc
appropriatcncss, thcvalidity, andthc limlts olthc cxtcrnal architcctonic olthc
Ct|||aucc] tc Pcasco bascd on thc most oricinal undcrstandinc ol thc lnncr
coursc olthc cround-layinc.
1HE IlRS1 S1ACE IN 1HE CRIND-IAYINC.
1HE ESSEN1IAI EIEMEN1S I FIRE KNVIEDCE
Ilthc csscncc olapriorisnthcticknovlcdcc istobc broucht to licht, thcn
a clarihcation is hrst rcqircd ol thc standinc ol its ncccssary clcmcnts. A
knovinc, thc transccndcntal snthcsis must bc an intuition and, as a prlori
knoinc, it must bc a purc intuition. A purc knovinc vhlch bcloncs to
human hnitudc, purc intuitionmustncccssarilybc dctcrmincd throuch apurc
thinkinc.
5B. Scc 7 abovc, p. 27|.
h. |11-1JI J
A) KL l1L!1!Cl !l !l!1L lCY!lC
h9. Thc LIucidation o[ Spacc and Timc as Purc Intuitions
Can such a thinc as a purc intuitinc bc lound in thc hnitc knovinc ol
bcincs Vhat issoucht isan immcdiatc, althouch cxpcricncc-lrcc, allovinc
olan individual to bc cncountcrcd. It is truc that, as hnitc, purc intuitinc is
a rcprcscntinc vhich takcs thincs in stridc. Hovcvcr, vhat should nov bc
takcninstridc,vhcrcit conccrnsthcknovincolcincandnotbcincs, cannot
bc a bcinc vhich is at hand and vhich prcscnts itscll. Cn thc contrary, thc
purc rcprcscntinc vhich takcs thincs in strdc must civc itscll somcthinc
capablc olbcincrcprcscntcd. Iurc intuition, thcrclorc, must ina ccrtain scnsc
bc crcativc. "
Vhat i srcprcscntcd i npurc intuition i snobcinc |no ob|cct 'Ccgcos|aod| ,
i . c. , no appcarincbcinc) , but at thc samc timc it is plainly not nothinc. It is
vorth cmphasizinc all thc morc urccntly vhat comcs to bc rcprcscntcd in,
and only in, purc intuition and hov, corrcspondinc to vhat is rcprcscntcd,
thc manncr olthc rcprcscntinci st obc dclimitcd.
Kant posits spacc and timc aspurc intuitions. It is vorthvhilc, hrst olall
vith rclcrcncc to spacc, toshovhovitmanilcstsitscllinthchnitcknovlcdcc
olbcincs and, accordincly, to shov that alonc invhich its csscncc is prcscnt-
ablc.
Kant lays out thc unvcilinc olthc csscncc olspacc and timc in such a vay
that hc |hrst civcs a nccativc charactcrization ol thc phcnomcnon, lrom
vhich hc thcn lcts thc appropriatc positivc charactcrization lollov.
Itisno accidcntthatthccsscntialcharactcrizationbccins nccativcly Itstarts
vith thc prccautionary statcmcnt that spacc and timc arc this and not that
sincc thc positivc |aspcct ol vhat is apprchcndcd is alrcady knovn-and
knovncsscntially-inadvancc,cvcnthouchitisnotyctrccocnizcdbutrathcr
ismisundcrstoodin a ccrtain vay Spacc, . c. , thc rclations olbcsidc-, abovc-,
and bchind-onc-anothcr, arc notlound anyvhcrc hcrc" or thcrc. " Spacc is
a.Sccp. 0I . and 2BgcncraIy.
b. Scc For|srhrtc, p. 9 | . rcgardingthc proccton o| thc idca o| an a priori intuition.
cits own |Hcidcgcr has marcd thcGcrmanword cin" transatcd as "somcthing") and thc
notc simpIy says scin," which in this contct is a posscssivc pronoun, indicatngthat thc "somc
thing that is capabIc o|ng rcprcscntcd in |actbcIongs to orispart o|thc purc rcprcscnting
that takcs thingsinstridc-tr.
d.hcrc cIcarIythcdi|Icrcnccs amongthc pIaccs
J2 Kant and thc Froblcm ol MctaphysIcs |J-
nota thinc at hand amonc othcr bcincs it is no cmpirical rcprcscntation,
,,

i. c. , it is not thc rcprcscntcd in such a rcprcscntinc. In ordcr lor vhat is at

hand to bc ablc to appcar as cxtcndcd in accordancc vith dchnitc spatial
rclations, spacc must alrcady bc apparcnt prior to any takinc in olvhat is at
hand in a vay that takcs in stridc. It spacc must bc rcprcscntcd as that
vithin vhich" vhatisathand can hrstbccncountcrcd. Spacc is |somcthinc
rcprcscntcd vhich is ncccssary, and ncccssary in advancc, in hnitc human
knovinc, i . c. , it is a purc rcprcscntcd ' tc|o\ctgcs|cll|cs|
Mov il, hovcvcr, this rcprcscntcd applics to cvcry" particularspatial rcla-
tion, thcn it appcars to bc a rcprcscntation vhich applics to many," i. c. , a
conccpt. Inturn, thccsscntialanalysisolvhatisrcprcscntcdasspaccprovidcs
inloation about thc rcprcscntinc vhich bcloncs to this rcprcscntcd. Spacc
is, as Kant says |acain spcakinc nccativcly) , no discursivc" rcprcscntation.
]hc unity olspacc isnotvith rcspcct to morc and particular spatial rclations
hcld toccthcr and asscmblcd lrom a comparativc considcration ol thcm. ]hc
unity olspaccisnot that olaconccpt,but rathcr thc unity olsomcthincvhich
initscllisa uniquc onc 'c|oc|oz|gL|ocs| .]hcmanyspaccsarconlylimitations
ol thc onc, uniquc spacc. ]his |uniquc spacc , hovcvcr, s not only limitablc
lromtimctotimc, rathcr, cvcnthc limitinc limitsthcmsclvcsarc thcircsscncc,
i . c. , thcy arcspatial. ]hc unihcd, uniquc spacc is vholly itscllin cach ol its
pas. Rcprcscntinc ol spacc is hcncc immcdiatc rcprcscntinc ol a unihcd
particular, i . c. , intuition, proidcd that thc csscncc ol intuition must bc dc-
tcrmincd as tcptacsco|a||c s|ogulat|s ^nd indccd, accordinc to vhat has al-
rcadybccn said, spacc is vhat is intuitcd in a purc intuition.
Iurc intuition as intuition, hovcvcr, must not only civc vhat is intuitcd
immcdiatcly but must civc it immcdiatcly as a vholc. ^nd indccd, this purc
intuitinc isno mcrc takinc ola part in stridc vith thc rcduction it also looks
cspcciallyatthcvholc.Spaccisrcprcscntcdasaninhnitccivcnmacnitudc."''
]osay that spacc L a macnitudc 'c|oc Ctc1c| docsnot mcan that it is olsuch
and such an cxtcnt c|o scuodsc Ctc1cs| nor docs inhnitc macnitudc 'uo-
codl|c|c Ctc1c| mcan an cndlcss" cxtcnt 'c|o codlcs"Ctc1cs| Instcad, mac-
nitudc" Ctc1c|hcrcmcanscxtcnsivcncss 'C1|c||| ,vhich hrst makcssuch
59. A 25 J9)
c "cxtcrnaI-astdc|m mcand astdc|rom anothcr
l. Spacc isnot simpIy what canbc strippcd llAos|rar|um |rom many d||crcnt things.
g. Inordcr, thcrc|orc, |or
h. which makcs thc appcaring possibIc
i. Thc sccond argucnt docs not |oIow |rom this, ncccssity, nothing |rom thc dctcrmination
which dcpcnds upon thc appcaring, but rathcrthc rcvcrsc.
tono. ! no thcrc thc cmpira|ncgatcs thc rcprcscntation.
k. indvidua |as in, "Thc individua spaccs . . . tr.
I. as somcthingindividuaI, butimmcdiatcIy this, i . c. , rcprcscntingas awhoIc, i.c,gtvtng. this
individuaI has thc particuIarity o|uniqucncss |dicscsEinzc|nc ha|dtc inzc|hct|dcrtnztgkcttl , i. c. ,
thc charactcristc indivduaI-""
s. |1c-1/I JJ
and such ancxtcnt |quantItIcs") possibc. ]hc quantum, vhcrcin aonc a
quantIty canbc dctcrmIncd, is IndctcrmInatc and contInuous vIth rcspcct to
thcnumbcr olparts. spaccand timc. "
]o say that thIs cxtcnsivcncss is inhnitc," thcn, mcans that as comparcd
vIth thc dctcrmInatc, partIcuar parts spacc is not somcthInc dIlcrcnt lrom
thc dccrcc and rIchncss ol thc compound. Instcad It Is InhnItcy, I. c. , csscn-
tiay, dillcrcnt. Itprcccdcs athc partsas thcImItabc, unIhcd vhoc. Itdocs
not havc thc mutItudc ol partIcuars undcr Itscl," as is thc casc vith thc
unIvcrsaity olconccpts rathcr, asvhat is arcady co-intuitcd in itscl," so It
Is that thIs purc Intuition ol thc vhoc can ycd thc parts" at any tImc. ]hc
rcprcscntInc ol such an InhnItc" cxtcnsIvcncss as cIvcn Is hcncc a cIvnc
IntuItinc. Irovidcd that thc unIhcdvhoc vas cIvcncspccIay, thIs rcprcscnt-
Inc aovs vhat is rcprcscntabc in it to sprinc lorth, and in this scnsc It Is
cacdan orIcina" rcprcscntInc.
'
Iurc IntuitIon, thcn, vcrymuchhasits somcthIncintuItcd, and indccdhas
It to |hc dccrcc that it cIvcs this intuitcd ony in and throuch thc IntuitInc
Itscl. ]hc intuItcd is, ol coursc, ncithcr a bcinc vhich is at hand, nor Is It
thcmaticaycraspcdInthc purc intuItIncItscl. Inbcincbusyvththc thIncs
and in pcrccIvInc thcm, thcIr spatIa rcatIonships arc Indccd IntuItcd,"but
lor thcmostpart thcyarc not thoucht ol as such. Ina prcIminary cipsc,
vhat Is intuItcd In purc IntuitIon stands vthout rclcrcncc to a partIcuar
objcct and Is unthcmatIc as vc. Mcvcrthccss, in this vay vhat is cImpscd
In thc unihcd vhoc makcspossIbc thc ordcrincaccordincto vhIch thIncs
can bcl bcsIdc-, undcr-, and in back olonc anothcr. Vhat is intuItcd In thIs
vay olintuItInc" Is not simpy nothInc.
romthcabovcItIsarcadypossibctoconcudcthatthclurthcrcxpIcatIon
olthc oricIna rcprcscntInc" In purc intuItIon v ony bc possibc vhcn it
hasbccnsucccsslu inbrIncinctoichtvithmorcurccncythc scnscInvhich
purc IntuItion Is oricIna ," i . c. , hov it aovs vhat Is Intuitcd In It to sprinc
lorth
0. KntshandsrhrI||ichcrNach|a|, oI. no. 5B+. Scc Erdmann, RcIcroncn , !0JB.
!. A J2, +B,sccaIso +0.
m. transccndcntaI conccpt o|thcinhnitc
bscration on thc Thcsiso|thc irst Antinomy scc A n. 5 . |Thc obscraton to thc Thcsis o|
thc irstAntinomycanbc|oundin KFRA +J0, +5B||. -tr.
n. Sccp. 99bcIo |Thcrc|crcncc is to Hcidcgcrs marginaInotcbto s2B-tr.
o. purc
p. For|srhri||c, p. 92 . !+, p. !0J . !0
. s2B, p. !00|
J Kant and thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics 'B-9I
h1. Timc as thc Univcrsal Purc Intuition
Iurc in|ui|ion isrcquircdas|hc onc csscn|ial clcmcn| olon|olocicalknovl-
cdcc in vhich |hc cxpcricncc olbcincs is croundcd. u| as purc in|ui|ion,
spacc civcs in advancc mcrcly |hc |o|ali|y ol |hosc rcla|ions accordinc |o
vhich vha| is cncoun|crcd in |hc cx|crnal scnscs vould bc ordcrcd. ^| |hc
samc |imc, hovcvcr, vc hnd civcns ol |hc inncr scnsc" vhich indica|c no
spa|ial shapc and no spa|ial rclcrcnccs. Ins|cad, |hcy shov |hcmsclvcs as a
succcssion ols|a|cs ol our mind |rcprcscn|a|ions, drivcs, moods). Vha| vc
look a|inadvancc in|hc cxpcricncc ol|hcscappcaranccs, al|houchunobjcc-
|ivcandun|hcma|ic, ispurcsucccssion. ]hcrclorc, |imcis|hcorm olinncr
scnsc, i . c. , ol |hc in|ui|inc ol oursclvcs and our inncr s|a|c. " ]imc dc|cr-
mincs |hc rcla|ion olrcprcscn|a|ions in ourinncr s|a|c." . . . |imc canno|
bc a dc|crmina|ion olou|cr appcaranccs, i| has |o do vi|h nci|hcrshapc nor
posi|ion, c|c.
In |his vay bo|h purc in|ui|ions, spacc and |imc, arc allo||cd |o |vo dillcr-
cn|l rccions ol cxpcricncc, and a| hrs| i| appcars |o bc impossiblc |o hnd a
purc in|ui|ion vhich cons|i|u|cs cvcry ins|ancc olknovlcdcc ol|hc cinc ol
cxpcricnccablc bcincs and vhich, |hcrclorc pcrmi|s |hc problcm olon|oloci-
cal knovlcdcc |o bc loula|cd univcrsally Mov |o bc surc, in addi|ion |o
|hc associa|ion ol bo|h purc in|ui|ions vi|h |hc |vo rccions ol appcaranccs,
Kan|s|a|cs|his|hcsis.]imcis|hclormal aprioricondi|ionolallappcaranccs
vha|socvcr. " Hcncc, |imc has a prccmincncc ovcr spacc. A univcrsal, purc
in|ui|ion, i| |imcl mus| lor |his rcason bccomc |hc cidinc and suppor|inc
csscn|ial clcmcn| ol purc knovlcdcc, ol |hc |ransccndcncc vhich los
knovlcdcc.
]hc lollovinc in|crprc|a|ion shovs hov |imc shil|s morc and morc |o |hc
lorclron| in |hc coursc ol|hc individuals|accs ol|hclayincol|hc cround lor
mc|aphysics, and hcrcby hrs| rcvcals i|s ovn par|icular csscncc in a morc
oricinal vay |han |hc pvisional charac|criza|ion in |hc ]ransccndcn|al ^cs-
|hc|ic pcni|s.
Hov docs Kan| nov cround |his priori|y ol|imc as univcrsal, purc in|ui-
|ion` ^| hrs| i|may s|rikc us |ha| Kan| dcnics |hc cx|crnal appcaranccs ol|hc
dc|cnina|ion ol |imc, cspccially vhcn i| is ln |hc cvcryday cxpcrcncc ol
2 A JJ, 9
J. A JJ, 50 Hcdceecr paec citaton |9)corrctcd-tr
.A JJ, 9|.
5. A J, 50.
a n timc and modcs otmc scc I 9J0 \o Wcscndcmcnsc|ir|cnFci|ci| n|ci|ung in
dic P|i|osop|ic. CA, voI. Jl , p. 52I , in partclar p. I 5B|. V 9J5J Dic Fragc nac| dcm
Ding. Zu Kn|s Lc|c von dcn |anszcndcn|a|cn Gundsd|zcn. CA. vo. I , p. 2JI. scc bcIow p.
72| , p. 75|.
hI J. |1-J0 JJ
prcciscy thcsc dctcrminationsin thc movcmcnt olthc stars and i nnatural
cvcnts in ccncral |crovth and dccay) that timc is lound and indccd so
immcdiatclythattimccomcstobc cquatcdviththc hcavcns. "Hovcvcr,Kant
docs not simply rcjcct out ol hand thc cxtcrnal appcaranccs ol thc dctcr
mination ol timc, il indccd timc is to bc thc lormal a priori condition lor
all appcaranccs. Cnc thcsis dcnics vithin-timc-ncss

to physical bcincs
vhicharc at hand, thc othcrcrants it. Hovcan thcsc contradictory asscrtions
bcrcconcilcd` IlKant rcduccstimc aspurcintuitiontothccivcnsolthc inncr
scnscs, i. c , to rcprcscntations in thc broadcst scnsc, thcn in this rcduction
lics an cxtcnsion olprcisclythc possibc scopc vithin vhich itcan lunction
asthcprcliminaryvayolintuitinc.^moncthcrcprcscntationsarcloundthosc
vhich, as rcprcscntations, also alovbcincs to bc cncountcrcd vhich arc not
thcsamc as thc rcprcscntinccrcaturc itscll. Hcncc, Kants rcllcctions takc this
path
ccausc al rcprcscntations, as statcs ol rcprcscntinc, lal immcdiatcly in
timc, vhat is rcprcscntcd in rcprcscntinc bcloncs as such in timc. y thc
dicrcssion into thc immcdiatc vithintimc-ncss ol rcprcscntinc, a mcdiatc
vIthin-timcncss olvhatisrcprcscntcd, i.c. , olthosc rcprcscntations" dctcr
mincdthrouchcxtcrnascnsc, iscivcn. Hcncc, sincc thccxtcmalappcaranccs
arconlymcdiatclyvIthintimc,inoncscnscthcdctcrminationoltimcbconcs
to thcmandin anothcr scnsc it docs not. ]hc arcumcntlrom thcvithintimc-
ncss ol thc cxtcrnal intuitincs as a psychic cvcnt to thc vithintimc-ncss ol
vhat is intuitcd in thcsc intuitincs, bccomcs csscntiay lacilitatcd lor Kant
throuchthcambicuityolthccxprcssionintuition,"orrathcrrcprcscntation. "
Cnthc onc hand, thc cxprcssions mcan statcsol mind, butat thc samc timc
thcy mcan that vhich thcy, as such statcs, havc as thcir objccts.
Vhcthcr this croundinc olthc univcrsality oltimc as purc intition, and
vith it thc croundinc ol its ccntral ontolocica lunction, continucs to bc
valid and canbc dccisivc must hcrc rcmain opcn lor thc prcscnt, as must thc
qucstion ol vhcthcr spacc as purc intuition vas thcrcby displaccd lrom a
possiblc ccntral ontoocical lunction.
Ilin ccncral thc croundinc olthc univcrsality oltimc as purc intuition is
to bc possiblc, this canonlyhappcnilit can b shovn that althouchspacc
and timc as purc intuitions bothbclonc to thc subjcct," timc dvclls in thc
subjcct in a morc oricinal vay than spacc. ]imc immcdiatcly rcduccd to thc
civcns ol inncr scnsc, hovcvcr, is at thc samc timc ony onto ocicaly morc
univcrsalilthc subjcctivityolthc subjcctcxistsinthcopcnncss lor thc bcinc.
]hc morc subjcctivc timc is, thc morc oricina and cxtcnsivc is thc cxpansivc-
ncss 'Lo|sc|to|uog olthc subjcct.
]hcunivcrsal ontolocicallunctionthatKantassicnstotimcatthcbccinninc
. Scc sJ5bcIo p. ! J7||
J Kant and thc FrobIcm ol Mctaphysics | J0-J2
o| thc cround-ayinc can hcncc ony bc su|hcicntly justihcd bccausc it is
prcciscly timc itscl|, and indccd timc in its ontolocica |unction |i.c. , ascsscn-
tia bit o| purc ontoocica knovcdcc), vhich |orccs us to dctcrminc thc
csscncc o| subjcctivity in a morc oricinal vay'
]hc ]ransccndcnta ^csthctic" has as its task to sct |orth thc ontolocical
vhich makcs it possibc to discosc a priori" thc cinc o|bcincs.
]o thc cxtcnt that intuition rctains thc cadinc roc in all knovcdcc onc o|
thc picccs rcquircd |or thc solution o| thc ccncral probcm o| transccndcntal
philosophy" |Cntoocy) has bccn attaincd.
]o vhatcvcr sma dccrcc purc intuitionascsscntia clcmcnt o|ontolocica
knovcdcc bccins to dissipatc, cvcn in thc slichtcst, thcn to just as smal a
dccrcc can thc isoatcd intcrprctation o|onc o| thcsc ccmcnts, alrcady in its
ccmcntary |unction, bc madc visibc. It is not thc climination o| thc ]ran
sccndcnta^csthctic asa provisional occurancc o|thc problcm,but rathcrthc
prcscrvation and rchninc o| its problcmatic vhich must bc thc most propcr
coa |or thc cound-layinc vhich Kant carricd out, providcd that it is ccrtain
o|its ovn task.
irst o|all, hovcvcr, by ookincat it in thc samc vayand isoatinc it vc
must sct |orth thc sccond csscntial ccmcnt o| purc hnitc knovlcdcc purc
thinkinc.
) FLkl THlNKlNG lN FlNl1l KNOWlNG
h1 1 . Thc Purc Concqt o[ Undcrstandng |Noton}
]hc othcr ccmcnt in thc hnitudc o|human knovlcdcc is thinkinc vhich,
as dctcrminativcrcprcscntinc, is dircctcd tovardvhat is intuitcd in intuition
and thus is in scrvicc to intuition aonc. ]hc objcct o|an intuition, vhich is
avays a particuar, is ncvcrthclcss dctcrmincd as such and such" in a uni-
vcrsa rcprcscntation," i .c. , in thc conccpt. ]hc hnitudc o|thinkincintuition
is thcrc|orc a knovinc throuch conccpts, purc knovinc is purc intuition
throuch purc conccpts. It is a mattcr o| cxhibitinc this i| thc |ul csscntia
cxistcncc o|purc knovlcdcc in ccncral is to bc sccurcd. In ordcr to bc abc
7. Scc sJ+ bcIow, p !J2.
B. 7J.
hI I . |J2-JJI J7
to hnd such purc conccpts, hovcvcr, vhat i s rcquircd hrst ol a i s thc
carihcation o|vhat is bcinc soucht undcr this namc.
In thc rcprcscntinc ola indcn, a bccch or a hr as a trcc, lor cxampc, thc
particuar vhich is intuitcd as such and such a thinc is dctcrmincd on thc
basis ola rc|crcncc to thc sort ol thincvhich appics lor many" Indccd, this
appicabiityto many |instanccs charactcrizcsarcprcscntationasconccpt,but
ncvcrthccss it docs not yct hit upon its oricina csscncc. Ior its part, thcn,
thisappicabiity to many | instanccs as a dcrivativccharactcriscroundcd in
thc|act thatrcprcscntcd inthc conccpt is thc onc 'dasL|oc invhichscvcra
objccts acrcc. Conccptua rcprcscntinc is thc aovinc ol thc acrccmcnt o|
manyinthis onc. ]hc oncncssolthisonc mustbcanticipativcykcpt invicv
in conccptua rcprcscntinc, thcrc|orc, and it must aov lor a asscrtions
conccrninc thc many vhich arc dctcrminativc. ]his prciminary kccpinc in
vicvolthc onc vithin vhichthcmanyshoud bc abc to acrcc is thc basic
acto|thclormincola conccpt. KantcasitRclcction. " Itisthcdcibcration
vhcrcbyvariousrcprcscntationscanbccraspcdinonc consciousncss."Such
dcibcratinc achicvcs a unity vhich as such cncompasscs many, so that vith
rc|crcncc to this oncncss thc many can bc ikcncd to onc anothcr compari-
son). ^t thc samc timc,vhat isnot in accordvith thc onc thathas bccn hcd
ottousis disrccardcd|abstractioninthcKantianscnsc).Vhatisrcprcscntcd
in conccptua rcprcscntinc is a rcprcscntation |osc]atas ||caohccmhcd|cd|o
vat|cus |||ogs " In thc conccpt, somcthincis notsimpy rcprcscntcd vhich
tacticay bconcs to many instcad it is this bconcinc, inso|ar as it bconcs,
i. c. , in its oncncss, vhich is rcprcscntcd . Vhat is thus rcprcscntcd as this
cncompassinc onc is thc conccpt, and thus Kant richty says It is a mcrc
tautoocy to spcak olunIvcrsa or common conccpts. "
ccausc thc rcprcscntation is lormcd into a conccpt in thc basic act o|thc
prciminary kccpinc-in-vicv o|thc onc vhich appics to many i . c. , in rclcc-
tion accordinc to Kant, thc conccpts aso arc cacd rclcctcd, i . c. , |thcy arc
rcprcscntations vhich sprinc |orth |rom rclcction. ]hc conccptua charactcr
ola rcprcscntation-vhat is rcprcscntcd in it has thc lorm o|thc onc vhich
appicstomanysprincs lorthcachtimc|romrclcction. Hovcvcr,accordinc
to thc contcnt o|thc dctcrminativc onc, this ariscs lor thc most part|romthc
cmpirica intuitincvhich comparcs andvhich cams |rom that. ]hc oricin o|
thc contcnt 'wasgc|al|' ' o|such cmpirica conccpts is hcncc no probcm.
ndcr thc hcadinc purc conccpt," hovcvcr, a rclcctcd" rcprcscntation
vassouchtvhosc contcnt ' wasgc|al| csscntiay cannotbcrcad lromappcar-
anccs. ^so, its contcnt |lo|al| must bc obtainabc a priorI. Conccpts vhich
9. Lgikvor|csung, VIII, s, p. +02.
70. Ibid. , sI,notc I . p. J99.
7! . Ibid. , notc 2.
JB Kant and thc Froblcm ol MctaphysIcs | JJ-JJI
arc also civcn thcir contcnt ' lo|al|| a priori, Kant calls notions, ccoccp|usda||
aptc'
^rc thcrc suchconccpts`^rc thcylound alrcadyprcparcd inhumanundcr-
standinc` Hov can thc undcrstandinc bc capablc olcivinc a contcnt ' wasgc-
|al|| vhcrc it is only an cmpty lunction ol bindinc-toccthcr, dircctly dcpcn-
dcnt on thc civcn Intuition` ^nd cansucha vhat c|osclc|cswas| vhichvas
rcprcscntcd as civcn comc to bc lound complctcly In thc undcrstandincil, as
itshould happcn, it is isolatcd prcciscly lrom all intuitIon` Ilthc undcrstand-
inc itscll is to bc thc oricin not only ol thc lorm ol cvcry conccpt as such,
but also olthc contcnt oldctcrminatc conccpts, thcn thIsoricin can onlylIc
in thc basic act olconccptlormation as such, in rclcctIon.
Lvcrydctcrmininc olsomcthincassomcthincudcinc) includcsthcunity
ol thc act ol ordcrInc varIous rcprcscntatIons undcr a common onc."'` ]his
act olrcllcctinc unilyinc, hovcvcr, is only possiblc in this vay ilIn itscll itIs
alrcady cuidcd by thc prcliminary rclcrcncc to a unity in licht ol vhich a
unilyincinccncral is possiblc. ]hc rclcctinc itscll, quitc apartlromvhatcvcr
conccpt arIscs lrom its action, Is alrcady thc prcliminary rcprcscntinc ol a
unity vhich, as such, cidcs thc unihcation. Il, accordincly, thc rcprcscntinc
ol unity lics in thc rcllcctinc itscll, thcn this mcans. rcprcscntinc ol unity
bcloncs to thc csscntial structurc ol thc basIc act olundcrstandinc.
]hc csscncc ol undcrstandinc is oricInal comprchcndinc orcraspinc. ]hc
rcprcscntations ol thc cuidinc unity lic alrcady prcparcd in thc structurc ol
thc act olundcrstandincasrcprcscntincunihcation. ]hcsc rcprcscntcdunitics
arc thc contcnt 'lo|al|| olthc purcconccpts. ]hc contcnt ' wasgc|al|| olthcsc
conccpts is thc unity vhich in cach casc makcs a unIhcation possiblc. ]hc
rcprcscntinc ol thcsc unitics is In Itscll alrcady conccptual a priori on thc
crounds olits spccihc contcnt 'lo|al|s| . ]hc purc conccpt no lonccr nccd bc
cndovcd vith a conccptual lorm, itis itscll this lorm in an oricinal scnsc.
Hcncc thc purc conccpts do not hrst arisc bymcans olan actolrcllcction,
thcyarcnotrcllcctcd conccpts. Rathcr,thcybcloncinadvancc tothccsscntial
structurc ol rcllcction, i. c. , thcy arc rcprcscntations vhich act in, vith, and
lor rcllcction, I . c. , rclcctincconccpts. ^ll conccpts ccncrally, no mattcr lrom
vhcrc thcy may takc thcirmatcrial '5|c| , arc rcllcctcd, i . c. , rcprcscntation|sl
raiscd to thc locicalrclation ol ccncral applIcabIlIty ct thcrc arc conccpts,
thc cntircscnsc olvhichistobcnothincothcrthanonc rcllcction oranothcr,
to vhich occurrinc rcprcscntations can bc sub|cct. ]hcy can bc callcd con
ccpts olrclcction |ccoccp|ustccc|co|cs) and bccausc cvcry kind olrclcction
occurs in|udcmcnts, so thcy bccomc thc mcrc actIon ol thc undcrstandinc
72. Ibid., . p. 0! Scc asoA J20, J77.
7J. A B, 9J.
a. asic act -rcprcscntine unt,~gathcring
hI 2. |JJ-Jc| J9
vhIch, inthc |udcmcnts applicd to thc rclation, arc apprchcndcd absolutcly
in thcmsclvcs as crounds lor thc possIbIlIty ol|udcinc."
Hcncc thcrc arcpurcconccptsInthcundcrstandincassuch,andthcanalysis
olthc laculty olundcrstandinc itscll" must brinc to licht thcsc rcprcscntations
vhicharc co-constitutIvc olthc csscntial structurc olrclcction.
h 1Z. Notions Dntological Prcdicatcs tCatcgorics}
1hc purc undcrstandinc in Itscll yiclds a manilold, thc purc unitics ol
possiblc unihcation. ^nd il indccd thc possiblc vays ol unihcation udc-
mcnts)constItutca closcd cohcsIvcncss, i. c. , thc closcdnaturc olundcrstand-
inc Itscll, thcn in purc undcrstandincthcrc lics conccalcd a systcmatic totality
olthc manIloldncssolpurcconccpts. Hovcvcr. thIs totalItyIs thcnthcsystcm
olthosc prcdicatcsvhich lunctIon in purc knovlcdcc, i. c. , vhichstatc somc-
thinc about thc cinc ol bcIncs. 1hc purc conccpts havc thc charactcr ol
ontolocical prcdIcatcs, vhich havc bccn callcd catccorics" sincc ancicnt
timcs. 1hc 1ablc ol]udcmcnts is thus thc oricin ol thc catccorics and thcir
tabc.
1hIs orIcIn ol thc catccorics has oltcn bccn disputcd and alvays vill bc.
1hc primary ob|cction ccntcrs around thc qucstionablc naturc olthc sourcc
olthc oricIn ' tsptuogsaucllc| Itscll, around thc 1ablc ol]udcmcnts as such
and thc sulhcicncy ol its croundinc. In lact, Kant docs not dcvclop thc
manIlold naturc olthc lunctons In|udcmcnt lrom thc csscncc ol thc undcr-
standinc. Instcadhcprcscntsa hnIshcdtablcvhIchIsorcanizcd accordincto
thc lour primary momcnts" ol Cuantity, Cuality, Rclation, and Modality
Vhcthcr and thc cxtcnt to vhich thcsc lour momcnts arc croundcd In thc
csscncc olthc undcrstandinc is likcvisc not indicatcd Vhcthcr In ccncral
thcy can bc croundcd throuch purc, lormal locIc Is qucstIonablc.
Inccncral, thcn,thc charactcr olthis1ablc ol]udcmcntsIsunccrtain. Kant
hImscll vacillatcs, callinc It at tImcs a transccndcntal tablc," and at othcr
timcs a locical tablc ol|udcmcnts. " ^s such, docs not thc charcc vhich
Kant madc conccrnInc^ristotlcs 1ablc olCatccorics also apply to hIs ovn
1ablc oludcmcnts
7. rdma, Rc|cioncn , p. 55 InKants handschri|t|ichcrNach|a, voI. . o. 505 ! .
75. Logi|vor|csung, s20,p. 0B.
7. A 7J, 9B.
77. Pro|cgomcna, s2!
3. how so
b nthatrcgard sccKIauscich, Dic\o||stdndig|citdcrKantischcnUrtci|sta'c|, 9J2, scc it
rcgardmyIccturcs ad cxcrcscs |rom !929J2.
0 Kant and thc FrobIcm ol Mctaphysics | J-JB
ut i tis not tobcdccidcd hcrc vhcthcr and tovhat cxtcnt thc lrcqucnt
criticisms ol thc Kantian ]abc ol]udcmcnts arc |ustihcd and vhcthcr thcy
cvcn so much as hit upon thc dchcicncy ol thc cround. Rathcr, vc must scc
that such a critiquc ol thc ]abc ol]udcmcnts, as supposcd ritiquc ol thc
sourcc ol thc oricin ol thc catccorics, has arcady lundamcntay misscd thc
dccisivc probcm. Mot onyarcthc catccoricsnotdcduccd ahgclc||c|| tacticay
lrom thc ]abc ol ]udcmcnts, but in no vay can thcy havc conduccd
|ctgclc||c| to it,' '
' and lor this rcason. bccausc at thc prcscnt stacc ol thc
discussion ol thc isoatcd ccmcnts ol purc knovcdcc, thc csscncc and thc
idca olthc catccoryinccncra hasnotyct bccndctcrmincdand indccd cannot
cvcn bc madc into a pobcm.
ut il in principc thc qucstion conccminc thc oricin ol thc catccorics
cannot yct arisc at this point, thcn thc ]abc ol]udcmcnts must havc anothcr
lunction than that spccihcdabovc in thc prcparation olthc qucstion conccrn-
inc thc possibiity ol ontoocica knovcdcc.
It sccms casy to bc satishcd vith thc task poscd by thc hrst stacc ol thc
croundayinc,lorvhat is morcobvousthanthcccmcntsolpurcknovcdcc,
purc intuition, and thc purc conccpt, prcscntcd sidc by sidc` ct, cvcn vith
this isoation, lrom thc vcry bccinninc vc must not osc sicht ol thc lact that
purc hnitcknovcdcchasbccomcaprobcm. ]hisvassaidcaricr. thcsccond
ccmcnt, purc thinkinc, is csscntiay subscrvicnt to intuition. ^s a consc-
qucncc, dcpcndcncy on purc intuition is not sccondary or suppcmcnta to
purc thinkincbutbconcscsscntiayto it. Ilthc purc conccpt is apprchcndcd
initiay as notion, thcn thc sccond ccmcnt ol purc knovcdcc has by no
mcans yct bccn attaincd in its ccmcntary charactcr. Cn thc contrary, it has
bccn shorn ol thc dccisivc, csscntia momcnt, namcy, thc inncr rclcrcncc to
intuition. ]hc purc conccpt as notion is thcrclorc ony a lracmcnt ol thc
sccond ccmcnt olpurc knovcdcc.
^s onc aspurc undcrstandinc isvicvcd vithrccardto its csscncc, i. c. , its
purc rcatcdncss to intuition, anoricinolthc notionsasontoocicaprcdicatcs
cannotbc unvcicd at a. Hcncc thc]abc ol]udcmcntsisnotaso thc oricin
olthc catccorics," but rathcr is mcrcy thc cuidinc tcxt lor thc discovcry ol
a thc conccpts ol thc undcrstandinc. In it vc shoud hnd cidancc con-
ccrninc thc coscd totait ol purc conccpts, athouch it cannot crant thc
unvciinc ol thc lu csscncc ol thc purc conccpts as catccorics. Vhcthcr thc
]abc ol]udcmcntsas Kant introduccs and prcscnts it can indccdaso assumc
|ust this imitcd lunction ol skctchinc out a systcmatic unity ol thc purc
conccpts olthc undcrstandinc rcmains opcn hcrc
Irom vhat has bccn prcscntcd it has |ust nov bccomc ccar thc morc
radicay onc sccks to isoatc thc purc ccmcnts ola hnitc act ol knovcdcc,
thc morc compcinc bccomcs thc impossibiity olsuch an isoation and thc
morc obtrusivc is thc dcpcndcncy ol purc thinkinc on intuition. Vith that,
hovcvcr, thc artihciaity ol thc hrst point ol dcparturc lor a charactcrization
hI2. |J8-J
ol purc knovlcdcc is rcvcalcd. Iurc conccpts, thcn, can only bcdctcrmincd
asontolocical prcdicatcs ilthcyarc undcrstood as bascd on thc cssco||aluo||,
ol hnItc, purc knovlcdcc.
1HL SLCND S1ACL I 1HL CRIND-IAYlNC.
1HL LSSLN1lAI INl1Y I FIRL KNVILDCL
hcisolatcdpurc clcmcnts olpurc knovlcdcc arc timc as univcrsal, purc
intuition and thc notions as vhat is thoucht in purc thinkinc. Il, hovcvcr,
thc considcration vhich isolatcs thc clcmcnts isnot cvcn allovcd to comprc-
hcnd thcm lully as such, thcn itis all thc morc likcly thatvcvill notbc ablc
to achIcvc its unity throuch a supcrvcnicnt linkinc ol thc isolatcd parts. 1hc
problcm ol thc csscntial unity ol purc knovlcdcc is madc morc prccisc,
hovcvcr, ilvc do not allov thc mattcr to rcst vith thc nccativc charactcrIza-
tion that this unity cannot bc a bond strctchInc bctvccn thc clcmcnts vhich
is mcrclyan altcrthoucht.
hc hnitudc ol knovlcdcc dircctly dcmonstratcs a pcculiar inncr dcpcn-
dcncyolthinkincuponintuition, orconvcrscly a nccdlorthc dctcrmination
ol thc lattcr by thc lormcr. hc pull ol thc clcmcnts tovard onc anothcr
indicatcsthat thcirunitycannotbc latcr" thanthcyarc thcmsclvcs,but rathcr
that It must havc applicd to thcm carlicr" and must havc laid thc cround lor
thcm. hIs unity unitcs thc clcmcnts as oricinal in such a vay that cvcn at
hrstin thcunitinc, thc clcmcnts as suchsprInclorth, and throuch it thcyarc
maintaincd In thcir unIty In spitc olhis point oldcparturc lrom thc isolatcd
clcmcnts, to vhatcxtcntdocs Kant ncvcrthclcss succccdinmakincthisoric-
inal unity visiblc`
Kant civcs thc hrst charactcriatIon ol thc orIcInal, csscntial unity ol thc
purc clcmcnts, vhich is prcparatory lor all lurthcr clucidation, in thc third
scction ol thc hrst chaptcr ol thc ^nalytic ol thc Conccpts," namcly, in thc
part bcarinc thc hcadinc Cn thc Iurc Conccpts ol thc ndcrstandinc, or
CatccorIcs."' ndcrstandinc thcsc paracraphs isthckcytoundcrstandincthc
Ct|||aucc] Putc Pcasco as a layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics.
ccausc thc notions, as bcloncinc to thc hnitudc olknovlcdcc, arc rclatcd
csscntially to purcintuitionandbccausc thisrclatcdncssolpurcintuitionand
purc thinkinc at thc samc tImcconstitutcsthc csscntialunity olpurc knovl-
cdcc, thc csscntial dclimitation olthc catccorIcsinccncralIsat thc samc timc
7B. A 7B0, !02!05, in itisdcignatcdas s!.
2 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' 59-0I
thc cucidation olthc inncr possibiity ol thc csscntia unity ol ontoocica
knovcdcc. It is no a mattcr ol prcscntinc Kants ansvcr to thc qucstion
conccrninc thc csscntia unity olpurc knovcdcc by mcans olthc intcrprcta
tion ol thc abovc-namcd scction. Iirst, ol coursc, thc qucstion itscl sti
rcquircs lurthcr carihcation.
h tJ. Thc Ducstion Conccming thc Lsscntial Unity o[ Purc KnowIcdgc
Il thc ccmcnts olhnitc, purc knovcdcc arc csscntiay dcpcndcnt upon onc
anothcr, thcn this arcadykccps thcm lrom attachincto onc anothcr, thcir unlty
is ikc an altcr-thclact toccthccss. so to spcak. vcn thc lact that thc unity ol
thc ccmcnts ics at thc root |olthis , and hov this is so, has bccn conccacd
and madc unknovabc by thc prcccdinc isoation. Il. hovcvcr, an anaysissccs
thc tcndcncylorunvclincthc oricinaunitythrouchtoitscnd, thlsncvcrthccss
docs not cuarantcc a compctc craspinc ol it. Cn thc contrary, in icv ol thc
rlcor vith vhich thc isoationvas carricdout,andthc pccuiarityolthc sccond
ccmcnt vhich cmcrccs sti morc ccary it is to bc cxpcctcd that this isoation
can no onccr bc compctcy undonc, so that in thc cnd thc unity vi not bc
cxprcssy dcvcopcd on thc basis ol its ovn most oricln.
]hat thc unity is not to bc thc rcsut ol a coision ol thc ccmcnts, that
instcad it is nov itscllto bc thc oricina unilyinc. is announccd by naminc it
synthcsis."
ovinthc lustructurcolhnitcknovcdcc,hovcvcr,varioussynthcscshavc
ncccssariy paycd o ol onc anothcr ' ]o thc \crltativc Synthcsis bconcs thc
rcdicativc, into vhich in tu thc ^pophantica has bccn incorporatcd. Vhich
olthcsc synthcscs is mcant vhcn thccsscntiaunityolpurc knovcdcc is askcd
about` ^pparcnty thc \critativc. lor ithas to do vith thc unity olintuitionand
thinkinc. ]hosc vhich rcmaln, hovcvcr, arc ncccssariy incudcd in it.
]hc csscntia unity ol purc knovcdcc, hovcvcr, oucht to lorm thc unity
ol thc toccthcrncss ol a thc structura synthcscs as a vhoc. Icncc thc
\critativc Synthcsis maintains a priority in thc qucstion conccrnincthc csscn-
tia unity ol purc knovcdcc ony insolar as thc probcm ol synthcsis ls
conccntratcd in it. ]his docs not cxcudc thc possibiity that it isorlcntcdust
as ncccssariy tovard thc rcmaininc lorms ol synthcsis. Vith rccard to thc
qucstion conccrninc thc csscntia unity olontoocica knovcdcc. morcovcr,
it rcvovcs around thc purc \critativc Synthcsis. Vhat is askcd about is thc
oricina union ol purc, univcrsa intuition |timc) and purc thinkinc |thc
notions) . ov purc intuition in itscl hovcvcr-as thc rcprcscntinc ol a
79. Scc abvc, s7, p. 2, and s9, p. J |.
h I 1. |c0-c2I J
unIhcd vholc-Is alrcady somcthinc likc an IntuItInc unilyinc. ]hus Kant
spcaks vith|ustIhcatIon ola SynopsIs" In IntuItIon. ^t thc samc timc, thc
analysis ol thc notIon as a rclcctinc conccpt" has provcn that purc thInkinc
as rcprcscntInc thc purc unitics is In Itscll orIcInay cIvInc ol unity and In
thIs scnsc it Is synthctic. "
]hc problcm olthc purc vcrItatIvc or ontolocIcal synthcsis must hcncc bc
broucht tothc qucstIon. Hovdocs thc orIcInal vcrItatIvc) synthcsis" olthc
purc Synopsis and thc purc rclcctInc |prcdIcatIvc) synthcsIs appcar` ^lrcady
lrm thc lorm olthis qucstIon vc micht asscss thc synthcsIs bcInc soucht as
onchavInca truly supcriorcharactcrIlIndccd itisto unitc suchthincsvhIch
In thcmsclvcs alrcady dcmonstratc synthctIc structurc. ]hc synthcsIs bcInc
soucht must lrom thc hrst alrcady havc bccn on a par vith thc lorms ol
SynthcsIs" and Synopsis" vhIch arc tobc unihcd, it must itscll lorm thcsc
oricinally in thc coursc olunilyincthcm.
h t1. Thc DntoIogcaI Synthcss
]hc qucstIon conccrninc thc csscntIal unIty ol purc IntuItion and purc
thInkincis a conscqucncc olthc prcvious isolatIon olthcsc clcmcnts. Hcncc
thc charactcr olthcIr unity may bc skctchcd outInItiallyIn such a vay that
It shovs hov cach ol thcsc clcmcnts structurally supports thc othcr. ]hcy
IndIcatc scams Fugco| vhich point In advancc to a havinc-bccn|oincd to-
ccthcr |loc|oaodctgc]agtcs| . ]hc critatIvc SynthcsIs, thcn, Is that vhich not
only dovctaIls thc clcmcnts| oIncdtoccthcratthcsc scams, butIsrathcrvhat
hts" thcm toccthcr In thc hrst placc.

Kant thcrclorc Introduccs thc ccncral charactcrIzatIon olthc csscntial unIty

olpurcknovlcdcc viththc lollovincrclcrcncc. ]ransccndcntal locIc, on thc
othcr hand, has lyInc bclorc It a manIlold ol a prIorI scnsIbIlIty vhIch thc
transccndcntal acsthctIc ollcrcd to It In ordcr to provIdc matcrial lor thc
conccpts olpurc undcrstandinc. Vithout this matcrIal, thosc conccpts vould
bc vIthout any contcnt and thcrclorc vould bc cntIrcly cmpty. Mov spacc
and tImc contaIn a manIlold olpurc a prIorI Intuition, but at thc samc timc
thcy arc thc conditions lor thc rcccptivity ol our mInd-conditions undcr
vhichaloncitcanrcccivcrcprcscntationsolob|cctsandvhIchthcrclorcmust
alsoalvays allcctthcconccpt olthcscob|ccts.^ndyct, thcspontancityolour
thoucht rcquircs that thIs manIlold hrst bc conc throuch In a ccrtain vay
takcn up, andboundtoccthcrIn ordcrtoproduccknovlcdcc.]hIsactInamc
synthcsis.
^d!
B0. A 9+
B! . A 7, !02.
Kant and thc FrobIcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2-J|
]hc dcpcndcncy ol purc intuition and purc thinkinc on onc anothcr is
introduccd hcrc in a rcmarkaby supcrhcia lorm. ov. strictly spcakinc.
transccndcnta ocic" docs not havc thc purc manilod ol timc yincbclorc
it,"but instcad this pattcrn bconcs to thc csscntia structurc olpurc thinkinc
as anayzcd by transccndcnta ocic. Corrcspondincy. thc transccndcnta acs-
thctic docs not ollcr" thc purc manilod, but rathcr purc intuition is ollcrcd
in its ovn richt. namcy. in thc dircction ol purc thinkinc
]hispurcollcrincisintroduccdcvcnmorcprcciscyasanallcctinc. "vhich
is not tobc thoucht olin tcrms olallcctionthrouch thc scnscs. Insolaras this
allcction avays" bconcs to purc knovcdcc. that says our purc thinkinc
avays stands bclorc thc timc vhich approachcs it Iov this is possibc
rcmains unccar lor thc prcscnt.
Vith this csscntia dcpcndcncy olour purc thinkincupon thc purc mani-
lod, thc hnitudc olour thinkinc dcmands" that this manilod ht jagt vith
thinkinc itscl, i . c. , ht vith it as a conccptua dctcrmininc. In ordcr lor purc
intuition to bc dctcrminabc throuch purc conccpts, hovcvcr, its manilod
must havc bccn cathcrcd lrom dispcrsion, i . c. , it must bc conc throuch and
asscmbcd. ]his rcciproca prcparincthcmscvcslor-cach-othcr takcs pacc in
that act vhich Kant ccncray cas synthcsis. In it. both purc ccmcnts comc
toccthcr lrom thcmscvcs lromtimctotimcit| oins toccthcrthcscamsaottcd
to cach, and so it constitutcs thc csscntia unity ol purc knovcdcc.
]his synthcsis is ncithcr a mattcr ol intuition nor ol thinkinc. Mcdiatinc
bctvccn" both.so to spcak.itis rcatcd to both. ]husinccncraitmustsharc
thc basic charactcr ol thc tvo ccmcnts, i. c. , it must bc a rcprcscntinc. Syn-
thcsis in ccncra, as vc sha hcrcaltcr scc, is thc mcrc rcsut olthc pcwctc]
|mag|oa||coa bind but indispcnsabc lunction olthc sou vithout vhich vc
voud havc no knovcdcc vhatcvcr. but ol vhich vc arc scdom consclous
cvcn oncc. "

Vith this vc havc thc hrst indication that apparcnty cvcrythinc about
synthctic structurcs in ccncra vhich shovs in thc csscntia construction ol
knovcdcc is broucht about throuch thc povcr olimacination. ov, in par-
ticuar and abovc a. hovcvcr, it is a mattcr ol thc csscntia unity ol purc
knovcdcc, i . c. , ol purc synthcsis. " t is cacd purc il thc manilod . . . is
civcnapriori ."Icncc. thc purc synthcsis hts inviththatvhich,assynopsis,
unihcs in purc intuition.
^tthc samc timc.hovcvcr,it rcquircs us to takc a ook at a cuidincunity.
Icncc to purc synthcsis pcrtains thc lact that. as rcprcscntinc unilyinc. it
rcprcscnts in advancc thc unity vhich bconcs to it as such, i . c. , in ccncra.
cncra-rcprcscntinc |Allgcmc|o-\cts|cllco) ol this unity vhich is csscntiay
pccuiar to it. hovcvcr. mcans. vith rcspcct to thc unity that is rcprcscntcd
B. A 7B, 0J talicsar idgr tr.
BJ A 77, ! 0J.
hI 1 |cJ-cJI 9
i ni t. purc synthcsis i sbroucht tothc conccptvhich itscllcivcs it unity ]hus
purc synthcsis acts purcy synopticay in purc intuitionand at thc samc timc
purcyrccctivclyinpurc thinkinc. Irom this itis cvidcnt that thcrcarc thrcc
parts bcloncinc to thc lul csscncc ol purc knovlcdcc. Vhat must hrst bc
civcn to us-vith a vicv to thc a priori knovcdcc ol a ob|cctsis thc
maojcldolpurc intuition thc s,o||cs|solthismaniloldbymcans olthcpovcr
olthc imacinationis thc sccond. butcvcn this docs notyctyicld knovcdcc.
]hcconccptsvhichcivcuo||,to thispurc synthcsis, andvhichconsist socy
in thc rcprcscntation ol this ncccssa synthctic unity, lurnish thc third rcq-
uisitc lor thc knovcdcc ol a proposcd ob|cct 'c|ocs vct|cmmcodco
Ccgcos|aodcs| . and thcy rcst on thc undcrstandinc."
In this triad, thc purc synthcsis ol thc povcr ol imacination hods thc
ccntra position. cvcrthccss. this is not mcntioncd in a supcrhcial scnsc, as
il in thc cnumcration ol thc conditions lor purc knovcdcc thc povcr ol
imacination vas mcrcy bctvccn thc hrst and third. Rathcr, this ccntcr is a
structura onc. In it, thc purc synopsisand thc purc, rclcctincsynthcsis mcct
and|oin toccthcr. ]his|oininc-intoonc is cxprcsscd lorKant in thc lact that
hc discovcrs thc samcncss ol purc synthcsis in thc stickinc-toccthcr 5,o-
|a]|co| olintuition and thc undcrstandinc.
hc samc lunction vhich civcs unity to thc various rcprcscntations |oa
s|oglc)udgmco|asocivcs unityto thc mcrc synthcsisolvariousrcprcscntations
|a |oglc |o|u|||co vhich, cxprcsscd ccncraly, is cacd thc purc conccpt ol
thc undcrstandinc."
"
' Vith this samcncss olthc synthctic lunction, Kant docs
not mcan thc cmpty idcntity ol a tyinc-toccthcr vhich is lorma and vhich
vorks cvcryvhcrc. but instcad thc oricina . rlch vhocncss ol onc vhich is
composcd ol many mcmbcrs and vhich. ikc intuitinc and thinkinc. is a
particulary clhcacious unilyinc and civinc ol unit ^t thc samc timc. this
says. thc modcs ol synthcsis namcd caricr-thc lorma, apophantic |modc
olthc|udcinclunction,andthc prcdicativc modc olconccptua rccction
bconc toccthcr in thc oncncss ol thc csscntia structurc ol hnitc knovcdcc
as thc vcritativc synthcsis olintuition and thinkinc. Icrc samcncss mcans. an
csscntia, structura bconcinctoccthcr.
]hcrclorc thc samc undcrstandincnamcy throuch cxacty thc samc ac-
tionsbymcansolvhichitachicvcsthcocical lormola|udcmcntin conccpts
throuch anaytica unity-also brincsa transccndcnta contcnt into its rcprc-
scntations by mcans ol thc synthctic unity ol thc manilod in intuition in
ccncra. . . ."
"
Vhat nov bccomcs visibc as thc csscntia unity ol purc
knovcdcc is lar rcmovcd lrom thc cmpty simpicity olan utimatc principc.
Cn thc contrary. it is rcvcacd as a mutilorm action vhich rcmains obscurc
81. A 78|. 0.
85 A 79, I 0|.
8 A 9 I05.
Kant and thc Fmblcm O MctaphysIcs | 5-
inltscharactcrasaction asvcas in thc lact thatitsunihcatlon is composcd
olmany mcmbcrs. ]hls charactcrization ol thc csscntla unlty ol ontooclca
knovcdcc cannotbcthcconcuslon. butmustlnstcadbcthc corrccthcg|oo|og
olthc ayinc olthccround lor ontooclcaknovcdcc. ]hlscroundaylnchas
bccn translormcd into thc task olbrlnclnc tolcht purcsynthcsis as such. ut
bccausc it ls an action, lts csscncc can ony bccomc apparcnt to thc cxtcnt
that it ls itscl traccd out ln lts sprnclnc-lorth. lov vc can scc lor thc hrst
timc. lrom vhat lorccs ltscl upon us as thcmc lor thc croundayinc, vhy a
ayinc olthc cround lor ontoocica knovcdcc must bccomc an unvclinc ol
thc orlcln ol purc synthcsis. i. c. . vhy lt must comc to bc unvclcd as such a
synthcsis ln its bcincaovcd-to-sprlnc-lorth.
Ilthc ayinc olthc cround lor mctaphyslcs nov comcs to thc polnt vhcrc
"thc mattcritsclis dccpyvcicd"and hcncc, llamcntsabout this obscurity
arc not aovcd tocmcrcc. thcnso much crcatcr is ournccd to acccpt a short
dcay lor thc sakc ola mcthodooclca consldcration ol thc prcscnt sltuation
rccardinc thc cround-aylnc and olthc lurthcr coursc indicatcd byit.
t5. Thc ProbIcm o[ thc Catcgorics and thc RoIc o[ TransccndcntaI Logic
]hc probcm ol thc csscntia unity olontooclca knovcdcc hrst provldcs
thc basis lor thc dctcrmlnatlon ol thc csscncc ol thc catccorlcs. Il a catccory
as thc namc indlcatcs) ls not ony nor hrst and lorcmost. a modc ol"asscr-
tion."
. but il instcad it can satlsly its ovnmost csscncc as

, thcn ltmay not lunctlon as an "ccmcnt" notlon) olpurc

knovcdcc Instcad. thc knovn clnc ol bclncs must lc ln it dlrccty. ]hc
knovlnc olclnc. hovcvcr. ls thc unity olpurc lntultion and purc thlnklnc.
Icncc. lor thc csscncc olthc catccorlcs it is prcciscy thc purc lntultablity ol
tc notions that bccomcs dccislvc.
lov thc "mctaphysica cxposltlon" ol purc intuition vas thc task olthc
]ransccndcnta^csthctlc. ]hc cucidatlonolthc othcrccmcnt olpurcknov
cdcc, purc thoucht. lc tothc ]ransccndcnta "oclc. "namcy, tothc^naytic
ol thc Conccpts. ]hc probcm ol thc csscntla unity ol purc knovcdcc has
cd thc lnqulry to a polnt bcyond thc isoatlon ol thc ccmcnts. Icncc purc
synthcsis las nclthcr to purc intuition nor to purc thoucht. Ior thls rcason,
thc cucldation olthc orlcln olpurc synthcsls vhlch isabout to bccin can bc
ncithcr a transccndcnta-acsthctlc nor a transccndcnta-oclca onc. ^ccord-
lncy thc catccoryls nclthcr a probcm olthc ]ransccndcnta^csthctlc norol
thc ]ransccndcnta ocic.
87. A 88, ! 2 ! .
a uncIcar
hI J. |cc-c/I 17
ut i n vhich transccndcnta discipinc, thcn, docs thc discussion ol thc
ccntra probcm ol thc possibiity ol ontoocy la ]his qucstion rcmains
lorcicn to Kant. Ic assicns not ony thc cucidation ol thc purc conccpts as
ccmcntsolpurcknovcdcc, butasothc dctcrmination and croundincolthc
csscntia unity olpurc knovcdcc to thc ^naytic ol thc Conccpts. " In this
vay, ocic maintains an incomparabc priority ovcr thc acsthctic vhcrcas, on
thc othcr hand, it is prcciscy intuition vhich is prcscntcd as primary in
knovcdcc as a vhoc.
]hispccuiarityrcquircscarihcationilinlactthc probcmatic olthc subsc
qucntstaccsolthc ayincolthccround lormctaphysicsisto rcmaintranspar
cnt. ]his carihcationbccomcs a thc morcurccnt bccausc in intcrprctinc thc
Ct|t|aucc]PutcPcascothc tcndcncytoacccptitasa ocic olpurc knovcdcc"
constantyvins out. Indccd, this rcmains truc cvcn vhcrc thc intuition, and
hcncc thc ]ransccndcnta ^csthctic, has bccn crantcd a rcativc richt.
In thc cnd, thc priority ol thc ]ransccndcnta ocic in thc vhoc ol thc
ayinc ol thc cround lor Mctap|,s|ca Ccocta

|s rcmains, in a ccrtain scnsc,

vaid. utprcciscylorthisrcason, thcintcrprctationmust lrcc itscllromthc
antian architcctonic, and it must makc thc idca ol transccndcnta ocic
probcmatic.
Iirst ol a, it is ncccssary to rcach acrccmcnt conccrninc thc cxtcnt to
vhich Kant|ustihaby trcats not ony thc discussion ol thc tvo ccmcnts ol
purc knovcdcc, but aso thc probcm olthcunity olboth ccmcnts in thc
^naytic ol thc Conccpts. "
Il thc csscncc ol thinkinc rcmains i nits scrvic rcationship t ointuition
thcna propcryundcrstoodanayticolpurc thinkincmust dravprcciscythis
rcationship, as such, vith it into thc sphcrc ol its probcmatic. ]hat this
happcncd vith Kant shovs on its surlacc that thc hnitudc ol thinkinc is
containcd in thc thcmc. Il onc civcs thc suprcmacy ol ]ransccndcnta ocic
this scnsc, thcn vhat loovs vith ccrtainty lrom it is somcthinc quitc othcr
than a diminution, to say nothinc ola compctc cimination, olthc lunction
olthc ]ransccndcnta ^csthctic. Iovcvcr, vith insicht into thc crounds lor
thc priority ol ]ransccndcnta ocic, this | priority itsclis supcrscdcdccr
tainy not in lavor ol thc ]ransccndcnta ^csthctic, but rathcr in lavor ol thc
posincolaqucstionvhichacaintakcsup, onamorcoricinabasis, thcccntra
probcm olthc csscntia unity olontoocica knovcdcc and its croundinc.
Iorthisrcason Kantasoassicnsto thc^naytic olthcConccpts thc discus-
sionolthc conditionsand principcsolthcirusc." Indccd,undcrthc hcadinc
b. Scc p. ! 5 abovc. |Thc rc|crcncc istoHcidcggcr's marginal notc "c" on that pagc-tr.
c. ccausc thc cntirc starting point |or thc ucstion o| cing |ro antiquity is
'
) ||ogos |ka|cgoa! )l , ucstiono|cing-asnto-ogy 'On|o-|ogicI , whcrc"Iogycans
not onyits charactcras a discipIinc, but rathcr ntoIogico-ogy |On|o|ogo-|icI !
d . and thc anncr o|
B Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 7-9
ol|hc usc ol|hc purc conccp|s, |hc rca|ionship ol in|ui|lon |o purc |hinkinc
ncccssariy cn|crs ln|o |hc |hcmc. cvcr|hccss, |hc ccmcn| ol |hinkinc is
avayssi|ua|cdas|hcpoin| oldcpar|urc lor |hc qucs|ionol|hccsscn|iauni|y
ol purc knovcdcc. ]hc incina|ion in |his dircc|ion |hus cons|an|y aovs
|hc ca|ccorics, vhich a| bo|om |mCtuodc incudc |hc probcm olcsscn|ia
uni|y, avays |o prcscn| |hcmscvcs a| |hc samc |imc as no|ions undcr |hc
hcadinc olpurc conccp|s ol |hc undcrs|andinc.
I|hascomc |o |hc poin|, hovcvcr, |ha|, aoncvl|h |his primaryoricn|a|ion
|ovard |hc ccmcn| ol|hinkinc, Kan| mus| aso drav |hc univcrsa knovcdcc
ol |hinkinc in ccncra in |hc scnsc ol |radi|iona lorma ocic.

In |his vay,
vha|cads |o |hc probcm ol |hc purc conccp|s asca|ccorics on |hc |ransccn-
dcn|a | cvc , prcscrvcs |hc charac|cr ola ocica, abci| a |ransccndcn|a-oc-
ica , discussion.
Iinayhovcvcr,|hcorlcn|a|lon|ovard lcgcsand ta||c,vhichcorrcsponds
|o |hclr mcaninc in Vcs|crn Mc|aphysics, boas|s lrom |hc s|ar| ol a priori|y
in |hc ayinc ol |hc cround lor mc|aphysics. In |hc dc|crmina|ion ol |his
croundayinc, |hispriori|y comcs |obc cxprcsscd asa Ct|||aucc]PutcPcasco.
Ior a |ha|, Kan| nccdcd a ccr|ainconcusivc lramcvork lor|hc archi|cc-
|oniccon|roandprcscn|a|ionol|hisvcrycompica|cdvcb olhumanknov
cdcc" |ha| vas hrs| discoscd |hrouchhis anay|ic |hc nccdcd a lramcvork
vhlch a ncvy crca|cd ocic ol purc knovcdcc coud mos| casiy |akc ovcr
lrom lorma ocic.
^s scl-cvidcn| as |his mu|ilacc|cd prcdominancc ol occ" mich| bc in
|hcCt|||aucc]PutcPcasco, |hc looincin|crprc|a|ionol|hca|cranddccisivc
s|accs ol|hc ayinc ol|hc cround lor on|oocy mus| brcak |hrouch |hc archi-
|cc|onic ol|hc cx|rinsic succcssion and pa||crn olprobcms. I|mus| brinc |o
our a||cn|ion |hc impc|us in|rinsic |o |hc probcma|lc |ha| inl|ay aovcd
Kan| |o comc |o such a prcscn|a|ion
1HE 1HlRD S1ACE F 1HE CRIND-LAYlNC.
1HE lNNER FSSllLl1Y F 1HE ESSEN1lAL INl1Y
F N1LClCAL SYN1HESIS
]hc ansvcr, apparcn|y hrmy cs|ablishcd, |o |hc qucs|ion conccrninc |hc
csscn|ia uni|y olon|oocica knovcdcc procrcssivcy dlssovcs vi|h a coscr
dc|crmina|ion ol |his uni|y vi|hin |hc probcm ol |hc possibii|y ol such a
BB B5, I I 7
hI J |c- /0I 19
unihcation. Inpurc synthcsis. purc intuitionandpurc thinkincshoudbc abc
to mcct onc anothcr a priori.
Vhat and hov must thc purc synthcsis itscl bc il it is to satisly thc
rcquircmcnts ol such a unihcation` It is nov a mattcr olcxhibitincthc purc
synthcsis, as it vcrc, in such a vay that it shovs hov it is abc to unily timc
and notion. ]hc scnsc and task ol vhat Kant cas thc ]ransccndcnta Oc-
duction ol thc Catccorics" is thc cxhibition olthc oricina scl-lorminc olthc
csscntia unity ol ontoocica knovcdcc.
]hcrclorc. il thc basic intcntion ol thc Ocduction" ics in thc anaytica
opcninc-up ol thc basic structurc ol purc synthcsis, thcn its truc contcnt
cannot bc cxprcsscd ilit is prcscntcd as `auacs||c)ut|s Irom thc start. thcn,
thc auacs||c)ut|s may not bc takcn as a cuidc lor thc intcrprctation ol this
ccntra Kantian doctrinc. Cn thc contrary thc motivc and macnitudc olthc
|uridica lormuation ol thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction must instcad bc cari
hcd on thc basis olthc tcndcncy olthc probcm propcr to it .
Ior rcasons that vil bc discusscd atcr,
"
' thc prcscnt intcrprctation vl
considcr cxcusivcy thc vorkinc out ol thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction in thc
hrst cdition. Kant rcpcatcdy strcsscd thc dilhcuty" ol thc ]ransccndcnta
Ocduction and soucht to rcmcdy" its obscurlty "]hc divcrsityand compcx
ity ol thc rclcrcnccs, vhich arc avays incrcasincy discoscd in thc contcnt
ol thc probcm itscl, lrom thc start prcvcntcd Kant
s bcinc satishcd vith a
sincc pointoldcparturc lorthc Ocduction,and prcvcntcd hisbcincmoihcd
by a sincc vay ol carryinc it out. ut thc rcpcatcd carrylnc-out itscl sti
shovs Kant struccinc vith thc vork. It oltcn happcns that thc coa tovard
vhichthc]ransccndcntaOcductionstrlvcsissuddcnysccnand statcd ccary
lorthc hrsttimcvhcn |arcady undcrvay ^ndvhatshoud hrstbc prcscntcd
inandthrouchthc anayticaunvciincis mcntioncdbclorchandinarcimi
naryRcmark. " ov thc inncrcompcxity olthc probcm aso civcsrisc to thc
situationinvhichthoscrclcrcnccs. thc carihcationolvhichcauscsparticuar
dilhcuty. lrcqucnty arc trcatcd in a vay vhichovcrcmphasizcs thcm, and in
turnthcy arc dcccptivc in that thcir trcatmcnt inatcs thciractua mcaninc
luncss. ]his appics in particuar to thc discussion ol purc thinkinc in thc
vhoc ol thc csscntia unity olpurc knovcdcc.
]hcloovincintcrprctationvinot loovcach olthc tvistcd pathsolthc
]ransccndcnta Ocduction, but vi instcad ay barc thc oricina impctus lor
thc probcmatic. Icrcvith. thc hrst rcqulrcmcnt is to makc sulhcicnty ccar
thc propcr coa olthc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction vith a vicv to thc cuidinc
probcm olthc ayinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics.
89. Sccbclow, J , p. I I l.
J0 Kant and thc Fmblcm oI MctaphysIcs | 70-72l
t6. Thc Llucdaton o[ thc Transccndcncc o[ Fntc Rcason as
8asc Intcnton o[ thc Transccndcntal Dcducton
^ hni|c, knovinc crca|urc can only rcla|c i|scl| |o a bcincvhich i| i|scl| is
no|, and vhich i| also has no| crca|cd, i| |his bcinc vhich is alrcady a| hand
can bc cncoun|crcd |rom ou| o| |scl|. Hovcvcr, in ordcr |o bc ablc |o cn-
coun|cr |his bcinc as |hc bcinc i| is, i| mus| alrcadybc rccocnicd" ccncrally
and in advancc as a bcinc, i. c. , vi|h rcspcc| |o |hc cons|i|u|ion o| i|s cinc.
u| |his implics on|olocical knovlcdcc vhichhcrc isalvays prc-on|olocical,
is |hc condi|ion |or |hc possibili|y |ha| inccncral somc|hinc likc abcinccan
i|scl|s|andinopposi|ion|oa hni|ccrca|urc.

Iini|ccrca|urcsnccd|hisbasic
|acul|y o| a |urninc-|ovard . . . vhich lc|s- somc|hincl -s|and-in-opposi-
|ion.

In |his oricinal |uminc-|ovard, |hc hni|c crca|urc hrs| allovs a spacc

|or play '5p|cltaum| vi|hin vhich somc|hinc can corrcspond" |o i|. ]ohold
oncscl| in advancc in such a play-spacc, |o |orm i| oricinally, is nonc o|hcr
|han |hc |ransccndcncc vhich marks all hni|c compor|mcn| |o bcincs. I|,
hovcvcr, |hcpossibili|y o|on|olocical knovlcdcc iscroundcd inpurcsyn|hc-
sis and i|on|olocical knovlcdcc ncvcr|hclcss cons|i|u|cs prcciscly |hc lc||inc-
s|andacains| o|. . . , |hcn |hc purc syn|hcsis mus| bc rcvcalcd as|ha| vhich
complicsvi|h and suppor|s |hc unihcd vholc o||hc inncr, csscn|ial s|ruc|urc
o||ransccndcncc. ]hrouch |hc clucida|ion o||his s|ruc|urc o|purc syn|hcsis,
thc inncrmos| csscncc o| |hc hni|udc o| rcason is |hcn unvcilcd.
Iini|c knovlcdcc is in|ui|ion vhich |akcs |hincs in s|ridc. ^s such, i|
rcquircs dc|crmina|ivc |hinkinc. ]hcrc|orc, in |hc problcm o| |hc uni|y o|
on|olocical knovlcdcc, purc |hinkincdcmands a ccn|ralsicnihcancc,vi|hou|
prcj udicc, and indccd docs so prcciscly bccausc o| |hc prccmincncc vhich
in|ui|ion has in all knovlcdcc.
]o vha| csscn|ial scrvicc 'D|cos|| is purc |hinkinc callcd in i|s scrvinc
appoin|mcn| ' D|cos|s|clluog ` Vha| purposc docs i|scrvc vi|hin |hc makinc
possiblc o| |hc csscn|ial s|ruc|urc o| |ransccndcncc` Irciscly |his qucs|ion
conccrninc|hc csscncc o|purc |hinkinc, apparcn|lyisola|cd oncc acain, mus|
lcad |o |hc inncrmos| kcrncl o| |hc problcm o|csscn|ial uni|
I| is no| accidcn|al |ha| in |hc ]ransi|ion |o |hc ]ransccndcn|al Ocduc|ion
o| |hc Ca|ccorics" Kan| aludcs |o |hc clcarly pcrccivcd hni|udc o| our
rcprcscn|inc, namcly, |o |ha| o| vha| is purcly knovn, |or vc arc no| hcrc
spcakinc o| i|s causali|y by mcans o||hc vill." ]hc qucs|ion is ra|hcr. vha|
s |hc rcprcscn|inc ablc |o accomplish |or i|scl|vi|h rcspcc| |o |hc bcincs |o
vhichi|rcla|csi|scl|`Kan|says|ha||hcrcprcscn|a|ionini|scl|"canno|brinc
|or|h i|s objcc|sc]atas||s cx|s|cocc Dasc|o|sccocccd. Cur knovinc isno|
on|ically crca|ivc, i| is no| ablc, |rom ou| o| i|scl|, |o placc |hc bcinc bc|orc
90. A 92|. , ! +|.
hI c. |/2- /J 9 I
itscl. In thc middc olthc discussion olthc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction, Kant
cmphasizcs that outsidc our ovcdcc vc havc nothinc vhich vc coud
cvcrsct ovcr acainst thisknovcdcc as corrcspondinc to it. "
A a conscqucncc, ilour knovinc, as hnitc, must bc an intuitinc vhich
takcs thincs in strldc, thcn it is not cnouch mcrcy to cstabish this lact. Cn
thc contrary, thc probcm nov ariscs lor thc hrst timc. Vhat thcnncccssarly
bconcs to thc possibiity olthis takincolbcincs in strldc, vhichis inno vay
scl-cvidcnt`
Cbviousy this, that bcincs arc cncountcrcd lrom out ol thcmscvcs, i . c. ,
thcy canappcarasthatvhichstands-acainst 'alsCcgcos|c|codcs Il,hovcvcr,
vc arc not in contro ol thc cinc-at-hand ol thc bcinc, thcn prcciscy thc
dcpcndcncyupon thctakinc-in-stridcolthcsamc rcquircsthatthcbcinchavc
in advancc and at a timcs thc possibiity ol standinc-acainst.
^nintuitincvhich takcs thincsinstridc cantakc pacc onyina lacutyol
cttinc-stand-acainstol. . . , inthctuminc-tovard . . . vhich hrst olalorms
a purc corrcspondcncc. ^nd vhat is it that vc, lrom out olourscvcs, aov
to stand-acainst` It cannotbc a bcinc. utilnota bcinc, thcn|ust a nothinc
|c|oN|c||s| Cnyilthc cttinc-standacainst ol. . . isa hodinconcsclinthc
nothinccan thc rcprcscntinc aov a not -nothinc c|oo|c|-N|c||s , i. c. , somc-
thinc ikc a bcinc ilsuch a thinc shovs itsclcmpiricay to bc cncountcrcd
instcad ol and vithin thc nothinc. ]o bc surc, this nothinc is not thc o|||
ahsclu|um Vhat it has to do vith this cttinc-stand-acainst ol . . . is vorth
discussinc.
Il hnitudc is paccd at thc point oldcparturc lor transccndcncc as ccary
asitis by Kant, thcn itisnotncccssary, inordcr to cscapcanacccd sub|cc
tlvc idcaism, " to invokc a tum to thc Cb|cct"

aturnvhichis praiscd
acaintodayatoonoisiyandvitha tooittcundcrstandincolthcprobcm.
In truth, hovcvcr, thc csscncc olhnitudcincvitaby lorccs us to thc qucstion
conccmincthc conditions lor thc possibiity ola prciminarycinc-oricntcd
tovard thc Cb|cct, i . c. , conccrninc thc csscncc ol thc ncccssary ontoocica
turninc-tovard thc ob|cct in ccncra. ]hus in thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction,
i . c. , inconncction vith thc task olan iuminationolthc inncr possibiity ol
ontoocica knovcdcc, Kant poscs thc dccisivc qucstion, and vhat is morc,
it is thc hrst onc.
^nd hcrc, thcn, it is ncccssary that vc makc ccar to ourscvcs vhat vc
mcan by thc cxprcssion an ob|cct ' Ccgcos|aod| ol rcprcscntations."

It is a
mattcr ol invcsticatinc thc charactcr ol that vhich stands opposcd to us
|co|gcgcos|c||| in thc purc cttinc-stand-acainst |m tc|oco Ccgcos|c|colassco| .
lov vc hnd that our thoucht olthc rcation ol a knovcdcc to its ob|cct
carricsvithitanccmcntolncccssity,vhcrcindccdthis |thcob|cct isvicvcd
9 ! . A !0+.
92. A !0+.
52 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs ' 7J-75|
as that vhlch opposcs so that ourknovlcdcc i snot haphazard or arbitrary,
but is instcad dctcrmlncd a priorl ln a ccrtain vay . . . "' In thc lcttlnc-stand-
acainst as such, somcthinc rcvcals itscll as that vhlch opposcs.
ycmphaslzlnc this rcslstancc, Kant rclcrs to an immcdlatc hnd. Ic docs
not lail to charactcrizc thc uniquc structurc ol this rcslstancc morc closcly
Vc should notc vcll, hovcvcr, that it is not a mattcr hcrc ol a rcsistinc
charactcr in thc bclnc or pcrhaps cvcn ol thc prcssinc ln ol scnsatlons.
Rathcr, it is a qucstion ol thc prcvlous rcslstancc ol clnc. ]hat vhlch is
obcctlvc in ob|ccts
carrlcs vlth lt" a constrint |ncccssity) . y mcans
ol this constralnt, all that is cncountcrcd is lorccd toccthcr ln advancc into
a concordancc vith rclcrcncc to vhich vc can also hrst rclcr toassomcthinc
discordant. Icncc, a scttlnc-lorth olunlty can bc lound in this prclimlnary
and constant dravinc-toccthcr into unity ]hc rcprcscntinc ola rcprcscnta-
tlvc, unilyincunlty, hovcvcr, is thc csscncc olthosc kinds olrcprcscntatlons
vhich Kant calls conccpts. ]hls ls callcd a consciousncss in thc scnsc ol
thc rcprcscntincolunity' ]hc lcttincstand-acainst . . . is hcncc thc prlmal
conccpt" and, to thc cxtcnt that thc conccptual rcprcscntnc comcs to bc
assicncd to thc undcrstandinc, thc prlmal activity ol thc undcrstandinc.
Iovcvcr, as a closcd totality this contains in itscll a multitudc olvays ol
unihcatlon. Conscqucntly, thc purc undcrstandlnc rcvcals ltscllas thc laculty
ollcttinc-stand-acainst . . . . ^s a totallty, thc undcrstandinccivcsin advancc
that vhich is contrary to thc haphazard. Rcprcscntinc unity oricinally,
namcly, as unllylnc, it rcprcscnts to ltsclla conncctcdncss vhich in advancc
rulcs all posslblc cathcrinc toccthcr. ov, hovcvcr, thc rcprcscntation ola
univcrsal condition accordlnc to vhlch a ccrtain manilold |thus, in unilorm
lashlon) can bc posltcd is callcd a tulc"' ]hc conccpt may indccd bc as
impcrlcct or as obscurc as it vants" its lorm is alvays somcthinc that is
univcrsal and that scrvcs as thc rulc."'

ov thc purc conccpts |ccoccptus tclcctcotcs). hovcvcr, arc thosc vhich

havc such rulincunitics as thcir uniquc contcnt ]hcy scrvc not only as rulcs,
but also, aspurc rcprcscntincs, thcycivc hrst olall andinadvanccsomcthinc
rulablc. ]hus, in con|unctlonvith thc clucidation olthc lcttinc-stand-acainst,
Kant hrst attains thc morc oricinal conccpt olundcrstandinc Vc may nov
charactcrizc it as thc]acult, c] tul cs ]his charactcrizinc is morc lruitlul and
approxlmatcs lts csscncc morc closcly"'
Ilthc undcrstandinc is nov to makc posslblc thc lcttinc-stand-acainst and
9J A l 0.
9 A I 0J|.
95. A I I
9. A I0
9 A I 2.
a. n ruc, scc Dsburyschc Nuch|u 0.

Dcr Dusbur'chc Nuch|u uuJKun|s K|izisus

u //J, cd. Th. Hacrne Tbnec, l 9l 0.
hI /. |/J-/cI J
ili| iscmpovcrcd |o rccua|c in advancc a|ha| in|ui|ion" brincs lor|h, |hcn
is i| no| cxpoundcd as |hc suprcmc lacu|y Ias |hc scrvan|no|chanccd in|o
|hc mas|cr` Iov docs i| s|and, |hcn, vi|h i|s subscrvicn| posi|ion, vhich
hi|hcr|o has cons|an|y bccn civcn as i|s csscncc and as |hc au|hcn|ic indcx
ol hni|udc` Il his cxpana|ion ol |hc undcrs|andinc as |hc lacu|y ol rucs
comcs ncarcr |hc mark, has an| in |hc middc ol |hc ccn|ra probcma|ic ol
|hc ]ransccndcn|a Ocduc|ion lorco||cn |hc hni|udc ol|hc undcrs|andinc`
Il |his unrcasonabc succcs|ion is impossibc, hovcvcr. |o |hc cx|cn| |ha|
|hc hni|udc olrcasoncivcs risc |o, dc|crmincs, andsuppor|s |hc vhoc prob-
cm ol |hc possibi|y olMc|aphysics in ccncra, hov |hcn may |hc dominan|
posi|ion ol|hc undcrs|andinc, vhich is nov bccominc apparcn|, bc brouch|
in|o accord vi|h i|s subscrvicn| posi|ion` ^rc i|s mas|cry and covcminc, as
|hc c||inc-s|and-acains| ol |hc rucs oluni|y, lundamcn|ay a scrvinc Oocs
i| covcrn a scrvicc by mcans olvhich i| bc|rays i|s hni|udc a| |hc dccpcs|
cvc,bccauscin |hc c||inc-s|andacains| i|rcvcasprcciscy|hcmos|oricina
nccdincss ol|hc hni|c crca|urc`
In lac|, |hc undcrs|andinc is |hc suprcmc lacu|yin hni|udc, i .c. , |i| is
hni|c |o |hchichcs| dccrcc. Il|hisis so,hovcvcr. |hcni|sdcpcndcncyon |hc
in|ui|ion mus| comc |o ich| mos| ccary. cvcn in |hc c||inc-s|and-acains| as
|hc prima ac|ivi|y ol |hc purc undcrs|andinc. Cl coursc, |his canno| bc an
cmpirica in|ui|ion, bu| ra|hcr i| mus| bc purc.
Cnyinsolaras|hcpurcundcrs|andinc, as undcrs|andinc, is |hcscrvan| ol
purc in|ui|ioncan i| rcmain mas|cr olcmpirica in|ui|ion.
u| acain, purc in|ui|ion i|scl. and i| aonc, is hni|c csscncc. Iirs| ol a,
|hcircsscn|ia s|ruc|ura uni|y immcrscspurc in|ui|ion and purc |hinkinc in
|hcir lu hni|udc, vhich rcvcas i|scl as |ransccndcncc. Iovcvcr. il purc
syn|hcsisoricinayunihcs|hcccmcn|solpurcknovcdcc, |hcn|hcunvciinc
ol|hclusyn|hc|ics|ruc|urcolpurcsyn|hcsismus|succcs|i|sclas |ha| |ask
vhich aonc cads |o |hc coa ol|hc ]ransccndcn|a Ocduc|ion. |o |hc cuci-
da|ion ol|ransccndcncc.
1 /. Thc Two Ways o[ thc Transccndcnta| Dcducton
Irom |hc dc|crmina|ion ol|hc probcma|ic olon|oocica knovcdcc, |hc
scnsc ol|hc ]ransccndcn|a Ocduc|ion has bccn rcvcacd. I| is |hc anay|ica
unvciinc

ol|hc s|ruc|uravhoc olpurc syn|hcsis. ^| hrs|, |hisin|crprc|a-
|ion ol |hc ]ransccndcn|a Ocduc|ion hardy corrcsponds |o i|s cxica con
ccp| ' wcr|hcgr] I| cvcn appcars |o con|radic| an|sovn cxpici| cxpana
|ion olvha| dcduc|ion mcans. cvcr|hccss, bclorc vc can dccidc |his, |hc
]ransccndcn|a Ocduc|ion mus| hrs| havc bccn consumma|cd by bcinc car-
rcd ou|, and in |his vay i| mus| bc aid ou| concrc|c In |his conncc|ion,
J Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 7-7
thc intcrprctation vl conhnc itscl to "Scction ]hrcc"' ol thc "Ocduction
olthc urc Conccpts ol thc ndcrstandinc" in vhich Kant rcprcscnts thc
Ocduction "in its intcrconncctcdncss."''
]his scctions hcadinc ccary cxprcsscs thc lact that thc pbcm ol thc
inncrpossibiityolontoocica knovcdcc isnothincothcrthan thcunvciinc
ol transccndcncc. ^ccoinc to this hcadinc thc Ocduction trcats "thc rca
tionship ol thc undcrstandinc to ob|ccts in ccncra, and thc possibiity ol
knovlncthcma priori. " ovinordcrtoundcrstandthctvolodvayinvhich
Kant aovs thc Ocductionto bc takcn,vc must rcmind ourscvcsancvolits
task.
Iora hnitccrcaturc,bcincsarc acccssibc onyon thc croundsolaprcimi-
nary cttinc-stand-acainst vhich turns-our-attcntiontovard. In advancc, this
takcs thc bcincs vhich can possiby bc cncountcrcd into thc unihcd horizon
ol a possibc bconcinc-toccthcr. In thc lacc ol vhat is cncountcrcd, this a
priori unilyincunity mustcrasp in advancc. Vhatiscncountcrcd itscl, hov-
cvcr, has arcady bccn comprchcnsivcycraspcd in advancc throuch thc hori
zon ol timc vhich is sct lorth in purc intuition. ]hc unilyinc unity ol purc
undcrstandinc vhich crasps in advancc, thcrclorc, must itscl arcady havc
bccn unitcd prcviousy vith purc intuition as vc.
]hisaprioriunihcdvhocmadcupolpurcintuitionandpurcundcrstand-
inc"lorms" thc pay-spacc lorthc cttincstandacainstinvhichabcincscan
bc cncountcrcd. Vith rccard to this vhoc oltransccndcncc, it is a mattcrol
shovinchov |vhich hcrc mcans, at thc samc timc) purc undcrstandincand
purc intuition arc dcpcndcnt upon onc anothcr a priorl.
]his prool ol thc inncr possibiity ol transccndcncc can apparcnty bc
conductcd intvovays.
Iirst, it can bc conductcd so thc prcscnttion startsvith thc purcundcr
standinc, and throuchthccucidationolitscsscncc thcinncrmostdcpcndcncy
upon timc is shovn. ]his hrst vay bccins, as it vcrc, "lrom abovc" vith thc
undcrstandinc and cads dovn to thc intuition |^ I I - I20).
]hc sccondvayprocccds"lrom bcov,"bccinnincvith thc intuitionand
procccdinc to purc undcrstandinc |^ I 20 ! 2B).
ach ol thc tvo vays accompishcs thc unvciinc ol "both cxtrcmc cnd-
points, namcy, scnsibiity and undcrstandinc," vhich must "ncccssariy bc
intcrconncctcd.
l0I
Iorathat, vhatiscsscntiahcrc is pcrhapsnota concc-
tion ol tvo lacutics thoucht ol in a incar lashion, but rathcr thc structura
cucidation olthclrcsscntia unity Vhat provcs dccisivc is that in vhichthcy
can bc intcrconncctcd n ccncra. Icncc, in both vays this unilyinc middc
9B. A 5 2B.
99. A I I 5.
I 00. A I I 9.
I 0 . A I 2.
hI /. |/8-/I
must bc run throuch and thcrcbyboucht t olichtassuch. I nthis coincback
and lorh bctvccnbothcndpoints,thcunvcilincolpurcsynthcsistakcsplacc.
]his tvololdcourscolthcOcductionshallnovbcprcscncd,althouchindccd
only initsbasic lcaturcs.
a) c irst Yav
]hc ncccssary dcpcndcncy ol purc undcrstandinc on purc intuition must
bc unvcilcd, thcrcby makincmanilcst thc mcdiatincunity ol both, thc purc
synthcsis, as mcdiator. ]hisrcquircsthat purc undcrstandinc. as thc point ol
dcparturc lor thc hrstvay, bc so clarihcd that lrom its structurc thc dcpcn-
dcncy upon a purc synthcsis, and hcncc upon a purc intuition, bccomcs
visiblc.
]hc "Ocduction" is hcncc vholly dillcrcnt lrom a dcductivc, locical
dcvclopincolthcprcvouslymcntioncdrclationsolthcundcrstandinctopurc
synthcsisand to purc intuition. Rathcr, lrom thc outsct thc Ocduction alrcady
has thc vholc ol purc, hnitc knovlcdcc in vicv. Vhilc holdinc last to vhat
iscauchtsichtolin thisvay, thc cxplicittakinc-upolthcstructuralrclcrcnccs
that|oin thc vholc toccthcr procccds lromonc clcmcnt to thc othcr. Vithout
thc lastinc prcmonition ol thc hnitudc oltransccndcncc, cvcry statcmcnt ol
thc]ransccndcntal Ocduction rcmains incomprchcnsiblc.
]hc charactcr ol thc cinc-in-opposition that makcs thc standincacainst
possiblc rcvcals itscll in an anticipatory holdinc olthc unit In this rcprc-
scntincolunity, thc rcprcscntincitscllis rcvcalcd as thatvhich isbound to
thcunity, andindccdas thcscllsamcvhichmaintains itscllin thc actolthc
purc rcprcscntinc olunity.

Cnly in thc opcnncss that it- thc rcprcscntinc

unity as such is. in opposition to vhich thc unilyinc unity as rcculatinc
has bccn sct, can this rcprcscntinccomc to mcct somcthinc. Cnly in such a
tuminc-oncscll-tovard can vhat is cncountcrcd bc somcthinc vhich mat-
tcrs to '
]hc rcprcscntincolunity. as purc thinkinc, ncccssarily hasthc charactcr ol
thc I think. " ]hc purc conccpt, as consciousncss ol unity in ccncral, is
ncccssarily purc scll-consciousncss. ]his purc consciousncss olunity is not
|ust occasionallyandtacticallycarricdout, butrathcritmustalvaysbcpossi-
blc. It is csscntially an I am ablc. ]his purc, oricinal, unchanccablc
consciousncss I vill novnamc !taosccodco|alAppctcp||co ]hc rcprcscnt-
inc olunity vhich lcts somcthinc stand acainst it is croundcd in this appcr-
ccption as apcwc Cnly as thc constant, lrcc "I can" docs thc ! think
!02. A 08.
!0J. A ! .
!0+.A !07.
!05. A ! !7, notc. Ephasis Kants.
J Kant and thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics | 79-B0I
havc thcpovcr to alovthccinc-in-opposition olthcunity to stand acainst
itscll, il in lact linkinc rcmains possiblc only vith rclcrcncc to an csscntialy
lrcc comportinc. ]hc purc undcrstandinc, in its oricina hodinc ol unity
bclorc itscl, acts as]ransccndcntal ^ppcrccption.
ovvhatisrcprcscntcdinthcunityvhichishcdbclorc itsclinthisvay`
crhaps it is simutancously thc univcrsc ol bcincs 'das All dcs 5c|codco| , in
thc scnsc olthc ttams|mal,vhich thc |ota|tast|g|oat|asintuits` ut thispurc
thinkinc is ccrtainly hnitc, and as such it cannot lrom itscl, throuch its
rcprcscntinc, sct thc bcinc in opposition to itscl, not to mcntion simutanc-
ousy scttinc cvcrythinc in its unity ]hc rcprcscntcd unity hrst avaits thc
cncountcrcd bcinc and as such avaitinc, it makcs possiblc thc cncountcrinc
ol ob|ccts vhich shov thcmscvcs vith onc anothcr ^s nonontic, this unity
supports thc csscntial tcndcncy ola unilyinc olthat vhich is not yct unihcd
in itscll. ]hat is vhy, loovinc thc carihcation ol]ransccndcnta ^ppcrccp-
tion, Kant says ol thc unity vhich is rcprcscntcd in it it prcsupposcs a
synthcsis hovcvcr, or includcs onc. "
Charactcristicay, Kantvavcrshcrcinthc uncquivocadctcrminationolthc
structural rclationship olthc unity to thc unilyinc synthcsis In any casc, thc
attcrbconcs vith charactcristic ncccssitytothc lormcr. ]hc unity isunilyinc
by naturc. ]hc rcason is. thc rcprcscntinc ol unity takcs pacc as a unilyinc
vhosc structura vholcncss dcmandcd thc havincin-advancc olunit Kant
is not alraid to say that ]ransccndcnta ^ppcrccption prcsupposcs" thc syn-
thcsis.
ov it vas arcady cstablishcd in thc sccond stacc ol thc croundayinc
thatallsynthcsis isbroucht about lrom thcpovcrolimacination. ^ccordincly,
]ransccndcnta ^ppcrccption vas rclatcd csscntiay to thc purc povcr ol
imacination. ^s purc, this cannot rcprcscnt` somcthinc civcn in advancc
vhich is cmpirica , in opposition to vhich it voud ony bc rcproductivc.
Rathcr, as purc povcrolimacination 'L|oh|ldaogs|ta]t| itisncccssariy lorma-
tivc 'h|ldcod| a priori, i . c. , purcy productivc. Kant aso calls thc purc, produc-
tivc povcr ol imacination transccndcnta. " ]hus thc principc olthc ncccs-
sary unity ol thc purc |productivc) synthcsis ol thc povcr ol imacination,
prior to appcrccption, is thc cround lor thc possibiity ol a knovcdcc.
cspcciay olcxpcricncc.
l0
Vhat docs thc cxprcssion prior to appcrccption" mcan hcrc` Oocs Kant
vant to say that thc purc synthcsis prcccdcs ]ransccndcnta ^ppcrccption in
thc ordcr ol thc croundinc olthc possibiity olpurc knovcdcc` ]his intcr-
prctation voud coincidc vith thc abovc asscrtion that appcrccption prc-
supposcs" thc purc synthcsis
Cr docs thc prior to" havc yct anothcr mcaninc` n lact , Kant uscs thc
I 0. A I IB
I 07. lbid.
hI /. |80-82I 7
prior to" in a vay that hrst civcs thc vhoc statcmcnt thc dccisivc structura
scnsc. to thccllcctthat in itthcintcrprctationvhichvas attcmptcd hrstvoud
indccd simutancousy bc incudcd vith it. ^t onc point. Kant spcaks olan
ob|cctpriorto 'vct| a vhoy othcr intuition. " It is supcruous. and at thc
samc timc it voud vcakcn thc passacc. il thc prior to" is chanccd to lor"
' t
`
, cspcciay ilvc rcca thc atin cxprcssion cctam |o|a||a |o|cllcc|aa|`
vhich Kant aso uscs. Ilvc undcrstand thc prior to" in thc scntcncc |ust
citcd as cctam thcn thc charactcr ol thc structura unity ol ]ransccndcnta
^ppcrccptionand thc purc povcrolimacination hrst comcs to icht. ^ccord-
incy. thc rcprcscntinc olunity has csscntiaybclorc itscl, in vcv. a unilyinc
unity. i . c. , thc rcprcscntincis in itsclonc vhich unihcs.
urc synthcsis, hovcvcr, shoud unily a priori . Vhat it unihcs must havc
bccn civcn lor it a priori. ut thc intuition vhich in advancc is purc. civcn,
univcrsa , andvhich takcs thincs in stridc is timc. Icnccthcpurc povcr ol
imacination must bc rcatcd to it csscntiay Cny in this vay is thc purc
povcr olimacination unvcicd as thc mcdiator bctvccn ]ransccndcnta ^p-
pcrccption and timc.
Ior this rcason. Kant prclaccs a discussions olthc]ransccndcnta Ocduc-
tion vith a ccncra obscrvation vhich must scrvc as thc cround lor vhat
loovs

. . .
^! ! U
I t says that a modihcations olthc mind . . . arc sub|cct to
tmc . . . as that n vhich thcy must a bc ordcrcd. conncctcd, and broucht
into rcation vith onc anothcr.
^! ! !
It micht initiay sccm strikinc that in
ncithcr thc hrst nor thc sccond vay docs Kant discuss in morc dctai and
cxpicity thc a priori csscntia rcationship olthc purc povcr ol imacination
to timc. Instcad. thc cntirc anaysis is conccntratcd on thc task ol makinc
visibc thc csscntia rcatcdncss olpurc undcrstandinc to thc purc synthcsis
olthc povcr ol imacination. It is thcn throuch this rcatcdncss that its LN "
most naturchnitudc -is most ccary cxprcsscd. It is onyundcrstandinc to
thc cxtcnt that it prcsupposcs or incudcs" thc purc povcr ol imacination.
`!|c ao||, c] appctccp||co |otcla||co |c ||c s,o||cs|sc] ||cpcwctc] |mag|oa||co
is thc aodcts|aod|og and this samc unit vith rclcrcncc to thc |taosccodco|al
s,o||cs|s ol thc povcr ol imacination, is thc patcaodcts|aod|og.

b) 1hc Sccond Yav

]hc ncccssary dcpcndcncy ol purc intuition on purc undcrstandinc, i . c. ,
thc unity vhich mcdiatcs bctvccn both ol thcm. thc purc synthcsis. i s to
0B. A2B7, JJ scc NuchryczurKd|omKatposthmousworks,cd . rdma)
| BB ) , p .
I09 A 29
I I0 A99.
l l bd
l I2. A l l 9
JB Kant and thc FmbIcm O MctaphysIcs |B2-BJl
bccomc manIlcst as mcdIator. A a rcsult, thc sccond vay bccIns vith thc
lollovIncvords vcvant novtostart lrombclov, that Is, vIth thccmpIrIcal,
In ordcr to brinc out thc ncccssary conncctIon In vhIch undcrstandInc, by
mcans ol thc catccorIcs, stands to appcaranccs. " `
Lvcn hcrc, vhcrc It vould bc obvIous to sct lorth cxplIcItly thc purc
condItIon ol thc rcccptIvIty olhnItc knovlcdcc, Kant docs not dvcll upon a
dIscussIon olpurc IntuItIon |tImc). Instcad, hc cocs ImmcdIatcly to thc prool
that, althouch scnsc" takcs thIncs In strIdc, In Itscll It has nothInc" lIkc a
conncctcdncss bctvccn thIncs that arc cncountcrcd. Mcvcrthclcss, thIs con-
ncctcdncss must bc capablc ol bcInc cxpcrIcnccd In hnItc knovInc bccausc
thc hnItccrcaturcncvcrhasthcbcIncas |c|ums|mul.Rathcr, as Kant cxprcssly
statcs hcrc, vhat Iscncountcrcd Is lound scattcrcdand IndIvIdually"

VIth
that hovcvcr, Il vhat comcs alonc Is to bc capablc ol bcInc cncountcrcd as
somcthInc vhIch stands vIthIn conncctcdncss, thc scnsc ol somcthInc lIkc
conncctIon" must bc undcrstood In advancc. ]o prcprcscnt

conncctIon
In advancc, hovcvcr, mcans. hrst ol all to lorm somcthInc lIkc rclatIon In
ccncral by rcprcscntInc It. Hovcvcr, thIs povcr-vhIch hrst and lorcmost
lorms" rclatIons-Is thc purc povcr ol ImacInatIon.
^ccordInc to thc ccncral obscrvatIon, "
' tImc as purc unIvcrsal IntuItIon
U at oncc that vhcrcIn | thIncsl can bcjoIncd In ccncral and that vhcrcIn It
L possIblc tolorm conncctIons. ]hc lcttInc- |Itsclll -bccncountcrcd olabcInc,
vhIch should bc capablc olshovinc Itscll In thc conncctcdncss In vhIch It
sands-acaInst, must bc croundcd In thc purc povcr ol ImacInatIon that Is
csscntIally rclatcd to tImc. In thc purc lormInc ol dctcrmInatc rclatIons It
asscrts a normatIvcunIhcatIon, but thIsIs opposcdIn advancc to thc lactthat
vhat Iscncountcrcd Is haphazardlytakcn In strIdc. ]hIs horizon olnormatIvc
conncctIon contaIns thc purc alhnIty" ol appcaranccs. hat thc alhnIty ol
appcaranccs . . . onlybccomcspossIblc by mcans olthIs transccndcntal lunc-
tIon ol thc povcr ol ImacInatIon Is Indccd strancc, bascd solcly on vhat Is
clcarly obvIous lrom vhat vc havc sccn so lar. "
'

^ll conncctInc, hovcvcr, and partIcularly thc purc lormInc olunIhcatIon
In ccncral, structurally Incorporatcs a prcvious rcprcscntInc olunIty ]hIs, Il
thcpurc synthcsIs Is to lunctIon a prIorI, mustItscllbc a prIorI, so that thIs
rcprcscntInc ol unIty constantly accompanIcs all lorminc olunItIcs as InvarI-
ably onc and thc samc. ]hIs hxcd and lastInc" scll, hovcvcr, Is thc I ol
transccndcntalappcrccptIon.ustas tImc bcloncs toallcmpIrIcal IntuItIon,so
thc prcvious lormInc olalhnIty In thc transccndcntal povcr ol ImacInatIon
also bcloncs to thIs samc IntuItIon as an |Instancc ol lcttInc thc bcInc bc
! !J. A 9.
! !+ A ! 20.
! !5. A 99.
! !. A ! 2J.
hI /. |8J-81I J9
cncountcrcd inits ovn oricina ordcr. Iurc appcrccption, hovcvcr, must bc
addcd to this i| thc takincinstridc is to bc capabc o|bcinc sustaincd by a
purc turninctovard, i. c. , a cttinc-stand-acainst o| . . . .
' '

Mov thc hrst vay has shovn, hovcvcr, that transccndcnta appcrccption,
vhich mustbc addcdto purcintuitionthrouchthccsscntia mcdiation o|thc
purc povcr o| imacination, is itsc| not at hand as somcthinc oricina and
isoatcd, andhcncc it aso isnot|ust|oincd to thc purc povcr o|imacination
bccausc thc attcr occasionay nccds it. Cn thc contrary, |orits part cvcn this
transccndcnta appcrccption, as rcprcscntinc o| unity, must havc bc|orc it a
unityvhich |orms itsc|in thc uni|yInc. ^nd thus inthc sccond vay as vc,
cvcrythinc |orccs us to thc point at vhich thc transccndcnta povcr o| im-
acinationasmcdiatorisaovcdtocomc|orvard. Vc thushavcapurcpovcr
o|imacination as a |undamcnta |acuty o|thchumansou vhichscrvcs asa
basis |or a knovcdcc a priori. y mcans o|this, vcbrinc thc mani|od o|
intuition into conncction on thc onchand,andvc brinc this into conncc
tion vIth thc condition o| thc ncccssary unity o| purc appcrccption on thc
othcr.
i l|2|
]hctrIad o|purc intuition, purcpovcr o|imacination,andpurc appcrccp-
tion is no onccr a |uxtaposition o| |acutics. ]houch thc rcvcation o| thc
mcdiatinc|orminco|purcsynthcsis,thc]ransccndcntacductionhascstab
ishcd thc intrinsic possibiity o|thc csscntia unity o|purc knovcdcc. ]his
|orms thc purc cttinc-somcthinc-stand-acainst . . . 'das tc|oc Ccgcos|c|co
lassco vco . . . . and, as this |orminc, it thus hrst makcs cvidcnt somcthinc
ikcanhorizono|ob|cctivity 'Ccgcos|aodl|c||c||l inccncra. ^ndbccausc purc
knovcdccin this vay hrst opcns upthc spacc |or pay ncccssary |or a hnitc
crcaturc and invhich arcation o| cinc or Mot-inc takcs pacc, "
this
|knovcdcc must bc tcrmcd ontoocica.
Mov, sincc hnitudc vas madc conspicuous by thc undcrstandinc, it pays
a spccia c inthc cduction. utprcciscy in thc coursc o|thc hithcr-and-
thithcr movcmcnt o| thc tvo vays, thc undcrstandinc civcs up its prccmi-
ncncc, and throuch thiscivinc-upit rcvcas itsc|inits csscncc. ]his |csscncc
consists o|itshainc tobccroundcdinthc purcsynthcsiso|thctransccndcn-
ta povcr o|imacination vhich is rcativc to timc.
! ! 7. A ! 2+.
! !B. A 2+. Strikingoutthc "and" asproposcd by Erdmann andRichI takcs away |rom thc
coIoquiaI and pcrhaps di|hcuIt prcscntation prcciscy thc dccisic scnsc according to which thc
transccndcntaI powcr olimagination on thc onc hand unihcs purc intuition in itc|and on thc
othcrhand unitcs this withpurc appcrccption.
I 9. A 0.
0 Kaht ahd thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics 'B-Bl
!8. Thc Lxtcma| Form o[ thc Transccndcnta| Dcducton
Ior vhat rcason docs thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction,as a ayincbclorc thc
cycs" ol|ransccndcncc, takc on thc lorm ola `aaacs||c)a|sVhcrcin is |hc
richt . andvhcrc ic thcimits. to this |uridica" posinc olthc qucstion.vhich
to bc surc obtrudcs ony in thc hrst introduction to thc ]ransccndcn|a Oc-
duction and no| in thc coursc oli|s bcinc carricd out`
Kant did not usc dcduction" in thc phiosophica scnsc ol dcdac||c as
opposcd to |o|a||as, but rathcr in a vay that a prolcssor ol av voud
undcrs|and. In a avsuit, richts" arc vaidatcd. and unvarrantcd caims" arc
ovcrrucd. ]o |his cnd, |vo lactors arc ncccssary. hrs|. thc cstabishmcnt ol
thc lacts ol thc casc and thc points ol disputc |aa|d]ac||), and, sccond. thc
cxhibitinc ol vhat. as undcryinc authority.

continucs to bc ccay valid

|aa|d)a|s) . urists ca thc cxhibition ol |hc cca possibity ol |such| an
authority Ocduction. "
Vhy docs Kant nov put thc probcm olthc possibiity olmctaphysics into
thc lorm ol thc task ol such a |uridica dcduction` Oocs a cca action"
undcric thc probcm ol thc inncr possibiity olmctaphysics`
Vchavc arcadysccn hov lor Kant thc qucstion conccrninc |hc possibiity
ol Mc|ap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s |ontoocy) ariscs lrom thc qucstion conccrninc thc
possibiity oltraditiona Mc|ap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s

]hc attcr vants to knovthc
supcrscnsibc bcinc rationay |lrom mcrc conccpts) . ]hc caim to a piori
ontic knovcdcc ics in thc purc conccp|s |catccorics). Oocs ithavc aricht to
this povcr or not`
]hc dcbatc vith traditiona mctaphysics rccardinc its utimatc purposc
rcativc to its ovn possibiity has bccomc a cca action. urc rcason must
opcn thc tria." thc vitncsscs" must bc in|crrocatcd. Kantspcaksola tribu-
na . "' ]hc cca ac|ion lainc vithin thc probcm olontoocica knovcdcc
rcquircs thc Ocduction. i . c. , thc proollor thc possibiity olthc a priori abiity
ol purc conccpts to rclcr to ob|ccts. Sincc |hc authority lor thc usc olthcsc
conccpts. vhich donot comc lromcxpcricncc. isncvcrto bc shovnbymcans
ol a rclcrcncc to thcr tactica usc. thc purc conccpts avays |dcmand| thc
Ocduction.
`

]hc authority olthc catccorics must bc dctcrmincd throuch thc cucidation

olthcircsscncc. ^s purc rcprcscnta|ions oluniticsvithina hnitc rcprcscntinc.
I z0. Lcscacs, Rcyu|ucuJDirccrioucmluycuii, in rcru, cd. Adam and1anncry, vo| X. p Jl|.
]rans|ation "Rulcs |or thc Lrccton o| thc Mnd.` in hc Phi|osorhia| Wor: o| Dcscur|cs, cd
l iabcth Haldanc and C R Ross Cambrdcc Cambrdcc nvcrsity |rcss. I 9 ! I rcpntcd.
I 97). vol ! , p. 7||.
I 2 I . Scc abovc. 2, p ||.
I 22. A 9, 7 A 7J. 7 J I
I 2J A B 5 , I ! 7.
hI 8. |8c-8/
thcy arc csscntiay dcpcndcnt upon purc synthcsis and hcncc upon purc
intuition. In othcr vords ]hc soution to thc probcm. vhichvas lormuatcd
simpyas aaacs||c)at|s,cxistsin thc unvciincolthccsscnccolthc catccorics
thcy arc not notions. but rathcr purc conccpts vhich, by mcans ol thc purc
povcrolimacination,rclcrcsscntiay to timc. ]o thc cxtcnt that thcyarc this
csscncc. hovcvcr. thcy constitutc transccndcncc. ]hcy arc lormcd vith thc
cttinc-stand-acainst-ol. . . . Ior this rcason thcy arc, in advancc, dctcrmi
nations olthc ob|ccts, i. c. , olthc bcincinsolar as itis cncountcrcd by a hnitc
crcaturc.
]hrouch thc anaytica cucidation ol thc csscncc ol thc catccorics as thc
csscntiay morc ncccssary buidinc bocks. or rathcr hinccs 'agco ol tran-
sccndcncc. thcir ob|cctivc rcaity" is dcmonstratcd. In ordcr to undcrstand
thc probcmolthc objcctivc rcaity olthc catccoricsasa probcm oltransccn-
dcncc, hovcvcr. it is impcrativc not to takc thc Kantian tcrm rcaity
' Pcal||a| n thc samc scnsc as modcrn cpistcmoocy" docs. accordinc to
vhich rcaity" ' Pcal||a| mcans thc samc as actuaity" ' w|t|l|c||c||
vhich Kant ndicatcs vith thc tcrms `lasc|o or cxistcncc" ' |s|coz In-
stcad. as Kant himscl apty transatcs it. `tcal||as mcans lact-ncss"
' 5ac||c||| , and it audcs to thc contcnt olthc bcinc vhich comcs to bc
dcimitcdby mcans olthc cssco||a. ndcr thc hcadinc olthc objcctivc rcaity
ol thc catccorics, thc loovinc comcs into qucstion. ]o vhat cxtcnt can thc
contcnt |rcaity 'Pcal||a|) vhich s rcprcscntcd in thc purc conccpts bc a
dctcrmination ol that vhich stands-acainst hnitc knovcdcc. i . c. . olthc bcinc
as somcthinc vhich stands-acainst |as an Cbjcct)` ]hc catccorics arc ob-
|cctivcy rca to thc cxtcnt that thcy bconc to ontoocica knovcdcc. vhich
lorms" thc transccndcncc ol thc hnitc crcaturc, i . c. , thc cttinc-standin
opposition ol . . . .
lov it is casy to scc. Il onc intcrprcts thc cxprcssion objcctivc rcaity
bascd not on thc csscncc ol thc purc synthcsis ol thc transccndcnta povcr
olimacinationasvhatlormsthc csscntiaunityolontoocicaknovcdcc, but
il nstcad onc cincs primariy and cxcusivcy to thc cxprcssion obcctivc
vaidity,"atcrm vhichKant,vithavicvtothccxtcrna,introductorylormula
tion ol thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction. uscd as a juridica vay olputtinc thc
qucstion, and ilin opposition to thc scnsc ol thc Kantian probcm onc takcs
vaidity as thc ocica vauc oljudcmcntthcn thc dccisivc probcm vi bc
complctcly ost lrom vic
]hc probcm olthc oricin and thc truth"' olthc catccorics. hovcvcr. is
thc qucstion olthc possibc manilcstncss olcinclrombcincsin thccsscntia
unity ol ontooclca knovcdcc. Il this qucstion is to bc craspcd concrctcly
and takcn hod ol as a probcm hovcvcr, thcn thc aaacs||c)at|s cannot as
! 21. A ! 2B.
2 Kaht ahd thc Froblcm ol MctaphysIcs ' B7-B9l
such bc takcn as a qucstion olvaidity Instcad. thcaaacst|c)at|s is ony thc
lonua lor thc task ol an anaytic ol transccndcncc, i . c. , ola purc phcnom-
cnoocy ol thc subjcctivity olthc sub|cct, namcy, as a hnitc sub|cct.
Iovcvcr, il thc lundamcnta probcm prcscntcd by thc traditiona
Mctap|,s|ca5pcc|a|shas bccn sovcd by mcans olthc ]ransccndcnta Ocduc
tion, thcnhas notthc cround-ayincarcadyachicvcditscoainccncra tcs
vith thc stacc vc just discusscd` ^nd at thc samc timc. rccardinc thc intcr
prctation ol thc Ct|||aacc]tcPcasco docs not vhat has bccn said attcst to
thc richt ol prcvious usacc to considcr thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction as thc
ccntra discussion vithin thc positivc part ol thc Ooctrinc ol thc cmcnts`
Vhat nccd is thcrc, thcn, lor yctanothcrstacc to thc ayincolthccroundlor
ontoocica knovcdcc` Vhat is it that dcmands a sti morc oricina coinc-
back to thc cround ol thc csscntia unity ol ontoocica knovcdcc`
1HE FIR1H S1ACE F 1HE CRIND-IAYINC.
1HE CRIND FR 1HE INNER FSSIILI1Y F
N1LCICAI KNVIEDCE
]hc inncrpossibiityolontoocicaknovcdcciscxhibitcdlrom thcspccihc
totaity olthc constitution oltransccndcncc . ]hc mcdium hodincit toccthcr
is thc purc povcr ol imacination. Kant not ony hnds this rcsut ol thc
croundayinctobc "strancc. "buthcaso rcpcatcdystrcsscsthcobscurityinto
vhich a discussions ol thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction must movc. ^t thc
samc timc. thc ayinc ol thc cround lor ontoocica knovcdcc ccrtainy
strivcs -ovcr and abovc a mcrc charactcrization ol transccndcncc to cuci-
datc itin suchavaythatitcancomctobcdcvcopcdasthcsystcmatictotaity
ola prcscntation oltransccndcncc |transccndcnta phiosophyontoo) .
ov thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction has indccd madc prcciscy thc totaity
ol ontoocica knovcdcc in its unity into a probcm. Ior a that, vith thc
ccntra mcaninc ol hnitudc and thc dominancc ol thc ocica |rationa) vay
ol posinc thc ucstion in mctaphysics it is thc undcrstandincor rathcr its
rcation to thc unity-loinc mcdium. to thc purc povcr ol imacination
vhich comcs to thc lorccround.
Iovcvcr, ila knovcdcc is primariy intuition and il hnitc intuition has
thc charactcr ol takinc thincs in stridc, thcn lor a luy vaid iumination ol
transccndcncc thc rclcrcncc olboththctransccndcnta povcr olimacination
and thc purc undcrstandinc to purc intuition must bc cxpicity discusscd.
Such a task, hovcvcr. cads thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination and thc
scl-loinc ol transccndcncc and its horizons to dcmonstratc thcir unilyinc
hI . |8-0 J
lunc|ionin |hcir inncrmos| occurrcncc. Kan| undcr|akcs |hc lrccinc-up ol|hc
csscn|ia cround lor on|oocica knovcdcc as hni|c, purc in|ui|ion in |hc
scc|ion vhich adjoins |hc ]ransccndcn|a Ocduc|ion and vhich bcars |hc
hcadinc Cn |hc Schcma|ism ol|hc urc Conccp|s ol |hc ndcrs|andinc. "'
]hc vcry lac| ol |his ausion |o |hc sys|cma|ic pacc ol |hc Schcma|ism
chap|crvi|hin|hcordcrincol|hc s|accsol|hc cround-ayncbc|rays |hc lac|
|ha| |hcsc ccvcn paccs ol |hc Ct|||aac c] Patc Pcasco mus| cons|i|u|c |hc
ccn|racorcol|hc vhocvouminousvork. Clcoursc, |hisccn|rasicnihcancc
olKan|s Ooc|rinc ol|hc Schcma|ism can |ony s|and ou|cci|ima|cy and lor
|hc hrs| |imc on |hc basis ol |hc in|crprc|a|ion ol i|s con|cn|. ]his in|crprc|a-
|ion has |o kccp |o |hc lundamcn|a qucs|ion rccardinc |hc |ransccndcncc ol
|hc hni|c crca|urc.
u| oncc acain, Kan| in|roduccs |hc probcm in a morc supcrhcia lorm as
a cuidc |o |hc qucs|ion conccrninc |hc possibc subsump|ion ol|hc appcar-
anccsundcr|hcca|ccorics. ]hcjus|ihca|ionol|hisvayolposinc|hcqucs|ion,
corrcspondinc|o|hc|rca|mcn|ol|hcaaacs||c)at|s , shoudhrs|loov |al|cr
a vorkinc-ou| ol|hc inncrdynamic ol|hc probcm ol|hc schcma|ism.
h!9. Transccndcncc and Makng-ScnsbIc
^ hni|c crca|urc mus| bc abc |o |akc |hc bcinc in s|ridc, cvcn il|his bcinc
voud bc dircc|y cvidcn| as somc|hinc arcady a| hand. ]akinc-in-s|ridc,
hovcvcr, ili| is|o bc possibc, rcquircssomc|hinc on|hc ordcr ola |uminc-
|ovard, and indccd no| a random onc, bu| onc vhich makcs possibc in a
prciminary vay |hc cncoun|crnc ol|hc bcinc. In ordcr lor |hc bcinc |o bc
abc |o ollcr i|scl as such, hovcvcr. |hc horizon ol i|s possibc cncoun|crinc
mus|i|sclhavc|hccharac|crolanollcrinc. ]hc|uinc-|ovardmus|in i|scl
bc a prcpara|orybcarincinmind olvha| is ollcrabc in ccncra.
In ordcr lor |hc horzon ol |hc c||inc-s|and-acains| as such |o bc abc |o
lunc|ion. hovcvcr. |hischarac|cr olanollcrincnccdsa ccr|ain pcrccivabii|
crccivabc mcans immcdia|cy capabc olbcinc |akcn in s|ridc in in|ui|ion.
Icncc |hc horizon, as a dis|inc| ollcrinc, mus| prcscn| i|sclin a prciminary
vay and cons|an|y as a purc ook.'` Irom |his i| loovs |ha| |hc c||inc-
s|and-acains| olhni|c undcrs|andincmus|in|ui|ivcy ollcr objcc|ivi|yassuch,
i. c. , |ha||hcpurcundcrs|andincmus|bc croundcdina purc in|ui|ion vhich
cuidcs and sus|ains i|.
u| nov, vha| bconcs |o |his makinc-pcrccivabc ol |hc horizon ol |hc
prciminary |urninc-|ovard! ]hc hni|c crca|urc vhich |ums-|ovard mus| i|-
sclbc abc |o makc |hchorizon in|ui|abc, i . c. i| mus|bc abc|o "lorm" |hc
!25 A ! J7 !+7 ! 7! B7.
Kaht ahd thc FmbIcm ol MctaphysIcs '90-92l
ook olthc ollcrinc lrom outolitscl. lovil. hovcvcr. asthc ]ransccndcnta
Ocduction indicatcs. purc intuition |timc) stands in an csscntia rcation to
purc synthcsis. thcn thc purc povcr olimacination carrics out thc lorminc ol
thcookolthchorizon. ut thcnitdocsnot|ustlorm" | thc intuitabc
pcrccivabiity ol thc horizon in that it crcatcs" this horizon as a lrcc turn-
inc-tovard. ^thouch it is lormativc in this hrst scnsc. it is so in yct a sccond
scnsc as vc. namcy. in thc scnsc that in ccncra it providcs lor somcthinc
ikc an imacc" " .
]hc cxprcssion imacc" is to bc takcn hcrc in its most oricina scnsc, ac-
cordinctovhichvc say thatthc andscapc prcscntsabcautiluimacc"|ook).
orthatthc cocction prcscntcd a sorryimacc"|ook). ^ndarcady durinc thc
Sccond Vay ol thc Ocduction. vhich procccds lrom thc inncr conncctcdncss
ol timc and thc purc povcr ol imacination. Kant aso says ol thc povcr ol
imacination |imacination") ` that it mustbrinc . . . into an . "
In thc occurrcncc ol this doubc lorminc |thc crcatinc ol thc ook). thc
cround lor thc possibiity ol transccndcncc is hrst visibc. and thc ncccssary
ook-charactcr ol its prciminary csscncc. vhich stands acainst and ollcrs. is
hrst undcrstandabc. lov. transccndcncc. hovcvcr. is hnitudc itscl. so to
spcak. Il in thc cttinc-stand-acainst. thc horizon vhich is lormcd thcrcin is
tobcmadc intuitabc |andacain. hnitc intuition iscacdscnsibiity) . thcn thc
ollcrinc olthc ook can ony bca makinc-scnsibc olthc horizon. ]hc horizon
ol transccndcncc can bc lormcd ony in a makinc-scnsibc.
]hc cttinc-stand-acainst. sccn lrom thc standpoint ol purc rcason is a
rcprcscntinc olunitics as such vhich rccuatc a unihcation |purc conccpts) .
Icncc. transccndcncc is lormcd in thc makinc-scnsibc ol purc conccpts.
ccausc it isaprciminaryturninc-tovard.thismakinc-scnsibc mustikcvisc
bc purc.
]hc purc makinc-scnsibc occurs as a "Schcmatism. " ]hc purc povcr ol
imacination civcs schcma-lorminc in advancc thc ook |imacc") olthc hori-
zon ol transccndcncc. ]hat thc rclcrcncc to such a makinc-scnsibc is ncvcr-
thccss insulhcicnt ovcrooks thc lact that lacticayitcannot bc cstabishcd at
a ilits csscncc is not knovn bclorchand-this lact can arcady bc cxtractcd
lrom thc idca ol a purc makinc-scnsibc.
Ior Kant. scnsibiity mcans hnitc intuition. Furc scnsibiity must bc
thc sort ol intuition that takcs vhat is intuitabc in stridc in advancc
-prior to a cmpirica rcccivinc. lov in thc intuitinc. hovcvcr. hnitc
intuition cannot cxacty producc an intuitabc bcinc. Furc makinc-
scnsibc must thcrclorc bc thc takinc ol somcthinc in stridc vhich
I 2. A ! 20 Ihavc rcndcrcdthc uotc|romKantustasHcdceecrcitcdtwiththccIIipscs.
Thc passaecmacs much morc scnsc,howcvcr, i|thcwordsHcdceecomittcdacrcstorcdThus
Kant wrotc "Dic E|nbiJuny:ru{| so| ndm|ichJus MunniyIu||iyc JcrAn:chuuuny in cn i|Jbrinycn
"Thatis tosay, thcpowcro|imaeinationmustbrinethcmani|oId o|ntuitionintoanimaec"
h20. |2-JI
indccd i slormcd hrs| ola i n|hc |akinc-in-s|ridc i|scll |ha| i s. | i| mus| bc
a look. bu| onc vhich a |hc samc docs no| ollcr |hc bcinc.
Vha| |hcn is |hc charac|cr olvha| is in|ui|abc in purc scnsibii|y` Can i|
havc |hc charac|cr olan imacc"` Vha|docs imacc mcan` Iov is |hc ook
lormcd" ' h|ldodc in |hcpurc povcr olimacina|ion ' L|oh|ldaogs|ta]| , |hc
purc schcma, |o bc dis|incuishcd lrom imaccs 8|ldc ^nd hnay, in vha|
scnsccan|hc schcmabc cacd an imacc"`Vi|hou|prciminaryin|crprc|a|ion
ol |his phcnomcnon ol makinc-scnsibc. |hc schcma|ism as |hc cround ol
|ransccndcncc rcmains vcicd in compc|c darkncss.
hZ. Ima
x
c and Schcma
n ccncra, makincscnsibc mcans |hc manncr invhich a hni|c crca|urc is
abc |o makc somc|hinc in|ui|abc. i . c. , is abc |o crca|c a ook |imacc) lrom
somc|hinc. ^ccordinc |o vha| and hov somc|hinc comcs in|o vicv. ook or
imacc mcans somc|hinc dillcrcn|. Iirs| ol a . imacc can mcan. |hc ook ol a
dc|crmina|c bcinc |o |hc cx|cn| |ha| i| is manilcs| as somc|hinc a| hand. |
ollcrs |hc ook. ^sa dcriva|ion ol|his mcaninc, imacc canasomcan |hc ook
vhich |akcsa ikcncss olsomc|hinca| hand |ikcncss) ,

i. c. , a look vhich
is |hc al|crimacc ol somc|hinc no onccr a| hand or a ook vhich is |hc
prcmoni|ion ola bcinc |yc| |o bc produccd lor |hc hrs| |imc.

`
]hcn, hovcvcr, imacc" canaso havc |hclurancc olmcaninc olookin
ccncra, in vhich casc vhc|hcr a bcinc or a non-bcinc vi bc in|ui|abc in
|his ookis no| s|a|cd.
lovin lac|. Kan|uscd |hc cxprcssion imacc" in a|hrccscnscs as immc-
dia|c ook ol a bcinc, as |hc a|-hand. ikcncss-|akinc ook ol a bcinc. and as
|hc ook ol somc|hinc in ccncra. Morcovcr. |hcsc mcanincs ol |hc |crm
imacc" vcrc no| spccihcaly |akcn up in opposi|ion |o cach o|hcr indccd, i|
is cvcn qucs|ionabc vhc|hcr |hc spccihcd mcanincs and vays ol |hc cinc
olimacc 'das8|ldsc|os arc sulhcicn| |oclarilyvha| Kan| discusscsundcr |hc
hcadincolSchcma|ism. "
]hc bcs|knovn vay olcrca|inc a ook |civincanimacc) i s|hc cmpirica
in|ui|inc ol vha| shovs i|scl. ]ha| vhich shovs i|scl hcrc avays has |hc
charac|crol|hcimmcdia|cysccnpar|icuar||hishcrc"). ]o bc surc. |hisdocs
no| cxcudc |hc possibii|y |ha| a mu|i|udc ol such par|icuars mich| bc
in|ui|cd. namcy, as a richcr|hishcrc" lorcxampc, |his par|icuar |o|ai|y ol
|his andscapc. ]his | andscapc is cacd a ook |imacc) , spccics. us| as i|
ooks |o us. ]hus |hc imacc is avays an in|ui|abc |his-hcrc. and lor |his
3 Scc Phi|o:orhi:chcrAuzriycr l. I 925l2 Linc. i|J uuJLrcuurui:, p J02|l.
Kant and thc Fmblcm oI MctaphysIcs |9J-9|
rcasoncvcrylikcncss |orcxamplc,aphotocraph

rcmainsonlya transcrip
tion o|vhat shovs itscl|immcdiatcly as imacc. "
Movthc cxprcssionimacc"likcvisc isuscd|rcqucntlyinthissccondscnsc
as likcncss. ]his thinc hcrc, this photocraph vhich s at hand, immcdiatcly
o|crs a lookas this thinc. It is imacc in thc hrst and broad scnsc. ut vhilc
it shovs itscl|, it vants to shov prcciscly that |rom vhich it has takcn its
likcncss. ]oobtainanimacc inthissccondscnscnovnolonccrmcansmcrcly
to intuit a bcinc immcdiatcly, but instcad mcans, |or cxamplc, to buy or to
producc a photocraph.
Itispossiblc toproduccacopy|photocraph)

acain|romsucha likcncss,
a photocraph o|a dcath mask |orcxamplc. ]hc copycan only dircctlycopy
thc likcncss and thus rcvcal thc imacc" |thc immcdiatc look) o|thc dcccascd
himscl|. ]hc photocraph o| thc dcath mask, as copy o|a likcncss, is itscl|an
imaccbut thisisonlybccausc itcivcs thc imacc" o|thcdcadpcrson, shovs
hov thc dcad pcrson appcars, or rathcr hov it appcarcd. ^ccordinc to thc
mcaninc o|thc cxprcssion imacc" hithcrto dclimitcd, makinc-scnsiblc mcans
on thc onc hand thc manncr o| immcdiatc, cmpirical intuitinc, but on thc
othcrhand it also mcans thc manncr o|immcdiatccontcmplationo|alikcncss
in vhich thc look o| a bcinc prcscnts itscl|.
Mov thc photocraph, hovcvcr, can also shov hovsomcthinclikc a dcath
mask appcars in ccncral. In turn, thc dcath mask can shov in ccncral hov
somcthinc likc thc |acc o| a dcad human bcinc appcars. ut an individual
corpsc itscl| can also shov this. ^nd similarl thc mask itscl| can also shov
hov a dcath mask in ccncral appcars,|ust asthc photocraph shovs not only
hov vhat is photocraphcd, but also hov a photocraph in ccncral, appcars.
ut vhat do thcsc loos" |imaccsinthcbroadcstscnsc) o|this corpsc,this
mask, this photocraph, ctc. , novshov` Vhich appcarancc" |o,toO) do
thcy nov civc` Vhat do thcy nov makc scnsiblc` In thc onc vhichapplics
toman thcyshovhovsomcthincappcarsinccncral. "]hisunityapplicablc
to scvcral, hovcvcr, is vhat rcprcscntation rcprcscnts in thc manncr o| thc
conccpts. ]hcsc looks must novscrvc thc makinc-scnsiblc o|conccpts.
]his makinc-scnsiblc can novno lonccr mcan to cct an immcdiatc look,
intuition |rom a conccpt |or thc conccpt, as thc rcprcscntcd univcrsal, can
not bc rcprcscntcd in a tcptacscotat|cs|olat|s,vhich thc intuition ccrtainly
is. or that rcason, hovcvcr, thc conccpt is aso csscntially not capablc o|
havinc a likcncss takcn.
Mov vhat in ccncral is mcant by thc makincscnsiblc o|a conccpt` Vhat
pcrtains to it` Vith this makinc-intuitablc, hov is thc looko|vhat L cmpiri
cally acccssibly at hand or vsualizcdthat is to say, thc look o|its possiblc
likcncsscs-sharcd`
b. Iight-imagc
h20. |1-cI 7
Vc say this housc vhichi spcrccivcd, c. c. , shovs hov a housc inccncra
appcars, and conscqucnty it shovs vhat vc rcprcscnt in thc conccpt housc.
In vhat vay docs thc look o|this housc shov thc hov o|thc appcarnc o|
a housc in ccncral` Indccd, thc housc itsc|o||crs this dctcrminatc ook, and
yctvc arc notprcoccupicdviththisinordcrtocxpcricncchovprcciscythis
housc appcars. Rathcr, this housc shovs itsc| in cxactly such a vay that, in
ordcr to bc a housc, it must not ncccssarily appcar as it docs. It shovs us
ony"thcas . . . " in tcrms o|vhicha housc canappcar.

]hisas, vhichcocsviththcabiitysomcthinchastoappcarcmpiricay,

is vhat vc rcprcscnt in conncction vith this dctcrminatc housc. ^ housc

coud so appcar. y appcarinc vithin thc rancc o|possibiitics o|appcarnc,
this housc vhich is straicht|oardy at hand has assumcd onc dctcrminatc
appcarinc| . ut thc rcsut o| this assuminc intcrcsts us just as ittc as thc
rcsut o|thosc dctcrminations that havc |aicd duc to thc |actica appcarinco|
othcr houscs. Vhat vchavc pcrccivcd isthc rancc o|possiblc appcarincas
such, or morc prcciscy, vc havc pcrccivcd that vhich cultivatcs this rancc,
that vhich rccuatcs and marks out hov somcthinc in ccncra must appar
in ordcr to bc ablc, as a housc to o||cr thc appropriatc look. ]his iiia
skctchincout ' \ctzc|c|oaog o| thc rulc isno ist ' \ctzc|c|o|s in thc scn o|
a mcrc cnumcration o|thc |caturcs" |ound in a housc. Rathcr, it is a distin
cuishinc" ' aszcic|oco o| thc vholc o| vhat is mcant by |a tcrm| k
housc. "
ut vhat i sthus mcant i si nccncral only capablc o| bcinc mcant to th
cxtcnt that it is rcprcscntcd as vhat rccuatcs thc poiblc bconcinc o| thi
intcrconncctcdncss

vithin an cmpirical ook. ]hc unity o| thc conccpt i

ccncra can comc to bc rcprcscntcd as uninc, as somcthinc vhichapplic
to many, ony in thc rcprcscntinc o|thc vay invhichthc ruc rccuatcs thc
skctchinc-out vthin a possibc ook. I| thc conccpt in ccncral is that vhich
isinscrviccto thc ruc, thcn conccptua rcprcscntincmcans thc civinco|thc
ruc |or thc possiblc attainmcnt o| a ook in advancc in thc manncr o| its
rccuation. Suchrcprcscntinc, thcn, isstructuraly ncccssaryvith rc|crcncc to
a possiblc look, and hcncc is in itsc|a particuar kind o|makinc-scnsiblc.
It |this particuar typc o| makinc-scnsibc| civcs no immcdiatc, intuitabc
ook o| thc conccpt. Vhat is in it, and vhat ncccssariy comcs |orvard vth
it in thc immcdiatc look, is not, propcrly spcakinc, mcant as somcthinc
thcmatic. Rathcr, it is mcant as that vhich is poibly capablc o|bcinc prc
scntcd in thc prcscntation vhosc manncr o|rccuation is rcprcscntcd ]hus,
in thc cmpirica look it is prcciscy thc ruc vhich makcs its appcarancc in
thc manncr o|its rcculation.
Hovcvcr, this makinc-scnsibc not ony yiclds no immcdiatc look o| thc
conccpt asunity, but rathcr this |unity| isnot cvcn mcant thcmaticay as thc
suspcndcd contcnt o|a rcprcscntation. Cny asrcculativc unityisthc conccp-
tualunityvhat it can and mustbcas uiinc. ]hc unityisnot craspcd, but
B nt a thc FrobIcm o| Mctaphysics ' 9-97l
rathcr ony ilvc ook avay lrom itin its dctcrmininc ol thc ruc isit thcn
ust as substantiay thc rccuation vhich is dctcrmincd in thc vicv. ]is
ookinc-avay-lrom-it docs not osc sicht ol it in ccncra . but rathcr has in
vicv prcciscy thc unity as rccuativc.
]hc rcprcscntinc ol thc proccss ol rccuation as such a |rcprcscntinc is
propcry conccptua rcprcscntinc. Vhat has hithcrto conc by that namc.
namcly. thc rcprcscntincolunityvhichappics to many. vasonyan isoatcd
ccmcnt ol thc conccpt vhich rcmains vcicd prcciscy vith rcspcct to its
lunction as thc ruc covcrninc thc spccihc makinc-scnsibc vhich vas
pointcd out.
Iovcvcr. ilvhat is thcmaticay rcprcscntcd inthcmakinc-scnsibc is nci-
thcr thc cmpirica ook nor thc isoatcd conccpt, but is rathcr thc istinc ol
thc ruc covcrnincthc providincolthc imacc. thcn this aso rcquircs lurthcr
charactcrization. ]hc ruc is rcprcscntcd in thc hov

ol its rccuatinc, i. c. ,
accordinct ohov i t rccuatcs thc prcscntation dictatcd vithin thc prcscntinc
ook. ]hc rcprcscntinc ol thc hov is thc lrcc imacinc" '8|ldco ola mak-
incscnsibc as thc providinc ol an imacc in thc scnsc just charactcrizcd. an
imacinc vhich is not bound to a dctcrminatc somcthinc at hand.
Such makinc-scnsibc occurs primariy in thc povcr olimacination. ]his
rcprcscntationola ccncra proccdurc olthc povcr olimacinationinproidinc
an imacc lor a conccpt I cntitc thc schcma olthis conccpt. "' ]hc lormation
olthc schcma in its luhmcntas thc manncr olmakinc thc conccpt scnsibc
is cacd Schcmatism. ]hc schcma is indccd to bc distincuishcd lrom imaccs.
but ncvcrthccss it is rcatcd to somcthincikc an imacc. i. c. , thc imaccchar-
actcrbconcs ncccssariy to thc schcma. It |thc charactcr olthc imacc) has its
ovn csscncc. t is ncithcrjust a simpcr ook |"imacc" in thc hrst scnsc) nor
aikcncss |imacc" in thc sccond scnsc). Itvithcrclorcbc cacdthcschcma-
imacc 'das 5c|ma-8|ld
hZ1 . Schcma am Schcma-Imagc
^ coscr charactcrization ol thc SchcmaImacc vi carily its rcationshp
to thc schcma and. at thc samc timc, thc typc olrcationship thc conccpt has
to thc imacc. ]hc lormation ol thc schcma '5c|cmah|ldaog is thc makinc-
scnsibc ol conccpts. Iov is thc ook ol thc immcdiatcy rcprcscntcd bcinc
rcatcd to vhat is rcprcscntcd olit in conccpts! In vhat scnsc is this ookan
imacc" '8|ld olthc conccpt! ]his qucstion must bc discusscd vithrcspcct
to tvo kinds olconccpts thosc vhich arc cmpirica and scnsibc |thc conccpt
I 27 A I 10, I 79l.
h2I . |/-I 9
ola doc), and thosc vhich arc purc and scnsibc. mathcmatica |thc conccpt
ola triancc or ol a numbcr).
Kant strcsscs that an ob|cct olcxpcricncc, " i. c. , thcook thatis acccssibc
to us ola thinc vhich is at hand, or an imacc olthc samc," i . c. , a ikcncss
orcopy ola bcincvhich is at hand. ncvcr attains" thc cmpirica conccpt ol
thc samc ]hisnot-attainincmcans, hrst ola, prcscntincitin avayvhich
is not adcquatc. " Iovcvcr, at no timc is this to bc intcrprctcd as mcaninc
that thcrc can bc no adcquatc ikcncss olthc conccpt. ^n cmpirica ook ola
bcinc, vith rclcrcncc to its conccpt , can havc absoutcy no lunction as a
ikcncss. ]his unsuitabiity pcrtains instcad prcciscy to thc schcma-imacc.
vhich in a truc scnsc is thc imacc olthc conccpt. lanythinc, onc coud say
that thc cmpirica ook contains cxacty cvcrythinc vhich thc conccpt aso
contains. ilnot cvcn morc. ut it docs not contain it in thc samc vay that thc
conccpt rcprcscnts it. as onc vhich appics to many Instcad. thc contcnt ol
thc cmpirica ook is civcn as onc lrom amonc many, i . c. , as isoatcd vithin
vhat is thcmaticay rcprcscntcd as such. ]hc particuar has dismisscd thc
possibiity ol bcinc |ust anythinc. but, ncvcrthccss, lor this rcason it is a
possibc cxampc ol thc onc vhich rccuatcs thc possibiity ol bcinc ust
anythinc as such that appics to many n this rccuation. hovcvcr. thc uni-
vcrsahas its ovnspccihc, ccardctcrminacy, and it is in no vay an indctcr-
minatc, dissovinc anythinc and cvcrythinc" n contrast to vhat has bccn
isoatcd.
]hc rcprcscntinc ol thc ruc is thc schcma. ^s such, it ncccssariy rcmains
rcativcto possibcschcma-imaccs. olvhichnouniqucncss canbc dcmandcd.
hc conccpt oldocsicnihcsa ruc accordincto vhichmypovcrolimacina
tion can spccily thc lorm ' Ccs|al| ola lour-lootcd anima inccncra, vithout
bcincimitcd to anyparticuarlormvhichcxpcricnccollcrs to mc, oralso to
any possibc imacc vhich I can prcscnt |occoctc|c. '
]hat thc cmpirica ook docs not attain its cmpirica conccpt cxprcsscs thc
positivc structura rcationship olthc schcma-imacc to thc schcma, accordinc
to vhich it is a possibc prcscntation olthc ruc olprcscntation rcprcscntcd
in thc schcma. ^t thc samc timc. this mcans that, bcyond thc rcprcscntation
ol this rccuativc unity olthc ruc. thc conccpt is nothinc. Vhat ocic rclcrs
to as a conccpt is croundcd in thc schcma ]hc conccpt avays rclcrs
immcdiatcy to thc schcma. "
Kant says ol thc cmpirica ob|cct that it is cvcn css" abc to comc up to
I 2B A ! 1I , ! B0.
!29 bid
!J0. bid
a. Scc Kd| J. L| rrc|sru | . J9, p. 2J |Cririquc o|]uJymcur. tr H crnard lcwork
Halncr rcss. I9J!) , p. !9|
b. cc a|rcadywccanscchowit hasbccn|or thc ocirII
70 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs |99- ! 00I
|hc s|andardsc|byi|sconccp||hanis|hc imacc"ol|hc purcscnsiblcconccp|.
Is i|pcrhaps lor|his rcason |ha||hc schcma-imaccs olma|hcma|ical concc|s
arc morc adcqua|c |o |hcir conccp|s! Cbviously vc arc no| |o |hink hcrc ol
a cocspondcncc in |hc scnsc ol a likcncss ci|hcr. ]hc schcmaimacc ol a
ma|hcma|ical cons|ruc|ion is cqually valid vhc|hcr i| is cmpirically cxac| or
rouchly skc|chcd ou| .
Kan| is obviously |hinkinc ol |hc lac| |ha| a ma|hcma|ical schcma-imacc,
c. c. , a spccihc |rianclc,mus|ncccssarlybcci|hcr acu|c, rich| orob|usc. Vi|h
|ha|, hovcvcr, |hc possibili|y ol bcinc|us| any|hinc is alrcady cxhaus|cd in
|hc casc ol |hc |rianclc vhcrcas i| is crca|cr in |hc casc ol |hc prcscn|a|ion
ol a housc. Cn |hc o|hcr hand, hovcvcr, |hc sphcrc ol|hc prcscn|abili|y ol
an acu|c orrich| |ianclchasa crca|crbrcad|h. ]hisschcma-imacc, |hcn, vi|h
i|s rcs|ic|ion, comcs closcr |o |hc uni|y ol |hc conccp| vi|h |his crca|cr
brcad|h i| comcs closcr |o |hc univcrsali|y ol |his uni|y u| as alvays, |hc
imacc s|illhas|hcappcarancc olanindivdual,vhilc |hc schcma has|hcuni|y
ol|hc univcrsal rlc covcrninc many possiblc prcscn|a|ions "as i|s in|cn|ion. "
Irom |his,vha|i scsscn|ial|o|hc schcma-imacc hrs|bccomcsclcar i|docs
no| cc| |hc charac|cr ol i|s look only or hrs| ol all lrom |hc con|cn| ol i|s
dircc|ly disccmiblc imacc. |hcr, i| cc|s |hc charac|cr ol i|s look lrom |hc
lac| |ha| i| sprincs lor|h and hov i| sprincs lor|h lrom ou| ol |hc possiblc
prcscn|a|ion rcprcscn|cd in i|s rccula|ion |hus, as i| vcrc, brincinc |hc rulc
in|o |hc sphcrc ol possiblc in|ui|abli| Cnly il |hc cxprcssion imacc" is
undcrs|ood in |his scnsc ol |hc schcmaimacc is i| possiblc |o call hvc poin|s
sc| onc al|cr ano|hcr . . . . an imacc ol |hc numbcr hvc
,,

' ]hc numbcr

i|scllncvcr looks likc |hc hvc poin|s, bu| i| also ncvcr looks likc |hc symbols
D

or `. ]hcsc arc indccd, looks, in s|ill ano|hcr vay, ol |hc numbcr in

qucs|ion. In ccncral, |hc shapc D' skc|chcd ou| in spacc has no|hinc in
common vi|h |hc numbcr, vhcrcas |hc look ol |hc hvc poin|s . . . . . is
ccr|ainly cnumcrablc by mcans ol |hc numbcr hvc. Cl coursc, |his rov ol
poin|s docs no| indica|c |hc numbcr bccausc i| is visiblc a| a clancc and
bccausc vc can apparcn|ly cx|rac| |hc numbcr lro i|, bu| ra|hcr bccausc i|
conlorms |o |hc rcprcscn|a|ion ol |hc rulc lor |hc possiblc prcscn|abili|y ol
|his numbcr.
u| acain, vc do no| hrs| apprchcnd |hc numbcr on |hc basis ol |his
conlormi| Ra|hcr, vc alrcady posscss cvcrynumbcrin|hc rcprcscn|a|ion ol
a mc|hod vhcrcbya mul|iplici|y lor ins|ancc a |housand, maybc rcprcscn|cd
in an imacc in conlomi|y vi|h a ccr|ain conccp|. "
'' In |hc rcprcscn|inc ol
|hcrulcolprcscn|a|ion, |hcpossibili|yol|hcimaccisalrcadylormcd. ' ]his,
and no| |hc isola|cd look ola mul|iplici|y ol poin|s, isalrcady |hc |ruc look
I J I . Uctctncn|dcrkuny, p B, notc.
I J2. A ! 10 I 79.
I JJ. A I 10, ! 79.
h2I . |I 00-I 0I 7
which bconcs structuray to thc schcma. thc schcmaimacc. Ior a rca. dc-
incatcd row olpoints, or rathcr onc which has ony bccn rcprcscntcd. thc
intuitabc capacity to bc vicwcd at a cancc or not to bc vicwcd at a cancc
rcmainsunimportantlorthc "sccinc" olthc schcma-imacc. It islorthisrcason
aswc that mathcmatica conccpts arcncvcrcroundcdonthc simpydisccrn-
ibc imaccs. butinstcad on thc schcmata. In lact. itisnot imaccs immcdiatc
ooks olthcobjcctswhichicatthcloundationolourpurc.scnsibcconccpts,
but rathcrthc schcmata." `
]hc anaysis ol thc imacc-charactcr olthc schcma-imacc olcmpirica and
purc, scnsibc conccpts has arcady provcn thc makinc-scnsibc olconccpts
isa compctcyspccihcprocurincolcharactcristicimaccs. Inthc chcmatism,
thc makinc-scnsibc which lorms thc schcma can bc undcrstood ncithcr by
anaocy to thc customary "imacc-ikc prcscntation" 'h|ldl|c|co Datstcllaog|
nor cvcn by bcinc traccd back to this. ]hc attcr is possibc to such a sma
dccrcc that. on thc contrary cvcn thc makincscnsibc in thc scnsc hrst dc
scribcdthc immcdiatc, cmpirica ookinc at thincs and thc production ol
ikcncsscs ol it which arc at hand-is ony possibc on thc counds ol thc
possibc makinc-scnsibc ol conccpts in thc manncr olthc chcmatism
^ccordinc to its csscncc, a conccptua rcprcscntinc is schcmatism. ^
hnitcknoinc.howcvcr,asthinkincintuitinc,isncccssariyconccptua. ]hus
in thc immcdiatc pcrccption olsomcthinc at hand this housc lor cxampc,
thcschcmatizinc prcmonition ' \cthl|c| olsomcthincikchousc inccncrais
ol ncccssity arcady to bc lound. It is lrom out ol this pro-posinc ' \ct
stcllaog' aonc that what iscncountcrcd canrcvca itsclas housc, can ollcr
thc ook ola housc which is at hand. " thc schcmatism occurs olncccssity
on thccroundsolourknowincas hnitc knowinc. Iorthat rcason Kant must
say, "]his schcmatism . . . is an art conccacd in thc dcpths ol thc human
sou. . . . "' ' Iowcvcr. il thc chcmatism bconcs to thc csscncc ol hnitc
knowcdcc and ilhnitudc is ccntcrcd in transccndcncc, thcn thc occurrcncc
ol transccndcncc at its inncrmost | cvc must bc a schcmatism. Ior this
rcason, Kantncccssariycomcsacross a "transccndcnta schcmatism" ilindccd
hc is to brincto icht thc cround lor thc inncr possibiityoltransccndcncc.
!J1. A ! 10|, I B0. ln thc sccond cdition thc words addcd by Hcidcggcr wcrc cncIoscd in
parcnthcscs and gavc thc imprcssion o bcing part o|Kants tcxt, an ovcright corrcctcd in thc
|ourth cditiontr.
!JJ. A ! 1! . ! B0.
c. Hcrc wc must distinguish bctwccn thinking in conccpts, or bringing out conccpts and
proving|m conccpts-scc Critiquc o|]uJymcnt.
72 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics ' I0I - 0J
hZZ. Thc Transccndcntal Schcmatsm
y mcans olthc ccncra charactcrization olschcmatism asa particuarkind
olmakinc-scnsiblc, it hasbccn shovn that schcmatism bconcsncccssariy to
transccndcncc. Cn thc othcr hand, thc charactcrization ol thc lu structurc
olontoocicaknovlcdcc,vhichisncccssariyintuition,hascd to thcinsicht.
makinc-scnsibc. and indccd a purc makinc-scnsibc, bconcs olncccssity to
transccndcncc. Vc havc asscrtcd that this purc makinc-scnsibc occurs as a
schcmatism. It is nov a qucstion ol croundinc this asscrtion by mcans ola
proolthat thc ncccssary, purc makinc-scnsibc olthc purc undcrstandincand
its conccpts |notions) happcns in a transccndcnta schcmaism. Vhat this
|schcmatism itscl is, vi bc carihcd vith thc unvciinc ol thc manncr in
vhich it occurs.
]hc schcma-lorminc makinc-scnsibc has as its purposc to procurc an
imacc lor thc conccpt. Vhat is mcant in |this conccpt . thcrclorc. has an
ordcrcdrcation toa disccrnibiity In such intuitabiity, vhatis conccptuay
intcndcd bccomcs pcrccivabc lor thc hrst timc. ]hc schcma brincs itscl,
i . c. brincs thc conccpt, into an imacc. ]hc purc conccptsolthc undcrstand-
inc, vhich vcrc thoucht in thc purc I think, " rcquirc an csscntiay purc
disccrnibility il in lact that vhich stands-acainst in thc purc cttnc-stand-
acainst is to bc capabc olbcinc pcrccivabc as a cinc-in-opposition.' `' ]hc
purc conccpts must bc croundcd in purc schcmata, vhich procurc an imacc
lor thcm.
ov Kant cxprcssy says. hovcvcr. Cn thc othcr hand, thc schcma ol a
purc conccpt olthc undcrstandinc is somcthinc vhich can ncvcrbc rcduccd
to any imacc vhatsocvcr . . . . Iovcvcr, il it bconcs to thc csscncc ol a
schcma that s to bc broucht into an imacc. thcn thc cxprcssion imacc" in
thc prcccdincscntcncccanonymcanaspccihckindolimacctothccxcusion
olothcrs. Irom thc sart. itcan onybc a qucstion olthc schcma-imaccs. ]hc
rclusa , thcn, ol a possibc symboization ' \cth|ldl|c|aog ol thc schcmata ol
notions rst ol al mcans mcrcy this thc prcscntabc ook, vhosc ruc ol
prcscntation is rcprcscntcd in thc schcma olthc notion, can ncvcr bc takcn
out ol thc sphcrc ol thc cmpirically intuitivc. Il imacc is takcn to mcan
cmpirica ook in thc broadcst scnsc, thcn thc schcma olthc notion obviously
docs not aov itscl to bc broucht into any imacc vhatcvcr. " ct cvcn thc
ooks vhich spccily thc mathcmatica construction ol conccpts arc aso as
imaccs ol macnitudcs ' Ctco'| , rcduccd to a dctcrminatc rccion ol thc
! J A I. I .
a. Scc Dui:buy:chcrNach|a I | ' Conncction wth thc |ran:ccnJcn|a| subcct o| ]uJymcn|.
udcmcntandschcma constructonntuton' Hacrncccrtainlydocsno|scc throuch thcrb|cm.
p l.!
h22 lI 0J-I 01I 7J
ob|cctivc. Morcovcr. thc notions as prima conccpts cannot bc broucht into
imaccs ikc this cithcr. to thc cxtcnt that thcy rcprcscnt thosc rucs in vhich
obcctivity in ccncra as prciminary horizon lor thc possibc cncountcrinc ol
a ob|cctsis lormcd 'h|ldct| Icncc. in thc phrasc citcd abovc. imacc" 8|ld|
mcansthckindsolschcmaimaccsvhichbconcto thc schcmata olcmpirica
and mathcmatica conccpts. ]hc schcma ol thc purc conccpts ol thc undcr-
standinc cannot bc broucht into any imaccs olthis kind vhatsocvcr.
lov thc cucidation ol thc inncr possibiity ol ontoocica knovcdcc in
thc]ransccndcnta Ocductionhas shovn throuch thc mcdiation olthc purc
synthcsis ol thc transccndcnta povcr olimacination. thc purc conccpts arc
csscntiay rcativc to purc intuition |timc) . and vicc vcrsa. p to nov, hov-
cvcr. ony thc csscntia ncccssity olthc rcation bctvccn notion and timc has
bccn discusscd. Cn thc othcr hand. thc inncrmost structurc ol this rcation
as thc inncrmost construction oltransccndcncc has not yct bccn cucidatcd.
^s purc intuition, hovcvcr. timc is such as to procurc a ook prior to a
cxpcricncc. ]hcpurc ookvhich civcs itsclinsuchpurc intuition |lorKant.
thcpurcsucccssion ol thcscqucnccolnovs)must thcrclorc bc cacd a purc
imacc. ^nd in thc chaptcr on Schcmatism. Kant himsclcvcn says. "]hc purc
imacc . . . ol a ob|ccts olscnsc inccncra.hovcvcr. is timc. "'
Morcovcr.
thc samc thinc is cxprcsscd in a atcr passacc. no css important. in vhich
Kant dctcrmincs thc csscncc ol thc notion thc notion is thc purc conccpt,
insolar as ithas its oricin simpyin thcundcrstandinc |not in thc purc imacc
olscnsibiity). "'"
Icncc thc schcma ol thc purc conccpt ol thc undcrstandinc can aso bc
brouchtvcryniccyintoanimacc.providcdthatimacc"isnovtakcnaspurc
imacc. "
^spurcimacc,"timcisthcschcmaimaccandnot|ustthc lormolintuition
vhichstandsovcrandacainstthc purc conccpts olthc undcrstandinc. Icncc
thc schcma ol notions has a charactcr ol its ovn. ^s schcma in ccncra it
rcprcscnts unitics, rcprcscntinc thcm as rucsvhich impart thcmscvcs to a
possibc ook. lov accordinc to thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction. thc unitics
rcprcscntcd in thc notionsrclcrcsscntiay and ncccssariy to timc. ]hc schc
matismolthcpurc conccptsolthcundcrstandinc,thcrclorc. mustncccssariy
rccuatc thcsc intcrnay in timc. ut as thc ]ransccndcnta ^csthctic shovs.
timcisthcrcprcscntationolauniqucob|cct. " '"Oillcrcnt timcs arcbutparts
oloncand thcsamctimc. ]hcrcprcscntationvhichcanonybccivcnthrouch
auniqucob|cct.hovcvcr. isintuition. "

Icncctimcisnotonythcncccssary
!J7 A I 12, I B2
!JB A J20, J77.
I J9. A J! |, ~7.
!10 bd.
b i . c . in thcir obcctiv
7 Kant and thc Fmblcm oI MctaphysIcs | !0- !0J|
purc imacc olthc schcmata ol|hc purc conccp|s ol |hc undcrs|andinc, but
aso thcir soc,purcpossibii|yolhavncaccr|ainook]hisuniquc possibii|y
olhavinc a ccrtain ook shovs itscl in itscl tobc nothincothcr |han avays
us| |imc and |hc tcmpora.
lov ilthccoscdmu|ipici|y olthc purc conccpts olthc undcrstandincL
|o havc i|s imacc in this uniquc possibii|y olhavinca ccr|ain ook, thcn this
imacc 8|ld mus| bc onc vhich is purc and vhich is lormabc h|ldhat| in a
varicty ol vays ]hrouch intcrna scl-rccuation in timc as purc ook, |hc
schcmata olthc notions pass thcir imacc o lrom this and thus ar|icuatc |hc
uniquc purc possibiity olhavinca ccrtain ook into a varic|yolpurc imaccs.
In this vay, |hc schcma|a ol |hc purc conccp|s ol thc undcrstandinc dc|cr
minc" timc. ]hc schcmataarc thusnothincbutaprioridc|ctm|oa||cosc]||mc
accordinc |o rucs "

orpu| morc succincty, transccndcnta dctcrmina|ions

ol |imc. "'
A such. |hcy arc a |ransccndcn|a product ol thc povcr ol
imacination. "' ]his schcmatism lorms transccndcncc a priori and hcncc is
cacd ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. "
]hc c||inc-s|and-acainst oltha| vhich i sobcc|ivc and vhich ollcrs itscl,
ol thc bcinc-in-opposi|ion-|o, occurs in transccndcncc duc |o thc lact that
on|oocica knovcdcc, as schcma|izinc intui|ion, makcs thc transccndcn|a
alhni|y ol thc unity ol thc ruc in thc imacc oltimc disccrnibc a priori and
thcrcvi|h capabc olbcinc takcn in s|ridc. ]hrouch its purc schcma-imacc,
|hc transccndcn|a schcma ncccssariy has an a priori charactcr vhich corrc
sponds. Icncc |hc in|crprc|a|ion carricd outol|hc individua, purc schcma|a
as |ransccndcnta dctcrminations oltimc mustpoint outthis corrcspondcncc
lorminc charactcr.
lov Kan| c|racts thc compc|c unity olthc purc conccpts olthc undcr
s|andinc lrom thc ]abc ol udcmcnts, and corrcspondincy, hc civcs thc
dchnitionsolthcschcmataolthc individua, purcconccptsol|hcundcrstand
incto |hc ]abc ollotions. ^ccordinc |o thc lourmomcn|s olthc divisionol
thc catccorics |an|i|y uaity Rca|ion, Modaity) , thc purc ook ol timc
must chibit lour possibii|ics ol lormabiity as |imc-scrics, |imc-contcnt,
timc-ordcr and timc-incusivcncss." ' ]hcsc charactcrs ol timc arc not so
much dcvcopcd systcmaticay throuch and out ol an anaysis ol timc i|scl,
bu| instcad arc hcd in it accordinc |o |hc ordcr ol thc ca|ccorics."'' ]hc
in|crprctation ol thc individua schcmata bccins hrst ol a vith a rcation
mcasurinc, comprchcnsivc anaysis olthc purc schcmata oluanti|y, Rcaity,
andSubs|ancc,thcnbccomcsmorcconcisc,andcndsvi|hmcrcdchnitions. '

I A I 5. I B.
I 2. A I JB. I 77.
I J. A I 2. I BI .
I . A I 5, I Bl.
I 5. lbid.
I . A I 2ll. , I B2ll.
h22. lI 0-I 0/I 7
I na ccrtan scnsc. Kant has a rcht to such a apdary prcscntation or l
thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatsm dctcrmlncs ontooclca knovcdcc on thc
bass olts csscncc. thcn thc systcmatcvorknc-outolontolocca knovcdcc
nthc prcscntatonolthc systcmolsynthctc prnciplcs mustncccssarycomc
across thc charactcr olthc schcmatsm a prori and must sct lorth thc corrc-
spondnc transccndcnta dctcrmnatons ol tmc. lov ths aso occurs. a-
thouch ony vithnccrtan mts.'
It scasy to rccocnc. thc morc ccary thc csscnta structurc ol thc ]ran
sccndcnta Schcmatsm and. n ccncra. a that bconcs to thc vhoc oltran
sccndcncc s broucht to cht. thcn a thc morc ccary do thc paths appcar
byvhchto hnd ourvay n thc darkncss olthcscmostorcnastructurcs n
thc dcpths olour sou. " ]hc univcrsa csscncc olthc schcmatsm n ccncra.
and ol thc transccndcntal n partcuar. has ndccd bccn dctcrmncd vth
sulhcicntcart ]hat a lurthcr advancncspossbc. hovcvcr,s dvuccdby
Kant hmscl n thc lolovnc rcmar. ]hat vc may not bc lurthcr dclaycd
by a dryand tcdous dissccton olvhat s dcmandcd bytransccndcntaschc-
mata ol thc purc conccpts ol thc undcrstandnc n ccncra. vc prclcr to
prcscnt thcm accordnc to hc ordcr olthc catccorcs and nconnccton vth
thcm. "
Is t ony thc dryncss and tcdousncss ol ths allair vhch rcstrans Kant
lrom attcmptnc a lurthcr dsscction! ]hc ansvcr to ths qucston cannot as
yct bc cvcn. |Vhcn cvcn. thc ansvcr| v aso carly vhy thc prcscnt
ntcrprctaton rclrans lrom attcmptnc a concrctc unlodnc ol thc Kantan
dchntons ol thc purc schcmata. Iovcvcr. n ordcr to shov that Kants
doctrinc olthc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism s no baroquc thcory but nstcad
scrcatcdout olthc phcnomcna thcmscvcs. I voud kc to cvc anntcrprc
taton-admttcdlyonya shortandrouchonc- olthc transccndcntaschcma
ola catccory. namcy. olsubstancc.
]hcschcmaolSubstanccs thc pcrsstcnccolthc rcantmc. . . . Ior
thc lu clucdaton ol thc schcmatsm ol ths schcma. vc must rclcr to thc
Irst ^nalocy" . c. . to thc rncpc olcrsstcncc.

'
Substancc, asanoton. scnhcs hrstolal|ust. thatvhchlormsthc cround
|subsstcncc) Its schcma must bc thc rcprcscntaton ol that vhch lorms
thc cround, provdcd that t prcscnts tscl n thc purc macc ol tmc. lov
timc, as purc scqucncc olnovs. s avays nov. In cvcry nov ts nov. ]mc
thus shovs ts ovn pcrmancncc. ^s such. tmc s mmutabc and astnc." t
l 7 A I JBl, l 97ll.
I B A l . B
l 9. Scc bcow, J J , p I JJ.
0 A l J. I BJ
I I A IB2. 22ll.
7 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 07- 0BI
"docsnotitsclpass. "' '

Statcdmorcprcciscy. timcisnotoncthincamonc
othcrs vhich asts. Rathcr, prcciscy on thc crounds olthc csscntia charactcr
prcviousy mcntioncdtobcnov, in cvcrynovtimc civcs thc purc ook ol
somcthincikc astincin ccncra. A thispurcimacc |immcdiatc purc "ook),
it prcscnts that vhich lorms thc cround in purc intuition.
]his lunction ol prcscntation, hovcvcr, vi hrst bccomc ccnuincy ccar
vhcn thc lu contcnt ol thc notion "Substancc" is cxamincd vhich Kant
nccccts todohcrc. Substanccisacatccoryol"Rcation |bctvccnSubsistcncc
and Inhcrcncc). It sicnihcs that vhic lorms thc cround lor a "thinc vhich
adhcrcs" c|o Ao|aogcodcs"| ]hus timc is ony thc purc imacc ol thc notion
Substancc il it prcscnts prcciscy this rcation in thc purc imacc.
]imc, hovcvcr, is as scqucncc olnovs prcciscybccausc in cvcry ovinc
nov it is a nov, cvcn anothcr no ^s thc ook olvhat asts, itollcrs at thc
samc timc thc imacc olpurc chancc in vhat asts.
So, cvcn this rouch intcrprctation ol thc transccndcnta schcma ol Sub-
stancc, vhich at its onccst cannot advancc into thc morc oricinastructurcs
must shov vhat is mcant by thc notion Substancc can itsclprocurc a purc
imacc a priori in timc. Ior this rcason, thc objcctivity in thc cttinc-stand
acainst bccomcs disccrnibc and distinct a priori, providcd that Substancc
bconcs to it as constitutivc ccmcnt. ]hrouch this schcmatism thc notion as
schcmatizcd standsinvlcvinadvancc, so that in this prciminaryvicv olthc
purc imacc ol pcrsistcncc, a bcincvhich as such isunatcrabc in thc chancc
can shov itscl lor cxpccncc. "]o timc, itsclimmutabc and astinc, thcrc
corrcsponds in appcarancc that vhich is immutabc in cxistcncc" |i.c. ,
cinc-at-hand).

]hc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism is conscucnty thc cround lor thc inncr

possibiity olontoocica knovcdcc. Itlorms h|ldc||thatvhichstandsacainst
in thc purc cttinc-stand-acainst in such a vay that vhat is rcprcscntcd in
purc thinkincisncccssariy civcn intuitabyin thc purc imacc '8|ldc| oltimc.
]husitis timc as civcna priori, vhichinadvancc bcstovsupon thchorizon
ol transccndcncc thc charactcr olthc pcrccivabc ollcr. ut not ony that. A
thc uniuc, purc, univcrsa imacc, it civcs a prciminary cncoscdncss to thc
horizon ol transccndcncc. ]his sincc and purc ontoocica horizon is thc
condition lor thc possibiity that thc bcinc civcn vithin it can havc this or
that particuar, rcvcacd, indccd ontic horizon. ut timc docsnot civcjust thc
prcimina unihcd cohcrcncc to transccndcncc. Rathcr, as thc purc scl
civinc

it simpyocrs to it, in ccncra, somcthincikc a chcck.

' It makcs
! 52. A !11. !BJ
! 5J. lbd.
c. SccA 1 I . 5B. "timcitscI|isnotchangcd, but thc, somcthingwhich is in timc."
h2J. |I 08-I I JI 77
pcrccivabc to a hnitc crcaturc thc cinc-in-opposition-to" olob|cctivity
|

l
vhich bconcs to thc hnitudc olthctransccndinc tuminc-tovard.
hZJ. 5chcmatsm and 5ubsumpton
In thc prcccdnc paccs. thc antian doctrinc olthc schcmatism olthc purc
conccpts ol thc undcrstandinc vas intcntionay intcrprctcd in icht ol thc
uniquc oricntation tovard thc inncrmost occurrcncc ol transccndcncc. lov
vith his ayincolthccround lor mctaphysics. hovcvcr. antdocsnotsimpy
loov thc probcmatic. thc impusc lor vhich ariscs ancv vith cvcry stcp.
Rathcr. cvcn vith thc hrst introduction to thc dccisivc ccmcnts olthc doc
trinc. hc cincs hrst ol a to thc most lcasibc. knovn lormuations vhich
shoud cad in a prciminary vay to thc probcm. ]hus thc ]ransccndcnta
Ocduction bccins as a cca action 'Pcc|ts|aodcl| vithin traditiona mctaphys
ics. It is dccidcd by thc prool that thc notions must bc catccorics. i . c. . that
accordincto thcircsscncc thcymust bconc to ]ransccndcncc itsclilthcyarc
to bcabc a priori to dctcrminc cmpirica. acccssibcbcincs. ^tthc samc timc,
hovcvcr. thccondition lor thc usc" olthcscconccpts is hxcd.
]o uscconccptsmcansinccncra to appythcmtoob|ccts. orrathcr-sccn
lrom thcstandpoint olthc ob|ccts -to brincthcsc objccts undcr" conccpts
In thc ancuacc ol traditiona ocic. this usc ol conccpts is cacd sub
sumption.]ousc thc purc conccpts as transccndcnta dctcrminations oltimc
a priori. i . c. . to attain purc knovcdcc. mcans. thc proccssolthc Schcmatism.
Sccn lrom this point olvicv. thc probcm olthc Schcmatism in lact initiay
aovs itsclto bc discusscd quitc adcquatcy in thc tcxtbooks on subsump
tion. ut itmustbcobscrvcd thathcrc -in ontoocica knovcdcc i tis lrom
thc hrst a mattcr ol ontoocica conccpts. and conscqucnty aso a mattcr ol
a pccuiar. i. c. . anontoocica. subsumption. "
^rcady vith thc hrst charactcrization olthc csscntia unity olontoocica
knovcdcc. thcn. ant has not ncccctcd to audc to thc lundamcnta dillcr-
cncc bctvccn brincinc undcr conccpts" |vhich conccms thc ob|ccts) and
brincinctoconccpts"|vhich conccrnsthcpurcsynthcsiolthctransccndcn
ta povcr olimacination). ]hc brincinc to conccpts" olthc purc synthcsis
occurs in thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. It lorms" thc unity rcprcscntcd in
thc notion into thc csscntia ccmcnt ol purc, disccrnabc ob|cctivity In thc
! J1. Scc A 7Bll., !01ll.
3. udgmcnt
b.p|c |somcthing undcr |somcthing
c. "rcccton to what dcgrcc
7B Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' ! ! 0- I ! I l
]ransccndcnta Schcmatism thc catccoricsarc lormcd hrst ola ascatccorics.
Il thcsc arc thc truc prima conccpts. " hovcvcr. thcn thc ]ransccndcnta
Schcmatism is thc oricina and authcntic conccpt-lormation as such.
]hcrclorc. ilKant introduccs thc chaptcr on Schcmatism vith a rclcrcncc
to subsumption. it is bccausc hc vants thcrcby to point to transccndcnta
subsumption as thc ccntra probcm in ordcr to shov that in thc csscntia
structurc olpurc knovcdcc. thc qucstion conccrninc thc innc possibiity ol
oricina conccptuaity as such has burst opcn
]hc cmpirica conccpts vcrc dravn lrom cxpcricncc and arc thcrclorc
homoccncous" vith thc contcnt ol thc bcinc thcy dctcrminc. ]hcir appica-
tion to obccts. i . c. . thcir usc, is no probcm lov purc conccpts ol thc
undcrstandinc, hovcvcr. in comparison vith cmpirical intuitions indccd.
vith scnsibc intuitions in ccncra . arc compctcynonhomoccncousand can
ncvcr bc cncountcrcd in any intuition. lov hov is thc subsumption ol thc
attcr undcr thc lormcr, and conscqucnty hov is thc application ol thc catc-
cory to appcaranccs, possibc or no onc vi say that this | catccory , c. c. .
causaity. can aso comc to bc intuitcd throuch scnsc and is containcd in
appcarancc "

In thc qucstion conccrninc thc possibc usc ol thc catccorics.
thcir particuar csscncc itsclhrst bccomcsa probcm. ]hcscconccpts prcscnt
us vith thc qucstion ol thcir lormation" in ccncra. Icncc, thc tak ol thc
subsumption olappcaranccs undcrcatccorics" is not thc lormua lora sou
tion to thc probcm, but rathcr it contains prcciscly thc qucstion olthc scnsc
in vhich vc can spcak hcrc in ccncra olsubsumption undcr conccpts.
Ilvc takc thc Kantian lormuation olthc probcm ol schcmatism as thc
probcm ol subsumption simpy in thc scnsc olan introduction to thc prob-
cm. thcn it civcs us an indication ol thc ccntra purposc. and vith it an
indication ol thc corc contcnt ol thc chaptcr on Schcmatis.
]o rcprcscnt conccptuay mcans to rcprcscnt somcthinc in ccncra" |m
allgcmc|oco`| . Vith conccpt lormation as such, thc univcrsaity" ' Allgcmc|o-
|c|t'| olthc rcprcscntinc must bccomc a probcm. ut nov, ilthc catccorics
as ontoocica conccpts arc not homoccncous vith thc cmpirical obccts and
thc conccpts ol thosc obccts. thcn ncithcr can thcir univcrsality" bc that ol
a cvcvhich ishichcronybydccrcc olthcunivcrsaityolahichcr.orrathc
ol a hichcst ontic cass" or ccnus. " Vhat charactcr olccncrality" 'Ccoc
al|tt'|docsthc univcrsaity olthc ontoocica|i . c. . thc mctaphysica conccpts
havc ut that is mcrcy thc qucstion Vhat docs thc `gcocal|s' mcan in thc
charactcrization ol Cntolocy as Mctap,s|ca Ccocal|s ]hc probcm ol thc
Schcmatism ol thc purc conccpts ol thc undcrstandinc is thc qucstion con-
ccrninc thc inncrmost csscncc ol ontoocica knovcdcc.
I . A I I 7o|.
d. "samcncss` ascrounds |or univcrsality |A||ycmciuhcir| . samcncss and rcccriou
h2J. |I I I -I I 2 79
Icncc. thc loovinc stands out. IlKant poscs thc probcm olthcconccp
tuaity ol thc prima conccpt in thc Schcmatism chaptcr and ilhc rcsovcs it
vth thc hcp ol thc csscntia dctcrmination ol thcsc conccpts as ]ransccn-
dcnta Schcmata, thcn thc Ooctrinc ol thc Schcmatism olthc purc conccpts
ol thc undcrstandinc is thc dccisivc stacc ol thc ayinc o thc cround lor
Mctap|,s|caCcocal|s
]hcoricntationvithrcspccttothcidcaolsubsumption.asahrstdiscusslon
olthc probcm othc transccndcnta schcmatism, has a ccrtain|ustication.
utthcnKantis aso arcady pcrmittcd tocathcrlrom ita prciminaryskctch
ol thc possibc soution to thc probcm and to charactcrizc thc idca ol thc
transccndcnta schcmatism in a provisiona vay in tcrms olsubsumption. I
thc purc conccpt ol thc undcrstandinc is luy nonhomoccncous vith ap-
pcaranccs, but il it is stil to dctcrminc thcm, thcn thcrcmust bc a mcdiator
vhich bridccs thc nonhomoccncit ]his mcdiatinc rcprcscntation must bc
purc |void olcvcythinc cmpirica) , and indccd on thc onc hand it must bc
|otcllcctaal vhic on thc othcr hand it must bc scos|hlc ]hc !aosccodcotal
5c|cma is such a |mcdiatinc rcprcscntatlon "'

hus. an appication olthc

catccory to appcaranccs bccomcs possibc by mcans ol thc transccndcnta
dctcrminatlonoltimcvhich.asthcschcmaolthc conccptsolthc undcrstand-
inc, mcdiatcs thc subsumptlon olthc attcr undcr thc lormcr. " '
]hus thc inncrmost mcaninc ol thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism is shov
to bc thc qucstion ol Subsumption, cvcn in thc coscst and most supcrhcia
lorm ol thc probcm ol Schcmatism. ]hcrc is not thc cast causc to kccp
compaininccvcrancvola disunityandconlusionto thc Schcmatlsmchaptcr.
Il anythinc in thc C|t|aac c] PatcPcasco vas thorouchy artlcuatcd in thc
ccarcstvayandvasmcasurcdn cachvord, thcnitvoudbc this partvhich
is crucia lor thc vhoc vork. ccausc ol its sicnihcancc, vc havc shovn its
division cxpicity' `'
I ]hc introduction to thc probcm olthcSchcmatismvithcuidancc lom
thc traditiona idca olSubsumption |^ I J7 I 7 ^ 0, I 7-. ]hc
schcma in itscl is . . . ).
2. ]hc prcparatory anaysis ol thc structurc olthc Schcmatlsm in ccncra
and ol thc Schcmatism olthc cmpirica and mathcmatica conccpts |up
to ^ I 2, I BI . Cn thc othcr hand, thc schcma ol a purc conccpt ol
thc undcrstandlnc is . . . ) .
J. ]hc anaysis olthc ransccndcntal Schcma i nccncra |up t o^ I 2,
IB2 ]hc purc imacc ola macnitudcs . . . ") .
]hc intcrprctation olthc individua , transccndcnta schcmata vith culd-
ancc lrom thc ]abc ol Catccorics |up to ^ I D, I B. lov onc sccs
lom a olthcsc . . . ) +
I Jo A l JB. I 77.
I J7. A l J9. I 7B.
B0 Kaht and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | ! ! 2-! !
5 ]hc charac|criza|ion ol|hc lour casscs olca|ccorics vi|h a vicv |o|hc
corrcspondinc lour possibii|ics lor a purc lormabii|y '8|ldhat|c||| ol
|imc |up |o^ I+5, I 85

ovlrom |his is iumina|cd . . . ").

o ]hc dc|crmina|ion ol |hc ]ransccndcn|a Schcma|ism as |hc |ruc and
soc condi|ion" ol |ransccndcncc |up |o ^ I+o, I85 u| i| is aso
cvidcn| . . . ).
/ ]hc cri|ica appica|ion ol |hc csscn|ia dc|crmina|ion ol |hc ca|ccorics
vhich is croundcd |hrouch |hc Schcma|ism ||o |hc cnd ol|hc scc|ion).
]hc Schcma|ism chap|cr is no| conluscd," bu| ra|hcriscons|ruc|cd in an
incomparaby ucid vay ]hc Schcma|ism chap|cr is no| "conlusinc. " bu|
ra|hcr cads vi|h an unhcard-olccr|ain|y in|o |hc corc ol|hc vhoc probc
ma|ic ol |hc Ct|||aac c] Patc Pcasco. ^dmi||cdy a ol |ha| ony bccomcs
cvidcn| il |hc hni|udc ol |ransccndcncc is craspcd as cround lor |hc inncr
possibii|y |and |ha| mcans hcrc a ncccssi|y) ol mc|aphysics. so |ha| |hc
in|crprc|a|ion can cc| a |ochod on |hcsc crounds.
u| admi||cdy, Kan| vro|c in his as| ycars | I /9/) In ccncra. |hc Schc-
ma|ism is onc ol |hc mos| dilhcu| poin|s. vcn Icrr cck canno| hnd his
way |hcrcin. I hod |his chap|cr |o bc onc ol|hc mos| impor|an|. "
1HE FIF1H S1ACE F 1HE CRIND-IAYINC.
1HE FIII ESSEN1IAI DE1ERMINA1IN F
N1ICICAI KNVIEDCE
In |hc prcvious s|acc, |hc cround lor |hc inncr possibii|y ol on|oocica
syn|hcsis. and |hcrcby |hc coa ol |hc cround-ayinc, vas a||aincd vi|h |hc
]ransccndcn|a Schcma|ism. Ilvc novadd a hl|h s|acc, i| can no onccrcad
|hc cround-ayinc lur|hcr aonc. Ra|hcr, i| shoud |akc posscssion cxpici|y
ol |hc cround vhich has bccn von as such, i . c. . vi|h a vicv |o i|s possibc
cu|iva|ion.
Ior |his |o happcn, |hc s|accs vc havc us| run |hrouch mus| bc adop|cd
in |hcir uni|y no| in |hc scnsc olan addinc-|occ|hcr vhich comcs al|cr |hc
lac|, bu| ra|hcr in |hc manncr ol an indcpcndcn|, lu dc|crmina|ion ol|hc
csscncc olon|oocicaknovcdcc. Kan|aysdovn |his dccisivc dc|crmina|ion
olcsscncc in |hc "hichcs| principc ola syn|hc|icjudcmcn|s."' Iovcvcr, il
on|oocica knovcdcc is nonc o|hcr|han |hc oricina lorma|ion ol|ransccn-
! 5B. Kn|s handsrhi|||irhcNarh|a, voI. no. J59.
! 59. A ! 5- ! 5B, !9J-! 97.
h21. |I I 1-I I JI B I
dcncc, thcn thc hichcstprincipc mustcontainthc mostccntradctcrmination
ol thc csscncc ol transccndcncc. ]hat this is so is nov to bc shovn. ]hc
prospcct lor thc lurthcr tasks and conscqucnccs ol thc Kantian aync ol thc
cround lorMc|ap|,s|caCcoctal|s vi arisc lrom thc cround and soi vc havc
attaincd in this vay
h21. Thc Hghcst Synthctc PrncpIc as thc FuII
Dctcnnnaton o[ thc Lsscncc o[ Transccndcncc
Kant aso introduccs this ccntra piccc ol doctrinc in | thc contcxt ol a
critica attitudc tovard traditiona mctaphysics. ]his | attcr vants to knov
thcbcinc"lrommcrcconccpts, "i . c. , lromthinkincaonc. ]hcpccuiarcsscncc
olmcrc thinkincis dcimitcd byccncra ocic. Mcrc thinkincisthcjoinincol
sub|cct and prcdicatc udcinc) Such |oininc cxpains ony vhat s rcprc
scntcd in thc |oincd rcprcscntations as such. It must bc mcrcy cxpanatory
"nytic," bccausc it has "paycd mcrcy vith rcprcscntations. " Mcrc
inkinc, il it vants to bc such, must "rcmain" vith vhat is rcprcscntcd as
such. Cl coursc, cvcn in this bindinctoccthcr it aso has its ovn rucs
lundamcnta prncipcs, olvhich thc hichcst is rcputcd to bc thc "rincipc
lContradiction" '

' Inccncra, mcrc thinkincisnotknovinc rathcr, itisjust

n ccmcnt , athouch a ncccssary onc, olhnitcknovcdcc. Iovcvcr, vc cn
cpanduponmcrcthinkinc,providcdthatitistakcninadvanccasanccmcnt
lhnitc knovcdcc vc can makc visibc its ncccssaryrcation to somcthinc
vhich hrst dctcrmncs lu knovcdcc in a prmaryvay
Ilthc prcdicatc is to bc an ccmcnt in an instancc ol knovcdcc, thcn it
is not so much a mattcr ol its rcationship to thc sub|cct apophantic-
prcdicativc synthcsis),but rathcr olits |bcttcr olthc vhoc subjcct-prcdicatc
rcation)"rcationship"to"somcthincvhoyothcr."

]hisothcristhcbcinc
iscl, vith vhich thc knovinc-thus aso thc j udcinc rcationship vhich
bconcstoit is tobc"inaccord. "Icncc thcknovincmust"cobcyondthat
point at vhichcvcrymcrc thinkinc as such, vhich prcviousy vas bound
toccthcr in itscl, ncccssariy "rcmains. " Kant cas this thc "rcationship" to
thc "vhoy othcr" synthcsis |thc \critativc Synthcsis) . A such, insolar as it
!0. A ! JJ, I9J.
!! A ! J0H . , !B9H.
!2. A !J, !9J|
a. istinguish bctwccn Subcctbcct rcIationship in gcncra and |orma and anaIyticudg
mcnts, thc two arc not thc samc, scc thc highcst principIc o|AnaIyticudgmcnt and ncgativc
dccminationo|a||udgmcnts ingcncra -VS !9JJlJ. |DicFragcnarhdcmDing.ZuKntshc
on dcn transzcndcnta|cn Grundsatzcn. CA voI. !I, p. ! 7J. lWhat ls a !hing? t. V . aton
and cutsch |Soh cnd. Catcway, !97), p. !9H.]
B2 Kaht ahd thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' ! I - I I 7l
knovs somcthnc vhoy othcr. knovcdcc s synthctc. ut nov. hovcvcr.
sncc thc prcdcatvc-apophantc onnc n mcrc thnknc can aso bc cad
synthcss. t s bcst to dstncush thc synthcss spcchc to knovcdcc. vhch
vas donc carcr. as thc onc vhch brncslorth namcy. thc vhoy othcr).
]hsconc-bcyondto thc vhoyothcr."hovcvcr.rcqurcsacncn-thcrc
lat|oocosc|o , n a mcdum" vthn vhch ths vhoy othcr"-that thc
knovnc crcaturc tscl s not and ovcr vhch t s not thc mastcr- can bc
cncountcrcd. ut vth thc loovnc vords. Kant nov paraphrascs vhat t s
that makcspossbc and makcs up ths concbcyondvhch turns-tovardand
vhch cts somcthncbc cncountcrcd. Itsbutonc quntcsscncc 'lohcgt|]!
n vhch a our rcprcscntatons arc contancd. namcy. thc nncr scnsc and
tsa pror lorm. tmc. ]hc synthcss olthc rcprcscntatons rcsts on thc povcr
ol macnaton. but thcr synthctc unty |vhch s rcqurcd lor |udcmcnt)
rcsts on hc unty olappcrccpton "
^saconscqucncc thctradolccmcnts.vhchvasntroduccdnthc sccond
stacc olthc cround-aync aoncvth thc nta charactcraton olthc csscn-
taunty olontooccaknovcdcc.cxpctyrccurshcrc. ]hcthrdandlourth
staccs. hovcvcr. shov hov thcsc thrcc ccmcnts lorm a structura unty vhosc
lormatvc ccntcr s thc transccndcnta povcr ol macnaton. Vhat s lormcd
thcrc. hovcvcr. stransccndcncc. IlKant novrccas ths trad lor thc purposc
ol thc dccsvc cucdaton oltransccndcncc. thcn t may no onccr bc takcn
accordnc to thc st-obscurc succcsson vth vhch thcy vcrc ntroduccd n
thc sccond stacc. athcr. t thc trad must bc luy prcscnt nthctransparcncy
ol ts structurc, vhch s hnay rcvcacd n thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatsm.
^nd l ths hlth stacc nov mcrcy summarcs. thcn thc csscnta unty ol
transccndcncc. hrst ndcatcd n thc sccond stacc ony as a probcm. must bc
takcn as umnatcd and must bc appropratcd as cxpctycucdatcd on thc
crounds olts csscnta possbty
]hus. Kant nov brincs thc vhoc probcm ol thc csscncc ol hntudc n
knovcdcc toccthcr n thc short lormua ol thc `pcss|h|l|t, c] cxpct|cocc
xpcrcncc mcans. hntc. ntutnc knovcdcc olbcncs vhch takcs thcm n
strdc. ]hc bcnc must bc cvcn to knovcdcc as somcthnc vhch stands-
acanst. lov n thc cxprcsson possbty olcxpcrcncc." on thc othcr hand.
thc tcrm possbty has a charactcrstc ambcuty
ossbc" cxpcricncc coudmcan possbc" as dstnct lrom rca. utnthc
possbty olcxpcrcncc. " thc possbc" cxpcricncc s no crcatcr a probcm
l oJ. A I . l 9.
I o lbd
I o. A I ol . I 9|
b. Scc A z I o zoJ. thc Analoccsas cxponcnts thccsscncc olcxponcnts Scc SS I 9J0 l\om
Wc:cu Jcmcu:ch|ichu Frihcir. Liu|ciruuv u Jic Phi|o:orhic. CA,vol J I . p. I z
C. somcthinc-asobcc ol possblc cxpcrcncc
h21. |I I /-I I 8! BJ
than thcactua nstcad hcyboth |arc aprobcm vithrcspcct to vhatmakcs
thcm possibc in advancc. Fossibiity ol cxpcricncc" mcans, thcrclorc. that
vhich makcs a hnitc cxpcricncc possibc, i . c. , that vhich is not ncccssariy
but rathcr possiby actua. ]his possibiity" vhich hrst makcs possibc thc
possiby" is thc pcss|h|l||as ol traditiona mctaphysics. '
' and is sonymous
vith cssco||a or tcal||as Ochnitions ol thc rca 'Pcal-lco|||coco arc takcn
lromthc csscncc olthcmattcr.lromthc initiacroundolpossibiity. "'

' ]hcy
scrvc lorknovcdcc ol thc mattcr accordinc to its inncr possibiity"

Fossibiityolcxpcricncc thcrclorc mcansprimariy. thc unihcd vhocncss

ol vhat hnitc knovcdcc makcs possibc in its csscncc. hc pcss|h|l||, c]
cxpct|cocc, thcn, is that vhich a priori civcs objcctivc rcaity to a our cocni-
tions 'Lt|coo|o|ssc

Fossibiity olcxpcricncc isthcrclorcsynonymousvith

transccndcncc. ]o circumscribc this in its lu . csscntia vhocncss mcans. to
dctcrminc thc conditions lor thc possibiity olcxpcrcncc. "
xpcricncc," undcrstood as cxpcricncinc in distinction lrom vhat is
cxpcricnccd. is intuitincvhich takcsthincs instridcandvhichmust ctthc
bcinc civc itscl. ]hat an objcct is civcn" mcans that it is prcscntcd im-
mcdiatcy in intuition."

ut vhat docs this mcan! Kant ansvcrs. to rcatc

thc rcprcscntation ol thc objcct to cxpcrcncc |bc it actua or sti possi
bc)."

]his rcatnc. hovcvcr. vants to succcst in ordcr loran objcct to bc

abc to civc itscl. thcrc must in advancc arcady bc a turninc-tovard such an
occurrcncc. vhich iscapabc olbcinc summoncd. "]his prciminaryturninc-
oncs-attcntiontovard . . . '5|c|zawcodcoza . . . occurs. as thc ]ransccndcn-
ta Ocduction shovs and as thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism cxpains, in thc
ontoocica synthcsis. ]his turninconc-attcntion-tovard . . . is thc condition
lor thcpossibiity olcxpcrcncinc.
^nd yct. thc possibiity ol hnitc knovcdcc rquircs a sccond condition.
Cnytruc knovcdcc is knovcdcc. ]ruth, hovcvcr. mcans accordancc vith
thc Cbjcct 'Dh)c||. ' In advancc. thcn. thcrc must bc somcthinc ikc a
vith-vhat 'c|o wcm|| ol thc possibc accordancc ' vhich can bc cncoun
tcrcd. i. c. , somcthinc vhich rccuatcs by civinc a standard. It must opcn up
inadvanccthchorizonolthcstandinc-acainst. andassuchitmustbc distinct.
]his horizonisthcconditionlorthc possibiityolthcobjcct 'Ccgcos|aod vith
rcspcct to its bcinc-abc-to-stand-acainst ' Ccgcos|c|co|oocos
oo. ycy. h I 0o. notc z, vol. ll . p. ++7. Scc alo J0z. notc. and A 9o. o2+.
ntc.
I o7. A I o. I 9
I oB. bd.
I o9 lbd.
I 70 A 7. l 9ol
d. incom|ctbut mportant hcrc
c Scc A 2J7, thc basic prncplcs olpurc undcrstandncassourcc olall truth.
B Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs | ! ! B- ! !9I
Hcncc thc possibiity o|hnitc knovcdcc, i . c. , thc cxpcricncinco|vhat is
cxpcricnccd as such, stands undcr tvo conditions. ]hcsc tvo conditios
toccthcrmust dcimit thc |u csscncc o|transccndcncc. ]his dcimitationcan
bccarricdoutvithonc proposition vhichstatcsthccround |orthcpossibiity
o| synthctic, i . c. , hnitc, knovinc judcmcnts, and vhich as such appics in
advancc to a . "
Vhat concusivc |ormuation docs Kant civc tothis hichcst |undamcnta
principc o|asynthcticjudcmcnts"` Itrcads thc conditions |orthcpcss|h|l|
c]cxpctcoccin ccncraarc atthc samc timc conditions|orthc pcss|h|l||,c] ||c
ch)cc|sc] cxpct|cocc."

]hc dccisivc contcnt o| this proposition ics not so much in vhat Kant
itaicizcd, but rathcr inthc arc at thcsamc timc" s|odzaglc|c|| Vhat, thcn,
docs this to bc at thc samc timc" | zaglc|c| sc|o| mcan` It civcs cxprcssion
to thc csscntia unity o| thc |u structurc o| transccndncc, vhich ics thc
|act that thc cttinc-stand-acainst vhich turns itsc| tovard as such|orms thc
horizon o|objcctivityinccncra. ]hc coinc-out-to . . . , vhichvas prcviousy
and ata timcs ncccssaryin hnitc knovinc, ishcncc a constant standinc-out-
|rom . . . |Lcs|as|s). ut this csscntia standinc-out-|rom . . . , prcciscyin thc
standinc, |orms and thcrcin hods bc|orc itsc|-a horizon. In itsc|, transccn-
dcncc is ccstatic-horizona. ]hc hichcst principc civcs cxprcssion to this
articuation o|transccndcncc unihcd in itsc|.
^ccordincy it may aso bc undcrstood conciscy as |oovs. vhat makcs
an cxpcricncincpossibc at thc samc timc makcs possibc thc cxpcricnccabc,
orrathcrcxpcricncinc |an cxpcricnccabcl assuch. ]hismcans transccndcncc
makcs thc bcinc in itsc| acccssibc to a hnitc crcaturc. ]hc cinc-at-thc-
samc-timc"in thc |ormua |or thc hichcst synthctic principc' docs notjust
mcan that both conditions avays comc |orth at thc samc timc, or that i| vc
think o|thc onc thcnvcvi asohavchad tothink o|thc othcr, orcvcn that
both conditions arc idcntica. ]hc croundinc proposition 'Cdsa|z| is no
principc 'Ptoz|p| that is arrivcd at in thc dravinc o| a concusion that vc
must put|orthasvaid i|cxpcricnccisto hod truc. Rathcr,it isthc cxprcssion
o| thc most oricina phcnomcnoocica knovcdcc o| thc inncrmost, unihcd
structurc o| transccndccc, aboriousy cxtractcd in thc staccs o|thc csscntia
proj cction o| ontoocica synthcsis that havc arcady bccn prcscntcd. '
! 7I A ! JB. !97.
! 72. Thcabovc intcpctation o|thc hiehcst synthctic principIc shows thc cxtcnt owhich it
dccrmincs thc csscncc o|synthctcudemcntsa prori and.atthc samc tmc, thccxtcnttowhich
it can bc cIaimcd as thc propcrIy undcrstood, mctaphysica rincipIc o| Su|ccnt cason |Sa(z
omGundc| . lnthisrceard,scc Hcdceecr, \omWcscndcsGrndcs,Fcs(sch(|or Edmund Husscr
|suppIcmcntary voIumc to thc]ahouch|Phi|osophic undphnomcno|ogisrhcIorsrhung) !929).
p. 7! II. . andin paticuIar p. 79I. |aIsoappcarineas arcprnt, thcdition, | !97Jl . p !I.). |This
cssayhasaIsobccnrcpintcd inthcanthoIoeyWcgmarkcn t!97). whichhas bccnrcissucdasvoI.
9 o|thc Gcsam|ausga with Hcidcgcr's own marenIa, . !2J-! 7J-|r.
h2J. |I20-I 2I BJ
hZ. Tmnsccndcncc thc Layng o[ thc Cmum [or Mctaphvsica Gcncralis
]hc unvciinc ol thc cround lor thc inncr possibiity ol thc csscncc ol
ontoocicasynthcsisvas dctcnincd tobcthc taskolthc ayincolthccround
lor Mc|ap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s Cntoocica knovcdcc has provcn itsclto bc that
vhich los transccndcncc. Icncc, thc insicht into thc lu strcturc oltran
sccndcncc nov makcs it possibc lor thc hrst timc to havc a ccarvicv ol thc
compctc rancc ol charactcristics pccuiar to ontoocica knovcdcc its
knovinc as vc as vhat it knovs.
]hc knovinc. as hnitc. must bc a thinkinc intuitinc ol vhat civcs itscl
vhich takcs |vhat cvcs itscl in stridc. and hcncc it must bc purc. It is a
purc schcmatism. ]hc purc unity olthc thrcc ccmcnts olpurc knovcdcc is
cxprcsscd in thc conccpt ol thc transccndcnta schcma as transccndcnta
dctcrmination oltimc. "
Ilontoocica knovincisschcma-lorminc, thcn thcrcvithi tcrcatcs |los)
lrom out ol tscl thc purc ook |imacc). s it not thc casc. thcn. that cvcn
ontoocica knovcdcc vhich occurs in thc transccndcnta povcr olimacina-
tion is crcativc"! ^nd ilontoocica knovinc los transccndcncc. vhich in
trnconstitutcs thc csscncc ol hnitudc, thcn is not thc hnitudc ol transccn-
dcncc burst asundcr bccausc ol this crcativc" charactcr! Oocs not thc hnitc
crcaturc bccomc inhnitc throuch this crcativc" bchavior!
ut is ontoocica knovcdcc. thcn, as crcativc" as |o|a||as ct|g|oat|as, lor
vhich thc bcinc in intuitinc is in and as vhat stands lorth and can ncvcr
bccoc objcct!
' Oo bcincs comc to bc knovn," thcn, in this crcativc"
ontoocica knovcdcc i . c. . arc thcy crcatcd as such! ^bsoutcy not. Cnto
ocicaknovcdccnot ony docs not crcatc bcincs, but aso it docsnot rcatc
itsclat a, thcmaticay or dirccty to thc bcinc.
ut to vhat |is it rcatcd thcn! Vhat is thc knovn ol this knovinc! ^
lothinc. Kant casit thc X and spcaks olan objcct. "]ovhatcxtcnt isthis
X a lothinc, and to vhat cxtcnt is it sti a Somcthinc"! ]hc ansvcr to this
ucstionrccardincthc knovn in ontoocicaknovcdcc canbc civcnthrouch
a short intcrprctation olboth olthc main passaccs in vhich Kant spcaks ol
this X. Charactcristicay. thc hrst passacc is lound in thc introduction to thc
]ransccndcnta Ocduction. ]hc sccond is loundn thc scction cntitcd Cn
thc rounds lorthcOistinctionolaCbjcctsin cncraintohcnomcnaand
loumcna" that, accordinc to thc structurc olthc Ct|||aac D] Patc Pcasco,
concudcs thc positivc ayinc olthccround lor Mc|ap|,s|caCcoctal|s
]hc hrstpassacc rcads lovvc arc aso abc to dctcninc morc corrccty
our conccpt olan ch)cc| in ccncra. ^ rcprcscntations, as rcprcscntations,
!7J. A !0Bl
! 7. A 2JJH., 29H.
B Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 2 I - 22
havc thcir objcct and can thcmscvcs in turn bc ob|ccts olothcr rcprcscnta-
tions. ^ppcaranccs arc thc onyob|cctsvhich canbc civcn to us immcdiatcy,
and vhat in thcm immcdiatcy rcatcs to thc ob|cct is cacd intuition. lov
thcsc appcaranccs, hovcvcr, arc not thincs in thcmscvcs rathcr, thcy arc
thcmscvcs ony rcprcscntations vhich in turn havc thcir ob|cctan ob|cct
vhich can no onccr bc intuitcd by us and vhich may thcrclorc bc namcd
thc noncmpirica, i. c , transccndcnta ob|cct * X. "
Vhat stands immcdiatcyi noppositiontovhat i sin thc appcarancci sthat
vhich is civcn by intuition. lov thc appcaranccs, hovcvcr, arc thcmscvcs
ony rcprcscntations," not thincs in thcmscvcs.Vhat is rcprcscntcd n thcm
ony shovs itscl in and lor a turninc-oncscl-tovard . . . vhich takcs-in
stridc ]his, hovcvcr, must itscl havc its ob|cct in turn. "Indccd, in ccncra
it must civc somcthinc in advancc vhich has thc charactcr ol a standinc-
acainst in ccncra in ordcr to lorm thc horizon vithin vhich oricina bcincs
can bc cncountcrcd. ]his tcrminus ol thc prciminary turninc-tovard, thcrc-
lorc, can no lonccr bc intuitcd by us in thc scnsc ol cmpirica intuition.
Hovcvcr that docs not cxcudc indccd, it incudcsthc ncccssity ol its
immcdiatc distincuishabiity in a purc intuition. ]his tcrminus olthc prcim
inary turninc-tovard, thcrclorc, canbc tcrmcd thc noncmpiricaobcct X. "
^ our rcprcscntations arc in lact rclcrrcd to somc Cbcct throuch thc
undcrstandinc, and sincc appcaranccs arc nothinc but rcprcscntatons, thc
undcrstandinc rclcrs thcm to a 5cmct||og as thc ob|cct ol thc scnsibc intu
ition. but thisSomcthinc asob|cctolanintuitioninccncra is to thatcxtcnt
only thc transccndcnta Cb|cct. ut this mcans a Somcthinc * X, olvhich vc
knov nothinc and, accordinc to thc prcscnt orcanization ol our undcr
standinc, ol vhich vc can knov nothinc at a, but rathcr vhich, as |ust a
ccttclatam ol thc unity ol appcrccption, can scrvc only lor thc unity ol thc
manilod in scnsibc intuition. y mcans ol this, thc undcrstandinc unics
thcm in thc conccpt olan ob|cct. "
]hc X is a Somcthinc" ol vhich in ccncra vc can knov nothinc at a.
ut it is not thcrclorc not knovabc, bccausc as a bcinc this X ics hiddcn
bchind" a aycr olappcaranccs. Rathcr, it is not knovabc bccausc it simpy
cannot bccomc a possibc ob| cct olknovinc, i . c. , thc posscssion ola knov-
cdcc olbcincs. It can ncvcr bccomc such bccausc it s a lothinc.
lothinc mcans. not a bcinc, but ncvcrthccss Somcthinc." It scrvcs ony
as ccttcla|am,i . c. , accordinc to its csscncc it is purc horizon. Kant cas this
X thc transccndcnta objcct," i. c. , thc cinc-in-opposition 'das law|dct
I 75. A 250 his s thc tcxt as corrcctcd by Kant himscl|. Scc Nachrryc, V ]hc
corrccton conssts ol Kant addnc thc wods u|s OcycnstunJ incAnschuuuny bcrhuurr "as
obcct o|an ntuition n ccncral) toqual|y thcword "somcthinc |ollownc thc colon at thc cnd
o|thc hrst scntcncc l havc uscd astcsks to distincuish thc addcd words Kcmp mth dd not
includc ths corrccton n his translaton. but l havc rcndcrcd Hcidccccr`s tcxt vcrbatm-tr|
h2J. |I 2J-I 21 B7
vhich i sdisccrnabc i nand throuch transccndcncc asitshorzon. lovilthc
X vhich is knovn in ontoocica knovcdcc is, accordinc to its csscncc,
horizon,thcnthisknovincmust aso b suchthat it hods opcn this horizon
in its charactcr as horlzon. ut thcn, this Somcthinc may not cvcn stand as
vhat is dirccty and cxcusivcy mcant in thc thcmc olan apprchcndinc. 1hc
horizon must bc unthcmatic, but mustncvcrthccssbcrccuary invicv Cny
in this vay can it push lorvard into thc thcmc |ol thc apprchcndinc| vhat
is cncountcrcd in itas such.
]hcX sob|cctin ccncra. "1his docsnotmcan aunivcrsa,indctcrminatc
bcinc vhich standsacainst. Cn thc contrar this cxprcssion rclcrs to that
vhich makcs up in advancc thc rouch sizinc up ol a possibc objccts as
standinc-acainst. thchorizon ola standinc-acainst. 1hishorizonisindccdnot
ob| cct but rathcr a lothinc, il by ob|cct vc mcan a bcinc vhich is apprc-
hcndcd thcmaticay ^nd ontoocica knovcdcc is no knovcdcc ilknovl-
cdcc mcans. apprchcndinc olbcincs
Cntoocica knovcdcc s richty tcrmcd knovcdcc, hovcvcr, ilit attains
truth ut it docs not |ust havc" truth, rathcr, it is thc oricina truth, vhich
antthcrclorctcrmstransccndcntatruth,"thccsscncc olvhichiscucidatcd
by mcans ol thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. In thc vhoc ol a possibc
cxpcricncc hovcvcr, ics a ourknovcdcc, and transccndcnta truth consists
in thc ccncra rcation to thc samc, vhich prcccdcs a cmpirica truth and
makcs it possibc. " '
Cntolocica knovcdcc lorms" transccndcncc, and this lorminc is nothinc
othcr than thc hodinc-opcn ol thc horizon vithin vhich thc cinc ol thc
bcinc bccomcs disccrnabc in a prciminary vay Il truth indccd mcans un-
conccamcnt ol. . , thcn transccndcncc is oricina truth. 1ruth itscl, hov-
cvcr must bilurcatc into thc unvcicdncss ol cinc and thc opcnncss
D]]coha|c||| olbcincs. Ilontoocica knovcdcc unvcis thc horlzon, thcn
its truth ics prcciscy in |thc act ol| lcttinc thc bcinc bc cncountcrcd vithin
thc horizon ant says ontoocica knovcdcc ony has cmpirlca usc, i . c.
i t scrvcs lor thc makinc-possibc ol hnitc knovcdcc i n thc scnsc ol thc
cxpcricncc ol thc bcinc vhich shovs itscll.
Hcncc it mustatcastrcmainopcnas tovhcthcrthiscrcativc"knovcdcc,
vhich is avays onyontoocica and ncvcr ontic, bursts thc hnitudc oltran-
sccndcnccasundcr, or vhcthcr it docsnot|ust pant thc nitc sub|cct" in its
authcntic hnitudc.
^ccordinc to this csscntia dctcrmination ol ontoocica knovcdcc, onto-
ocy is nonc othcr than thc cxpicit unvcilinc ol thc systcmatic vhoc olpurc
knovcdcc, to thc cxtcnt that it lorms transccndcncc.
I7 A I 1, IBJ.
I 77. Scc\m Wc:cnJc: OnJc:, p 75||, th cd. J97J), p I 2||.
BB Kant and thc FrobIcm o| MctaphysIcs ' ! 2- !2Jl
Mcvcrthccss, Kant vants to rcpacc thc proud namc o|an ontoocy"

vith that o|a ]ransccndcnta Ihiosophy" i. c. , vlth an csscntia unvciinc o|

transccndcncc. ^nd hc is|ustihcdin doincthis as oncas thc titlc Cntoocy"
is takcn in thc scnsc o| traditiona mctaphysics. ]his traditiona ontoocy
prcsumcs to civc synthctic a prlori knovcdcc o|thincs in ccncra. "It raiscs
itsc| to an a priori ontic knovcdcc vhich can ony comc to an inhnitc
crcaturc. ut i|this ontoocy, vithits prcsumption," takcs o||its pridc," ic. ,
i |it crasps itsc|i nits hnitudcor rathcr crasps itsc|asthc ncccssary struc-
turc o|thc csscncc o|hnitudc-thcn thc cxprcssion ontoocy" vihavcbccn
civcn its truc csscncc |or thc hrst timc, and thcrcby its usc vi havc bccn
|ustihcd. It is in this scnsc, thcn, vhichvas hrstvonand cuarantccd throuch
thc ayinc o| thc cround |or mctaphysics, that Kant himsc| aso uscs thc
cxprcssion ontoIocy" and indccd hc docs sol in thc dccisivc passacc in thc
Ct|t|aac c] Patc Pcasco vhich scts |orth thc outinc o| mctaphysics as a
vhoc. "

Vith thc trans|ormation o| Mctap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s, hovcvcr, thc cround

upon vhich traditiona mctaphysics isbuit is shakcn, and |or this rcason thc
propcr cdihcc o| Mctap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s bccins to tottcr ]his probcmatic cads
o|| in |urthcr dircctions, hovcvcr, and vi not bc trcatcd hcrc. Morcovcr, it
rcquircs a prcparation vhich can ony bc accompishcd thouch a morc oric-
ina appropriation o| vhat Kant had achicvcd as a layinc o| thc cround |or
Mctap|,s|ca Ccoctal|sin thc unity o| thc ]ransccndcnta ^csthctic and ocic.
! 7B. A 27, J0J
! 79. A BJ. B7J. SccaIsothcusco|thctcrmontoIo"inUbcrJicForrsch||cJcrMcrurhVsi
/| 1/((
HC uVIDP O lHC LIOuD0 OI
%CluDHV5IC5 ID l5 LIIPIDuIlV
ut is it thcn possibIc in ccncraI to crasp thc cround-Iayic vhich has nov
bccn achicvcd in a stiII morc oricinaI vay` Is this continuaI insistinc upon
oricinaIity notidIc curiosity` Isitnotpunishcdvith thc vrctchcdncssvhich
is thc |ataI distinction o| aII thosc vho vant to knov bcttcr` ut abovc aII,
docs it not |orcc upon thc Kantian phiIosophizinc a standardvhich rcmains
|orcicnto it, so thatcvcrythinccndsinacritiquc|romvithout,"vhichvouId
aIvays bc un|ust`
rom thc strt, thc qucstion conccrninc thc oricinaity o| thc Kantian
cround-Iayinc docs not vant to nccotiatc this stccp path. I|thc discussion o|
oricinaIity in ccncraI isnotto bccomc critiquc in thc scnsc o|poIcmic, but
instcad is stiII to rcmain intcrprctation, thcn thc Icadinc idca o| oricinaIity
mustbc takcn |rom thc Kantian cround-Iayinc itscI|. It isa mattcr o|intcrro
catinc thc prcmonition cuidinc Kants cntcrinc into thc dimcnsion o| oricin
and vith it his strivinc |or thc cround |or thc sourcc o| thc basic sourccs o|
knovIcdcc.
,,

Inordcr|orthistohappcn, vhat thccround itscl|is, asaIrcady

cstabIishcd in thc cround-Iayinc, must bc cIcarIy dcIimitcd.
A. 1HE EXFLICI1 CHARAC1ERIZA1IN F 1HE CRIND
LAID IN 1HE CRIND-LYINC
h2. Thc Formatvc Ccntcr o[ Dntologcal Knowlcdgc as
Transccndcntal Powcr o[ Imagnaton
1hc Iayinc o| thc cround |or Mc|ap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s is thc ansvcr to thc
qucstion conccrninc thc csscntiaI unity o| ontoIocicaI knovIcdcc and thc
B9
90 Kaht ahd thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' !27- I 2Bl
cround olits possibiity Cntoocica knovcdcc lorms" transccndcncc. i .c. .
thc hodincopcn ol thc horizon vhich is disccnabc in advancc throuch |hc
purc schcmata. ]hcsc sprinc lorth" as thc transccndcnta product

olthc
transccndcnta povcr olimacination. ^s oricina. purc synthcsis. it loms thc
csscntia unity olpurc intuition |timc) and purc thinkinc |appcrccption).
]hc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination. hovcvcr. did not hrst bccomc
thc ccntra thcmc in thc Ooc|rnc olthc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. Rathcr.
it arcady |had |ha| status in thc prcccdinc stacc ol thc croundayinc. |hc
]ransccndcnta Ocduction. ccausc it is |o undcr|akc thc oricina unihcation.
it must arcady havc bccn mcntioncd in thc sccond stacc. vith thc hrst
charactcrization ol thc csscntia unity ol ontoocica knovcdcc. ]hc
transccndcnta povcr ol imacnaton s hcncc thc cround upon vhich thc
inncr possibiity ol ontoocica knovcdcc, and vith i| that ol Mc|ap,s|ca
Ccocal|s. is buit.
Kant introduccs thc purc povcrolimacination as an indispcnsablc lunc
tion ol thc sou. "
"
]o ccar thc arcady-aid cround lor mc|aphysics in an
cxpii| vay. thcrclorc. mcans |o dc|crmnc morc prccscy a lacuty ol thc
human sou. ]hat thc ayinc olthc cround lormctaphysics hnay arrivcs at
such a task is scl-cvidcnt." il indccd mctaphysics. in Kants ovn vords.
bconcstohumannaturc. " ^saconscqucncc,thc^nthropoocy"vhichKant
dcat vi|h ovcr thc ycars in his cc|urcs must providc us vith inlormation
conccrninc thc arcady-aid cround lor mctaphysics. "

]hc povcr ol imacination acaltas |mag|oaod|) |is a lacuty ol intuition.

cvcn vi|hout thc prcscncc olthc ob|cct. "
"
Icncc. thc povcr olimacinaton
bconcs to |hc lacu|y olintui|on. ^ccordinc to thc dchnition citcd abovc. by
intuition vc undcrstand hrst and lorcmost |hc cmpirica in|uition olbcincs.
^s scnsibc lacuty." thc povcr olimacination bconcs amoncthc lacutics ol
knovcdcc. vhich havc bccn dividcd into scnsibiity and undcrstandinc.and
ol thcsc thc hrst is prcscntcd as thc ovcr" lacuty ol knovcdcc. ]hc povcr
olimacinationisavay olscnsibc intuitinc cvcn vithout thc prcscncc othc
ob|cct " hc intuitcd bcinc tscl docs not nccd |o bc prcscntinc 'aowcscod| .
and lurthcrmorc. thc imacina|ion docs not intuit vhat it has takcn in stridc
as intu|ion. as somcthinc rcay and ony at hand, as is thc casc vith pcrccp
tion lor vhich thc Cb|cct must bc cprcscntcd as prcscnt."

]hc povc ol
B0. A 2 I B
I B . A B. J
I B2 nhis Marburc disscrtation. DicEinbi|JunysruIr bci Kun| 2B. H Mrchcn undcrtook
thc tasko| prcparinc a monocraphic prcscntationand intcrprctation olKants tcachi ncs conccrn
inc thc powcr ol i macination i n his Anrh+ro|o, i n thc Cririquco|PurcRcuson, in thc Cri|iqu o
]uJymnr.andi nthcothcrwrtincsand |ccturcs. 1hcworkwi||appcarin vo|umc X ol th]uhrbuch
|r Phi|osorhic unJrhdnomcno|oyischc Forschuny. hc prcscnt cxposition is limitcd to what is most
ncccssary |or an cxc|usivc oricntation to thc cuidinc problcm o| thc layinc ol thc cround |or
mctaphysics
I BJ Kant. Anrh+ro|oyic inrrmurischcrHinich| . W|c, vo|. Vlll 2B, p. 5
I B Rcickc. Losc 8|d||cruusKan|sNuch|u I BB. p 2
h20 |I 28-I J0 9I
imacination can" intuit. can" takc thc ook olsomcthinc in stridc. vithout
shovinc thc intuitcd vhichis rclcrrcd to. itscl, asbcinc, and vithoutccttinc
thc ook lrom itsclaonc.
]husvchndinthcpovcrolimacination. tobccinvith.apccuiarnoncon-
ncctcdncss to thc bcinc. It is vithout strincs in thc takinc-in-stridc olooks,
i. c. , itisthc lacutyvhichinaccrtainvaycivcsitsclsuch | looks| .]hcpovcr
olimacinationcan hcncc bc cacd a lacuty ollorminc 'ctmgcodcs8|ldcos|
in a pccuiar doubc scnsc. ^s a lacuty ol intuitinc. it is lormativc 'h|ldcod
in thc scnsc olprovidinc thc imacc '8|d |or look). P a lacuty vhich is not
dcpcndcnt upon thc prcscncc ol thc intuitabc. it luhs itscll. i . c . , it crcatcs
and lorms thc imacc. ]his lormativc povcr" is simultancousy a lorminc
vhich takcs thincs in stridc |is rcccptivc) and onc vhich crcatcs |is sponta-
ncous) In this simutancousy" ics thc propcr csscncc olits structurc. ut il
rcccptivity mcans thc samc as scnsibiity and il spontancity mcans thc samc
as undcrstandinc. thcn in a pccuiar vay thc povcr ol imacination lals bc-
tvccnboth. ]hiscivcsita rcmarkabyiridcsccntcharactcrvhichasocomcs
to ichtin thc antian dctcrminations ol thcsc lacutics. Vith thc division ol
thc lacutics ol knovcdcc into thc tvo lundacnta casscs. hc incudcs
imacination| in scnsibility in spitc ol its spontancit Icncc in this casc.
lorminc in thc scnsc ol providinc imaccs |intuitinc) is dccisivc. a lact aso
rcvcacd in thc dchnition.
Cn thcbasis ol its bcinc vithoutstrincs, hovcvcr. it is lor Kant a lacuty
ol comparinc. shapinc. combininc, distincuishinc. and, in ccncra. ol bind-
inctoccthcr |synthcsis) . Imacininc." thcn. rclcrs to a rcprcscntinc in thc
broadcst scnsc vhich is not in accordancc vith pcrccption. conccivinc ol
somcthinc. concoctinc somcthinc. dcvisinc somcthinc. vondcrinc. havincan
inspiration. and thc ikc. ]hc povcr ollorminc. " `' accordincly. isbroucht
toccthcr vith thc lacuty olvit' and thc povcr ol distincuishinc, vith thc
lacuty ol comparison in ccncra. ]hc scnscs providc thc mattcr lor al our
rcprcscntations. Irom that thc lacuty hrst scts out to lorm rcprcscntations
indcpcndcnty ol thc prcscncc ol obccts. povcr ol lorminc, |mag|oat|c, scc-
ond. thc lacutyolcomparison. vits and thc povcroldistincuishinc. |ad|c|am
d|sctctam third. thc laculty ol combininc rcprcscntations, not immcdiatcy
vith thcir obccts but rathcr by mcans ol a surrocatc. i . c. . |thc lacuty ol|
dcscribinc |thcm| .
'!
ut vith a this association ol thc povcr ol imacination vith thc lacuty
olspontancity. it stil rctains itsintuitivccharactcr Itis sah)cct|csahaspcctam,
i . c. . a lacuty olintuitivc prcscntation. olcivinc. lov thc intuitivc rcprcscnt-
inc ol an obcct vhich is not prcscnt can bc tvolod.
IB Alrcady n Aristotlc`s c Auima. ook CJ. ooo stands "c twccn` ooJ\o and
o
l Bo. rdmann. Rc|cioucu I. p l I B Kau|: hauJ:chrI|ichcNah|a), vol. l l . l . o JJ9. Scc
also |lit, I. Kau|: \orc:u

cu bcrJicMc|arhV:i. 2d cd. . ncwly cditcdaccordinc to thc cdition

ol l Bz by . . Shmidt l 92+), p l +l .
92 Kant and thc FmbIcm o| Mctaphysics ' J0- J l
|it is rcstrictcd mcrcy to brincinc back via thc visuaizinc o| vhat vas
pcrccivcd caricr, thcn this ook in itsc| is dcpcndcnt pon thc caricr onc
o||crcd by thcprcviouspcrccption. 1his prcscntation|asback upon ancaricr
onc and hcncc dcrivcs its contcnt |rom thcrc |cx||h|||cdct|va||va)
ct, i|in thc imacination thc outvard appcarancc o|an objcct vas |rccy
composcd, thcn this prcscntation o| its ook is an oricina" onc |cx||h|||c
ct|g|oat|a) 1hus, thc povcr o| imacination is cacd productivc. ""' 1his
oricina prcscntinc, hovcvcr, is not as crcativc" as thc |o|a||as ct|g|oat|as,
vhich crcatcs thc bcinc itsc| in thc intuitinc. 1hc productivc povcr o| im-
acination |orms onythcooko|anobjcctvhichispossibc and vhich, undcr
ccrtain conditions, is pcrhaps aso producibc, i . c. , onc vhich canbc broucht
to prcscncc. 1hc imacininc itsc|, hovcvcr, ncvcr accompishcs this produc-
tion. 1hc productivc |orminc o| thc povcr o| imacination is ncvcr cvcn
crcativc" in thc scnsc that it can ikcvisc |orm |ust thc contcnt o|thc imacc
simpy |rom out o| thc nothinc, i. c. , |rom out o| that vhich has ncvcr bc|orc
and novhcrc bccn cxpcricnccd. Hcncc it is not povcr|u cnouch to brinc
|orth a scnsibc rcprcscntation vhich prcviousy vas ocvctcivcn to our scn-
sibc |acuty but rathcr vc can avays point out thc stu|| o| that samc rcp-
rcscntationl . "
'""
1hat is thc csscntia part o| vhat thcAo||opclc tcs us about thc povcr
o|imacination inccncraandthc productivc povcr o|imacinationinparticu-
ar. It contains nothinc morc than vhat thc croundayinc in thc Ct|||aac ]
Patc Pcasco has arcady sct |orth. Cn thc contrary thc discussions o| thc
1ransccndcnta Ocduction and thc Schcmatism broucht to icht in a much
morc oricina vay thc |act that thc povcr o| imacination is an intcrmcdiatc
|acuty bctvccn scnsibiity and undcrstandinc.
ut thc dchnition o| thc povcr o| imacination, that it can rcprcscnt an
obj cct intuitivcy vithout its prcscncc, vas at thcvcry cast not |oundin thc
considcrations o|thc cround-ayinc in thc Ct|||aacc]PatcPcasco ct in this
rccard, to havc sccn that this dchnition occurs cxpicity in thc 1ransccn-
dcnta Ocduction, occurrinc |or thc hrst timc in thc sccond cdition to bc
surc,
"
thcn has not thc vorkinc-out o| thc 1ransccndcnta Schcmatism
cxhibitcd prcciscy that charactcr mcntioncd in thc dchnition o|thc povcr
o| imacination`
1hc imacination |orms thc ook o| thc horizon o| ob|cctivity as such in
advancc, bc|orc thc cxpcricncc o|thc bcinc. 1hisook-|orminc 'Aohl|c|h|ldco|
in thc purc imacc '8|ldc| o| timc, hovcvcr, is not |ust prior to this or that
cxpcricncc o|thc bcinc, but rathcravaysis in advancc, priorto anypossibc
|cxpcricncc . Hcncc|romthc bccinninc, inthiso||crinco|thcook,thc povcr
! B7 An|hroroloyic. ol , 2B.
I BB. IbId.
! B9. ! J ! .
h2c. |I JI -I JJ 9J
o|imacination is ncvcrsimpy dcpcndcnt upon thc prcscncc 'Aowcsco|c|t| o|
a bcinc. It is dcpcndcnt in this vay to such a sma dccrcc that prcciscy its
prc-|orminc ' \ct-h|ldco| o| thc purc schcma Substancc, i. c. , pcrsistcncc ovcr
timc, |or cxampc, hrst brincs into vicv in ccncra somcthinc ikc constant
prcscncc 'staod|gc Aowcsco|c|t| In turn, it is hrst and |orcmost ony in thc
horizon o| such constant prcscncc that this or any prcscnt prcscncc o| an
ob|cct"

as such can shov itsc|. Hcncc in thc 1ransccndcnta Schcmatism,

thc csscncc o| thc povcr o| imacination-to bc abc to intuit vithout thc
prcscntprcscncc 'c|ocCcgcowatt| ~craspcdin a vaythat is |undamcntay
morcoricina . inay, thc Schcmatism aso shovs quitc straicht|orvardyand
in a|armorcoricinascnscthc crcativc"csscncco|thc povcro|imacination.
Indccd, it is not onticay crcativc" at a, but is crcativcl as a |rcc |orminc
o| imaccs. 1hc Aot|tcpclc shovs that thc productivc povcr o| imacination
as vc is sti dcpcndcnt upon thc rcprcscntations o| thc scnscs. In thc
1ransccndcnta Schcmatism, hovcvcr, thc povcr o| imacination is oricinay
pictoa

in thc purc imacc o| timc. It simpy docs not nccd an cmpirica

intuition. Hcncc, thc Ct|t|aacc]PatcPcascoshovsboth thcintuitivccharactcr
and thc spontancity in a morc oricina scnsc
1hcattcmpt to cxpcricncc by mcans o|^nthropoocyvhat ismorc oricina
about thc povcr o| imacination as thc prcviousy aid cround |or ontoocy
thcrc|orc, rcmains unsucccss|u in any casc. lot ony that, but aso such an
attcmpt in ccncra is a mistakc bccausc on thc onc hand it |ais to rccocnizc
thc cmpirica charactcr o|thc Kantian ^nthropoocy and on thc othcr hand
it docs not aov |or thc pccuiar naturc o|thc considcration o|thc cround-
ayinc and o| thc unvciinc o|oricin in thc Ct|t|aac c] Patc Pcasco
1hc Kantian^nthropoocyiscmpiricaina doubc scnsc. irst , thccharac-
tcrlzation o| thc |acutics o| thc sou movcs vithin thc |ramcvork o| thc
knovcdcc vhich ccncra cxpcricncc o||crs conccrninc human bcincs. ^nd
sccond, in advancc and socy on thc strcncth o| it , thc |acutics o| thc sou
thcmscvcs, c. c. , thc povcr o| imacination, vi comc to bc considcrcd vith
rc|crcncc to thc |actl that thcy arc rcatcd, and hov thcy arc rcatcd, to thc
cxpcricnccabc bcinc. 1hc productivc povcr o|imacination, vith vhich ^n-
thropoocy is conccrncd, ncvcr has to do vith anythinc but thc |orminc o|
thc ooks o| cmpiricay possibc, or rathcr impossibc, ob|ccts.
Cn thc othcrhand, thc productivc povcro| imacination in thc Ct|t|aacc]
Patc Pcasco ncvcr rc|crs to thc |orminc o| ob|ccts, but rc|crs instcad to thc
purc ooko|obcctivityinccncra. 1hc purc productivc povcr o|imacination,
|rcc o| cxpcricncc, makcs cxpcricncc possibc |or thc hrst timc. lot a pro-
ductivc povcr o| imacination is purc, but vhat is purc in thc scnsc |ust
charactcrizcd is ncccssariy productivc. 1o thc cxtcnt that it |orms transccn-
dcncc, it is richty cacd thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination.
^nthropoocy docs not posc thc qucstion o| transccndcncc at a. ^ thc
samc, thc abortivc attcmpt to vant to intcrprct thc povcr o|imacination in
9 Kaht ahd thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics | I JJ-!J
a morc oricinal vay in icht ol ^nthropoocy provcd that a rclcrcncc to
transccndcnta structurcs avays arcady ics in thc cmpirica intcrprctation
ol thc lacutics ol thc soul, vhich, propcry spcakinc, can ncvcr simpy bc
purcy cmpirical thcmscvcs. ut thcsc can ncithcr bc croundcd in ^nthro
poocy nor in ccncra can thcy comc tobc crcatcd lrom itby mcans olmcrc
assumptions.
ut thcn, vhat kind ol knovinc is it vhich carrics out thc unvciinc ol
transccndcncc, i . c , thc lrccinc olpurc synthcsisandvith that thc intcrprcta
tion ol thc povcr olimacination` IlKant cas this kind olknovcdcc tran-
sccndcntal," thcn it is ony possibc to cathcr lrom this that it has ransccn-
dcncc lor a thcmc. ut vhat is thc mcthodoocica charactcr olthis knovinc`
ov docs thc coinc-back to thc oricin occur` ^s onc as thc rcquircd clarity
in this mattcr is ackinc, thcn indccd it is aso thc casc that no stcp in thc
cround-ayinc vhich micht bc morc oricina may bc carricd out.
^t this stacc olour considcrations, it no onccrsccmspossiblc to avoid an
cpicit discussion ol thc ]ransccndcntaMcthod. "Indccd,assumincthatthis
mcthod may bc carihcd , thc task sti rcmains to dcducc thc dircction olthc
coinc-back rcquircd by thc dimcnsion oloricin itscl and to do so lrom thc
arcadylaid cround itscl. Clcoursc, vhcthcr this lalinc-in bchind thc dircc-
ion itscl, vhich is markcd out by thc mattcrs thcmscvcs, rcquircs its possi
bc, morc oricina intcrprctation, dcpcnds upon vhcthcr Kant

scroundayinc
up to this point or rathcr thc intcrprctation ol itis oricina and ampc
cnouch to assumc thc cuidancc olsucha lainc-in-bchind. ovcvcr, ony an
actua attcmpt that is carricd out can dccidc that. ]hc vay ol Kants ^nthro-
poocy, vhich at hrst appcars to bc scl-cvidcnt, has rcvcacd itscll to bc thc
vronc vay ^ thc morc ccarly, thcn, thc ncccssity ariscs that vc unlin-
chincy kccp thc lurthcr intcrprctation locuscd on thc phcnomcnon vhich
rcvcas itsclas thc cround lor thc nncr possibiity ol ontoocica synthcsis,
on thc transccndcnta povcr olimacination.
h2/. Thc Trunsccndcntu| Powcr o[ Imuginution thc Third 8usic Fuculty
]o undcrstand thc lacutics ol our mind" as transccndcnta lacutics"
mcans in thc hrst pacc to unvc thcm accordinc to hov thcy makc thc
csscncc oltransccndcncc possibc. Iacutythusdocsnotmcana basic povcr"
' `Cod|]| vhich is at hand in thc sou. Iaculty" nov mcans vhat such
a thinc is abc to do, "

in thc scnsc ol thc makinc-possibc olthc csscntia

structurc olontoocica transccndcncc. Iacuty novmcans possibiity" in thc
scnsc ad out abovc. '' ]hus undcrstood, thc transccndcnta povcr ol im-
I 0. Scc abovc. '. p. Bz
h2/. |I J1-I JcI 9J
aclnatlonl snot|ust, and not hrstand lorcmost, a lacuty lound bctvccn purc
lntultlon and purc thlnklnc. Rathcr, toccthcr vlth thcsc, lt ls a baslc abllty
to do somcthlnc"
||
as a maklnc-posslbc ol thc orlclna unlty ol both and
vlth lt thc csscntla unlty oltransccndcncc as a vhoc. husvc havc a purc
povcr ollmaclnatlon as a baslc abllty ol thc human sou to do somcthlnc,
vhlch ls thc basls lor a knovcdcc a prorl ."
'

'
^t thc samc tlmc, baslc abllty to do somcthlnc" says that thc purc povcr
ollmaclnatlon ls not rcduclbc to thc purc ccmcnts toccthcr vlth vhlch lt
lorms thc csscntla unlty ol transccndcncc ]hat ls vhy, vlth thc dcclslvc
charactcrzatlon ol thc csscntla unlty ol ontooclca knovcdcc, Kant cx-
prcssy cnumcratcs thrcc ccmcnts. purc lntultlon |tlmc) , purc synthcsls by
mcans olthc povcr ollmaclnatlon and thc purc conccpts olpurc appcrccp
tlon. In thcsamc conncctlon, Kantcmphaslzcs that vcshahcrcaltcrscc"
thcvaylnvhlchthcpovcrollmaclnatlonacts as anlndlspcnsabc lunctlon
olthc sou. vlthout vhlch vc shoud havc no knovcdcc vhatsocvcr."
||
In thc 1ransccndcnta Ocducton, thc prcvlousy namcd trlad olccmcnts
ls dlscusscd ln lts posslbcunlty, and lt ls croundcd throuch thc Schcmatlsm.
Morcovcr, thc lntroductlon olthc ldca ol thc purc Schcmatlsm acaln ylcds
thc samc cnumcratlon olthc thrcc purc ccmcnts ol ontooclca knovcdcc.
^nd hnay, thc dlscusslonolthc hlchcstprlnclpc olasynthctlc|udcmcnts,
l. c. , thc hna dctcrmlnatlon olthc lu csscncc oltransccndcncc, ls lntroduccd
vlth thc cnumcratlon ol thc prclousy namcd thrcc ccmcnts as thc thrcc
sourccs" lor thc posslbllty olpurc synthctlc|udcmcnts a prlor.
..

In opposltlon to thls uncqulvoca charactcrzatlon ol thc transccndcnta
povcr ol lmaclnatlon as a thlrd baslc lacuty aoncsldc purc scnslbllty and
purc undcrstandlnc, acharactcrlzatlonvhlchcrcvlromthc lnncr probcmatlc
olthc Ct|t|aacc!PatcPcascoltscl, thc carlhcatlonvhlch Kant cxplclty cavc
at thc bcclnnlnc and at thc cnd ol hls vork nov spcaks.
1hcrc arc but tvo baslc sourccs olthc mlnd, scnslbllty and undcrstand-
lnc,"thcrc arc ony thcsc tvostcms to ourpovcrolknovcdcc" asldc lrom
thcsc tvo sourccs ol knovlcdcc, vc havc no othcrs. " ` 1hls thcsls corrc
sponds as vc to thc bllurcatlon ol thc vhoc transccndcnta lnvcstlcatlon
nto a ]ransccndcnta ^csthctlc and a ]ransccndcntaoclc. ]hc transccndcn-
ta povcr ol lmaclnatlon ls homccss. It ls not cvcn trcatcd ln thc ]ransccn-
dcnta^csthctlc vhcrc, as a lacuty ollntultlon," ltpropcry bconcs. Cn thc
othcrhand, lt lsa thcmc olthc ]ransccndcnta oclcvhcrc, strlcty spcaklnc,
ltmaynotbcasoncasoclcrcmalnsconhncd tothouchtassuch. utbccausc
lrom thcbcclnnlncthls ^csthctlc and thls oclc arc orlcntcd vlth rcspcct to
transccndcncc vhlch ls not|ust thc sum ol purc lntultlon and purc thlnklnc
I 9I . A I 2.
I92. A 7B. I0.
9J. Scc aovc, h. p. 2~||. Hcrc Hcdccccr has takcn slicht bcics wi th thcsc passaccs.
which hc uotcd corrcctly on pp. -2. otcs ~B. ~9.ad2 -tr
9 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs | !J- !J 7l
but is rathcra particuar. oricina unity vithin vhich thcy |unction ony as
ccmcnts, its tvo-vay rcsut must cad out bcyond itsc|.
Coud this rcsut havc cudcd Kant, or isitatcast consistcntvith hisvay
o| thinkinc that hc supprcsscd thc prcviousy namcd triad o| basic |acutics
in |avor o| thc thcory o| thc duaity o| thc stcms, as it vcrc` 1his is so Iittc
thc casc that Kant instcad spcaks cxpicity o| thc thrcc oricina sourccs o|
thc sou" in thc midst o| thc procrcssion o|his cround-ayinc, both at thc
cosc o| thc Introduction to thc 1ransccndcnta Ocduction and aso at thc
bccinninc o| its actua cnactmcnt |ust as i| hc had ncvcr cstabishcd thc
duaity o| thc stcms.
]hcrc arc. hovcvcr. thrcc oricina sourccs |capacitics or |acutics o| thc
sou) vhich contain thc conditions |or thc possibiity o| a cxpcricncc and
vhich thcmscvcs can bc dcrivcd |rom no othcr |acuty o| thc mind, namcy.
scoscpcwctc]|mag|oat|co,and appctcpt|co . . . . ^ o| thcsc |acutics, bcsidcs
thc cmpirica usc. havc anothcr, transccndcnta usc vhich conccrns mcrcy
thc |orm and vhich is possibc a priori. "
]hcrc arc thrccsub|cctivc sourccs o|knovcdcc, uponvhichrcstthcpossi-
biity o|an cxpcricncc in ccncra and knovcdcc o|its ob|ccts scosc, pcwctc]
mag|oat|co,and appctccpt|co Lach o|thcsc canbcvicvcd ascmpirica. namcy
in thc appication to civcn appcaranccs. ut a priori, a o| thcm arc aso cc-
mcnts, orthc croundvork ' Ctaodlagco| ,vhichthcmscvcs makc thiscmpirica
usc possibc." In both o| thcsc passaccs. thc |act cxpicity ariscs that bcsidcs
thc cmpirica usc o|thcsc |acutics thcrc is aso thc transccndcnta, vith vhich
thc rcationship to ^nthropoocy is dcmonstratcd anc
1hus this triad o|basic |acutics stands in harsh opposition to thc duaity
o|basic sourccs and stcms o|knovcdcc. ct vhat is it about thc tvo stcms`
Isit accidcnta that Kantuscs this imacc to charactcrizc scnsibiityand undcr-
standinc, or is it instcad uscd |ust to indicatc that thcycrov|roma common
root"`
lovthc intcrprctation o|thc croundayinc, hovcvcr, shovs thctransccn-
dcnta povcr o| imacination is not |ust an cxtcrna bond vhich |astcns to-
ccthcr tvo cnds. t is oricinaIy uni|yinc. i. c. . as a particuar |acuty it |orms
thc unity o| both o| thc othcrs. vhich thcmscvcs havc an csscntia structura
rcation to it.
Vhat i| this oricina . |ormativc ccntcr vas that unknovn common root"
o| both stcms` Is it an accidcnt that vith thc hrst introduction o|tc povcr
o|imacination Kant says that vc ourscvcs, hovcvcr. arc scdom conscious
|o|it cvcn oncc"`
I 9. A 9.
I 95. A I I 5.
I 9. A 7B, I0J. hccxpIicit charactcrzation o|thcpowcro|imagnation asabasic |acuIty
must havc drvcn homc thc mcaning o|ths |aculty to Kants contcmporarcs. Thus Fchtc and
SchcIIing, and in his own wayacobi as wcI, havc attrbutcd an csscntiaI roIc to thc powcr o|
imagination. Vhchcr in ths way thc csscncc o|thc powcr o|imagnation as sccn by Kantwas
h2/. |IJ8-I JI
. 1HE TRANSCENDEN1AI FVER F IMACINA1IN AS
RT F TH STEMS
97
I| thc cstabishcd cround docs not havc thc charactcr o| a |oor or basc
vhich is athand, but i|instcad it has thc charactcr o|a root, thcn it must bc
cround in such a vay that it cts thc stcmscrov out |romitsc|, cndincthcm
support and stabiity. Vith that, hovcvcr, vc havc arcady attaincd thc dircc-
tionvc soucht, by mcans o|vhich thc orcinaity o|thc Kantian cround-ay-
inccanbcdiscusscdvithinitsovnparticuar probcmatic. ]hiscroundayinc
bccomcs morc oricina i| it docs not simpy takc thc arcady-aid cround in
stridc, but i|instcad it unvcis hov this root is thc root |or both stcms. ut
this mcans nothinc cssthanthatpurc intuition and purcthinkinc cad back
to thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination.
^nd yct, apart |rom thc qucstion o| its possibc succcss, is not thc qucs-
tionabcncss o|such an undcrtakinc itsc| obvious` ]hrouch such a cadinc-
backo|thchnitccrcaturcs |acuticso|knovcdcctothcpovcro|imacination,
docs not a knovcdcc comc to bc rcduccd to mcrc imacination` Voud thc
csscncc o|thc human bcinc, thcn, not dissolvc into an appcarancc '5c|cio `
Hovcvcr, i|thc oricin o|purc intuitionandpurc thinkincastransccndcnta
|acutics isshovn to bc bascd on thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination as
a |acut this is not to say that vc vant to civc cvdcncc to thc c||cct that
purc intuition and purc thinkinc may bc a product o| thc imacination and,
as such, ony somcthinc imacinary. ]hc unvciinc o| thc oricin vhich has
arcadybccn charactcrizcd mcans, rathcr. thc structurc o|thcsc |acutics has
bccn rootcd in

thc structurc o| thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination, so

that indccd this attcr can imacinc" somcthinc |or thc hrst timc ony in
structura unity vith thosc tvo.
utvhcthcrvhat is |ormcd in thc transccndcnta povcro|imacination is
a mcrc appcarancc in thc scnsc o|mcrc imacination" must at cast rcmain
opcn. irst o| a, vhat is not rcay at hand is rcputcd to bc mcrcy imaci-
nary. "utaccordinctoitscsscncc, vhatis|ormcdinthctransccndcntapovcr
o|imacination is in no vay somcthinc at hand, i|indccd thc transccndcnta
povcr o|imacinationcan ncvcrbc onticay crcativc. orthat rcason, vhat is
|ormcd thcrcin can ikcvisc ncvcr csscntiay bc mcrc imacination" in thc
abovc scnsc. Rathcr, in ccncra it is thc horizon o| objccts |ormcd in thc
transccndcnta povcr o| imacination-thc undcrstandinc o| cinc-vhich
hrstmakcspossibcsomcthincikc adistinctionbctvccnontic truthandontic
appcarancc mcrc imacination") .
rccognizcd, adhcrcd to, and cvcn intcrprctcd i na morc originaI way, cannot bcdiscusscd hcrc.
Thc|oIIingintcrprctationo|thc transccndcntaIpowcro|imaginationgrowsouto|anothcrway
o|qucstoningand movcs, so tospcak, inthc oppositcdirccton|rom that o|Ccrman dcaism
cc bcIow, J5, p. J7|.
9B Kaht and thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' !J9- !0l
ut docs not ontolocical knovcdcc, thc csscntial cround |or vhich is to
bc thc transccndcntal povcr o| imacination, aso havc, as csscntially hnit a
corrcspondinc untruth vhich is at onc vith its truth` In |act, thc idca o|
transccndcntal untruth conccals onc o|thc |orcmost problcms o| hnitudc as
such, vhich not onlyhas not bccn solvcd, but also vhich has not cvcn bccn
poscd bccausc thc basis |or posinc thc problcm must hrst bc vorkcd out
1his, hovcvcr, can only comc to pass i| in ccncral thc csscncc o| hnitc
transccndcncc, and vith it that o| thc transccndcntal povcr o| imacination,
is succcss|ully unvciIcd. ct at no timc arc purc intuition and purc thinkinc
to bc cxplaincd as somcthinc imacinary bccausc thcir csscntial possibility
undcrcocs a lcadinc-back to thc csscntial structurc o| thc transccndcntal
povcr o| imacination. 1hc transccndcntal povcr o| imacination docs not
imacinc ikc purc intuition, but instcad makcs it possiblc |or purc intuition
to bc vhat it rcaly" can bc.
ut|ust asthc transccndcntal povcr o|imacination itscl|is |ar |rombcinc
mcrcly somcthinc imacinary 'L|ogch|ldc|cs bccausc as a root it |orms 'h|
dc| , likcvisc it is not somcthincthatcouldbc thoucht o|as a basic povcr"
in thc sou. lothinc lics |urthcr |romthis coincback into thc csscntial oricin
o| tansccndcncc than thc monistic-cmpirica cxplanation o| thc rcmaininc
|acultics o| thc soul bascd on thc povcr o| imacination. ^ccordincy, this
intcntion is alrcady scl|-prohibitivc bccausc in thc cnd thc csscntial unvcilinc
o|transccndcncc dccidcsin thc hrst placc thc scnsc invhich onc is pcrmittcd
to spcak o| soul" and mind, " thc cxtcnt to vhich thcsc conccpts oricinally
mcct thc ontolocico-mctaphysical csscncc o|human bcincs.
Cnthc contrary, thc coinc-back to thc transccndcntal povcro|imacination
as thc oot o|scnsibility and undcrstandinc only mcans invicv o|thc csscn-
tial structurc o|thc transccndcntal povcr o|imacination, vhich vas attaincd
vithin thc poblcmatico|thc cround-layinc, thcconstitution o|transccndcncc
is to bc pro|cctcd ancv onto thc crounds o| its possibility. 1hc coinc-back
vhich lays thc cround movcs in thc dimcnsion o|possibilitics,"o|thc possi
blc instanccs o|| makinc-possiblc. ^bovc all, thcrcin lics thc |act that , in thc
cnd, vhat has hithcrto bccn knovn as thc transccndcntal povc o| imaci-
nation is brokcn up into morc oricina possibilitics" so that by itscl| thc
dcsicnation povcr o|imacination bccomcs inadcquatc.
1hc |urthcr unvcilinc o| thc ocinality o| thc cround-layinc vll bc cvcn
lcss likcly to lcad to an absolutc cxplanatory basis than did thc staccs o| thc
scttinc-|rcc o| thc cround covcrcd by Kant that havc alrcady bccn prcscntcd.
1hc stranccncss o| thc prcviously laid cround vhich must havc |orccd itscl|
upon Kant cannot disappcar. thcr, it vill incrcasc vith thc crovinc orici-
nality, i|indccd mans mctaphysical naturc as a hnitc ccaturc is at oncc thc
most unknovn and thc most actua to him.
I|thc transccndcntal povcr o| imacination may bc shovn as thc root o|
transccndcncc, thcn thc problcmatic o|thc 1ransccndcntal Ocduction and thc
h28. |I 10-I 12 99
Schcmatlsm hrstachlcvcsts transparcncy. ]hc qucstlonconccrnlncpurc syn
thcsls vhlch vas poscd thcrc alms lor an orlclna unlon ln vhlch vhat ls
unlhcd must havc crovn ln advancc lrom thc ccmcnts vhlch vcrc to bc
unltcd. ]hls lormlnc ol an oriclna unlty, hovcvcr, ls ony posslbc to thc
cxtcnt that, accordlnc to lts csscncc, vhat ls unlhcd aovs vhat ls to bc
unlhcd tosprlnclorth. Hcncc, thc charactcrolthc arcady-ald cround as root
hrst makcs thc orlclnalty ol thc purc synthcsls, l. c. . lts cttlncsprlnc-lorth

undcrstandabc.
In thc loovlnc lntcrprctatlon, lt ls truc that thc orlcntatlon contlnucs to
adhcrc to thc vay olthc cround-aylnc vhlch vc havc arcady run throuch,
but thc lndlvldua staccs vl no onccr bc dcscrlbcd. ]hc spcclhc vay ln
vhlchthcpurc povcr ollmaclnatlon, purc lntultlon. and purc thlnklnchanc
toccthcr shoud aso comc to bc unvclcd orlclnay ony to thc cxtcnt that
thc Kantlan cround-aylnc ltsclcontalns lndlcatlons ollt.
hZ8. Thc TransccndcntaI Powcr o[ Imagnaton and Purc Intuton
Kant cas thc purc lntultlons Spacc and ]lmc orlclna rcprcscntatlons "
]hc orlclnal" ls not tobc undcrstood hcrc ontlcay or psychooclcay, and
lt docs not conccrn thc clnc-at-hand or pcrhaps thc lnnatcncss

ol thcsc
lntultlons ln thc sou. Rathcr. thc orlclna" charactcrlzcs thc vay accordlnc
to vhlchthcsc rcprcscntatlons arc rcprcscntcd. ]hc cxprcsslon oriclna" cor
rcsponds to thc ct|g|oat|as' ln thc tltc |ota|tas ct|g|oat|as and mcans. to ct
|somcthlnc| sprlnc lorth. lovolcoursc, as bconclnctohumanhnltudc.thc
purc lntultlons lnthclrrcprcscntlnc cannotaovanybclncs to sprinc lorth.
^nd yct, thcy arc lormatlvc ln thc pccular scnsc that thcy pro-posc 'vct-
stcllco thc ook ol spacc and tlmc ln advancc as totaltlcs vhlch arc ln
thcmscvcs manllod. ]hcytakc thc ook ln strldc, but ln ltsclthls taklncln
strldc ls thc lormatlvc scl-clvlnc olthat vhlch clvcs ltscl. ^ccordlnc to thclr
csscncc. thc purc lntultlons thcmscvcs arc oriclna." l . c. . prcscntatlons ol
vhatlslntultabcvhlch aov somcthlnc tosprlnclorth. cx||h|t|cct|g|oat|a
Inthlsprcscntlnc,hovcvcr,lcsthccsscncc olthc purc povcrollmaclnatlon.
Iurc lntultlon. thcrclorc. can ony bc orlclna" bccausc accordlnc to lts cs-
scncc lt lsthcpurcpovcrollmaclnatlon ltsclvhlch lormatlvcy clvcs ooks
|lmaccs)lrom out olltscl.
' I |
]hc rootlnc olpurc lntultlon l n thc purc povcr ollmaclnatlon bccomcs
luy ccar ll vc ask about thc charactcrolvhat ls lntultcd ln purc lntultlon.
a ccr!any no rclcvan! prcscn!a!ion wi!h rcspcc! to its contcnt o| wha! sprincs |orth Lnr-
:r|nvcns| rom spacc b! ins!cad only indica!cd !hc csscncc olorlcin Lrsrrunvs|
b Scc p. JJ. Rclcrcncc is !o Hcidccccrs marcina no!c "q` onha! pacc-r l
!00 Kaht ahd thc FmbIcm oI Mctaphysks | !2- !JI
Indccd. intcrprctcrs |or thc most part a too o|tcn and all too quicky dcny
that somcthincis intuitcdinpurc intuitioninccncra. that indccditmayonly
bc thc |orm o| intuition. " at is disccmcd in purc intuition is a vhoc
vhich is unihcdinitscl|. althouch it isnotcmpty and vhosc parts arc alvays
|ust limitations o| itscl|. ut this unihcd vhoc must allov itscl| to bc dis-
ccmcd inadvancc rccardincthis toccthcmcss o|itsmani|oldncssvhich is |or
thc most part indistinct. Iurc intuitionoricinay uni|yinc. i . c. . civinc
unity-must ca|c| sicht o| thc unity

Kant thcrc|orc richtly spcaks hcrc not

o| a synthcsis. but rathcr o| thc Synopsis.
.,
'

]hc totality o| vhat is intuitcd in purc intuition docs not havc thc unity
vhich charactcrIcs thc univcrsality o| a conccpt. ]hc unity o|thc totality o|
intuition. thcrc|orcalsocannotsprinc |orth |romthcsynthcsiso|thc undcr-
standinc." Itis aunityvhichiscauchtsichto|inadvancc inthc imacccivInc
imacininc |m8|ld-gchcodco L|o|ldco| ]hc syn"
!1|
o| thc totaity o| spacc
and timc bcloncs to a |acuty o| |ormativc intuition. ]hc purc synopsis. i| it
constitutcs thc csscncc o|purcintuition, is onypossibc in thc transccndcntal
povcr o|imacination.andthatisal thcmorcsoasthis | transccndcntalpovcr
o|imacinationl is in ccncral thc oricin o|al that is synthctic. "
'

"
Synthcsis"
must bc takcn hcrc in a vay vhich is quitc vidc cnouch to cncompass thc
synopsis o|intuition and thc synthcsis" o| thc undcrstandinc.
In a rcllcction both craphic and immcdiatc, Kant oncc said. Spacc and
]imc arc thc |orms 'Fctmco| o| thc prc-|orminc \cth|ldaog| in intuition."
Inadvanccthcy|ormthcpurclookvhichscrvcsashorIon|orthccmpiricay
intuitablc. ut i| purc intuition, in thc manncr o| its intuitinc. rcvcals thc
spccihc csscncc o|thc transccndcntal povcr o|imacination. thcn isnotvhat
is prc-|ormcd in it as that vhichvas |ocd in thc imacination ||mag|oa||c),
itscl| imacinativc ]his charactcrIzation o| vhat is intuitcd as such in purc
intuition isno |ormaconscqucncc o|thc prcvious analysis. but instcad itics
cncloscd in thc csscntial contcnt o|vhat is acccssibc in purc intuition. ]his
imacinativc charactcr o| Spacc and ]imc thcn, has nothinc unhcard o| or
strancc about it i|vc adhcrc to thc |act that it is a mattcr o| purc intuition
and purc imacination. A vc havc shovn, vhat is |ormcd in thc imacination
is not ncccssarily an ontic appcarancc.
Mov Kant must havc sccn littlc o| thc csscntial structurc o|purc intuition,
indccd. hc voud not havc bccn ablc to crasp it at al. had not thc imacinativc
charactcr o| vhat is intuitcd in it bccomc vIsibc to him. Kant says unambicu-
ousy hc mcrc |orm o|intuition.vIthoutsubstancc. isin itscl|no objcct.but
I 97. A 9|. Kant cxprcssIy says hcrc hat hc has trcatcd thc TransccndcntaI Synopss n thc
ransccndcntaIAcsthctic.
! 9B. A 7B, !0J.
! 99. Erdmann, Rc||xiaca ll, 0B. Kn|s handschri]|lichcr Nach|a|, voI. No. 59J. Vith
rc|crcncc to Erdmannsrcading,Andickcsrcads-crroncousIyin myopinion"conncction" |"\cr
ondung") instcad o "prcomng" ("\orot|dung"). Scc bcIow, J2, p. 2J.
h28. |I 1J-I 1JI ! 0I
is rathcr thc mcrcy|orma condition o|thcsamc |as appcarancc) , aspurc spacc
and purc timc. ^s |orms to bc intuitcd, thcsc arc indccd Somcthinc, but thcy
arc not thcmscvcs ob|ccts vhich can bc intuitcd |s|mag|oar|um)

Vhat L
intuitcdinpurcintuition as such is an cos|mag|oar|um Hcncc on thc crounds
o|its csscncc, purc intuitinc is purc imacination.

1hc cos|mag|oar|umbconcs to thc possibc |orms o|thclothinc," i. c. , to
vhat isnota bcincin thc scnsc o|vhat is athand. Iurc spacc andpurc timc
arc Somcthinc,"butccrtainynotob|ccts.I|oncsaysvithouthcsitationthat
in purc intuition nothinc is intuitcd and hcncc that it acks ob|ccts, thcn in
thc hrst pacc this intcrprctation is ony nccativc, and ambicuous as vc, as
onc asvc havc not madc itccar that Kant uscs thc cxprcssion ob| cct" hcrc
in thc dccidcdy rcstrictcd scnsc accordinc to vhich thc bcinc vhich shovs
itsc|inthc appcarancc is mcant. ^ccordincy, anob|cctisnot|ustanySomc-
thinc."
Iurc intuitions, as |orms to bc intuitcd," arc indccd intuitions vithout
thincs, but thcyncvcrthccsshavcvhatisintuitcd in thcm. Spacc is noth-
inc actua, i. c. , it is not a bcinc acccssibc in pcrccption, but is rathcr thc
rcprcscntation o| a mcrc possibiity o|cinc-toccthcr. "
lovo|coursc thc incination to dcny anob|cct in thc scnsc o|somcthinc
intuitcd topurc intuitionin ccncra thcrcbybccomcsstrcncthcncdin particu-
arby thc |act that onc can rc|crto a ccnuincy phcnomcna charactcr o|purc
intuition-to bc surc, vithout bcinc abc su|hcicnty to dctcrminc this char-
actcr. In thc knovinc rcation to thincs vhich arc at hand and vhich arc
spatiotcmporay" ordcrcd, vc arc dircctcd onyatthis. ut|ora that, spacc
and timc do not aov thcmscvcs to bc laty dcnicd. 1hc positivc qucstion
must thcrc|orc rcad Hov, thcn, arc spacc andtimc thcrc asvc` I|Kant says
thcy may bc intuitions, thcn vc micht rcpy but in |act thcsc vcrc not
intuitcd. Ccrtainy thcyarc not intuitcdin thc scnsc o|a thcmaticapprchcn-
sion, but rathcr thcy arc intuitcd in thc manncr o| an oricina, |ormativc
civinc. Ircciscy bccausc thc purc intuitcd is vhat and hov it is, as csscntia
|or thc |oinc-in accordancc vith thc charactcrizcd doubc scnsc o| thc
purc ookvhichistobc crcatcd-thcpurc intuitinccannotintuit itsintuitcd"
in thc manncr o| a thcmatic, apprchcndinc, takinc-in-stridc o| somcthinc
vhich is at hand.
1hus thc oricina intcrprctation o| purc intuition as purc povcr o|imaci-
nation hrstprovidcs thc possibiity to cucidatc positivcyvhat thc intuitcd is
in purc intuition. ^s prciminary |orminc o|a purc, unthcmatic, and |in thc
Kantian scnsc) unob|cctivc ook, purc intuition makcs it possibc that thc
200 A29I , J7. .SchmidtrcmarksthatinA, |cnstmaytnanum)"appcarsthrccIincshiehcr,
a|tcr "tmc" |Indccd, that is thc way Kcmp SmthtransIatcs t as wcII, aIthoueh I havc choscn to
|oIIow Hcidcgcrs citationcxactIyhcrctr.
20I . Rc|Icxioncn ll, p. 02 Kn|shandsrhn]t|rhctNarh|a, vo V no. JI .
02. A J7.
!02 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics | J- I
cmpirica intuitinc olspa|io-tcmpora thincs vhich movcs vithin its horizon
docs not rs| nccd to intuit spacc and |imc in |hc scnsc ol an apprchcnsion
vhich rst asccrtains thcsc muItpicitics.
lov, it is aso throuch this intcrprc|ation ol purc intui|ion |hat thc tran
sccndcnta charactcr ol transccndcnta intuition is hrst carihcd, ilindccd |hc
inncrmost csscncc ol transccndcncc is croundcd in thc purc povcr ol im-
acination. 1hus, standinc as it docs at thc bccinninc ol thc C||auc c] Puc
Pcasco, thc 1ransccndcnta ^csthctic is lundamcn|ay unintcicibc. It has
ony a prcparatorycharactcrand can bc rcad propcry lor thc rst timc ony|
lrom thc pcrspcctivc olthc 1ransccndcnta Schcmatism.
1husasuntcnabcasthccllor|by|hc MarburcSchooolKan|Intcrprctation
is to apprchcnd spacc and |imc as ca|ccorics" in |hc ocica scnsc and to
absorb thc 1ransccndcnta ^csthctic into |hc ocic, onc ol thc mo|ivcs suc-
ccstcdby that cllor|,hovcvcr, isccnuinc thc insicht, admi||cdynot caricd,
that |hc 1ransccndcnta ^csthc|ic, |akcn by itscl, canno| itsclconstitu|c thc
vhoc ol vhat ics coscd up vithin i| asa possibiity. Hovcvcr, bascd on |hc
pccuar syn"-charactcr olpurc intuition, thc bconcinc-toccthcr ol purc in-
|ui|ion vith |hc syn|hcsis ol |hc undcrstandinc docs no| loov. Ra|hcr, |hc
intcrprctation ol this syn"-charactcr cads to thc oricin ol purc intuition in
|hc |ransccndcn|a povcr olimacina|ion. ^bsorbinc thc 1ransccndcntal ^cs-
thc|ic into thc ocic, morcovcr bccomcs sti morc qucstionabc vhcn t is
shovn |hat thc spccic ob|cct ol thc 1ransccndcnta ocic, purc thinkinc, is
aso roo|cd in thc transccndcn|a povcr olimacination.

hZ9. Thc Transccndcnta| Powcr o[ Imagination and Thcorctica| Rcason

1hc attcmpt to poin| out an oricin lor purc thinkinc in thc transccndcnta
povcr olimacina|ion, and thcrcvith lor thcorctica rcason in ccncra, arcady
appcars lor novtobc hopccss lor thc simpc rcasonthat suchapro|cctmicht
bc takcn |o bc absurd in itscl. ct Kant cxprcssy says |hat |hc povcr ol
imacination voud bc aIvays scnsibc." ut as csscn|iay scnsibc |i. c. , as
a ovcr and inlcrior lacuty) , hov is | |o bc capabc ol lorminc thc oricin lor
that vhich is hichcr and supcrior" In nitc knovinc, |hc lact that thc
undcrstandinc prcsupposcs scnsibiity and vith it |hc povcr ol imacination
as a substratum" is undcrstandabc. Hovcvcr, thc caim that thc undcrstand-
20 nly by mcansola clcar scparation bctwccn asynopsisolpurc intuitionandthc synthcsis
ol thc undcrstandinc is thc dillcrcncc bctwccn ``lorm ol intuition`' and "lormal intuition to bc
cldatcd. adstnrtonl hat Kant ntroduccs n 2, p. 0. loonotc
20. A l 21.
C. prcviously
h2. |I 1c-I 18I I0J
inc itscl. accordinc to its csscncc, shoud sprinc lorthlrom out olscnsibiity.
cannot hidc its obvious absurdity
^nd yct. prior to any lormaistic arcumcntation.vc must notc thatitisnot
a qucstionhcrc olthc cmpirica. cxpanatory dcrlvation ola hichcr lacuty ol
thc sou lrom an inlcrior onc. rovidcd that in thc considcration ol thc
cround-ayinc thc lacutics ol thc sou arc not substitutcd lor thc subjcct ol
thc discussion in any vay. thcn thc ordcr ol prcccdcncc as to ovcr" and
hlchcr," vhich crovs out olsuch an arranccmcnt olthc lacutics olthc sou.
ikcvisc cannot cuidc usnotcvcn lor purposcs olan obcction. Iirst olal.
hovcvcr. vhat docs scnsibc" mcan
y dcsicn, thc csscncc ol scnsibiity vas arcady dcimitcd vith thc charac-
tcriation ol thc point ol dcparturc lor thc cround-ayinc, just as Kant dctcr
mincd it lor thc rst timc. ^ccordinc scnsibiity and nitc intultion mcan
thc samc thinc. ]hc nitudcicsinthc takinc-instridc olvhatcivcs itscl. Vhat
clvcs itscll and hov it civcs itscl rcmain opcn. It is not that cvcry scnsibc
intuition |i. c. . cvcr intuition vhich takcs thincs in stridc) must arcady bc
scnticnt cmpirica. ]hc morc inlcrior" olthc allcctions olthc corporcay con
ditioncd scnscs docs not bconc to thc csscncc olscnsibilty ]hus, not onycan
thc transccndcnta povcrollmacination as purc nitc intuition bc scnsiblc."it
mustbc, cvcn as thc basic dctcrmination ol hnitc transccndcncc
lcvcrthccss. this scnsibiity ol thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination
cannot bc caimcd as thc basis lor its assicnmcnt to thc cass ol inlcrior
lacutics ol thc sou cspcciay not il, as transccndcnta. t ls to bc thc con-
dition lor thc possibiity ol a lacutics. ut at this point. thc most dilcult
|bccausc it is thc most natura") ob cction to a possibcoricin olpurc think
lncin thc transccndcnta povcr olimacination has lalcn.
cason can nov no onccr bc caimcd as hichcr. " ut anothcr dilcuty
immcdiatcyprcscntsitscl. ]hc actthat purc intuitionsprincslorthlrom thc
transccndcnta povcr ol imacinatlon as a laculty ol intuition is still con-
ccivabc. ut thc caim that thlnkinc. vhich must indccd bc sharpy distin-
cuishcd lrom a intuition. shoud havc its oricin in thc transccndcntal povcr
olimacinationappcars to bc impossibc, cvcn ilimportancc can no onccr bc
attachcd to thc ordcr ol prcccdcncc ol scnsibiity and undcrstandinc.
^nd yct. thinkincand intuitinc, athouch dillcrcnt. arc not scparatcd lrom
onc anothcr ikc tvo compctcy dissimiar thincs. athcr. as spccics ol rcp-
rcscntinc ' \ctstcllcos| both bconc to thc samc ccnus ol prc-prcscntinc ' \ct
stcllcos| in ccncra . oth arc modcs olthc rcprcscntinc ol . 'dcs \cstcllcos
vco . . . | . ]hc insicht into thc primaryrcprcscntationacharactcr olthinkinc
is no css dccisivc lor thc intcrprctation vhich loovs than is thc corrcct
undcrstandincolthc scnsibc charactcr ol thc povcr olimacination
'0 Scc aovc, h. . l .
!0 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' !B- !9I
y mcans ol an oricina unvciinc ol thc csscncc ol undcrstandinc, its
inncrmost csscncc must bc broucht into vicv thc dcpcndcncy upon intu-
ition. ]his cinc-dcpcndcnt charactcrizcs thc cincundcrstandinc ol thc
undcrstandinc.' ' `' ^nd this cinc" isvhatandhovit isinthcpurcsynthcsis
ol thc purc povcr ol imacination. ]o this onc micht rcpy. ccrtainy thc
undcrstandinc is rcatcd to purc intuition throuch thc purc povcr ol im
acination. ut by no mcans is that to say that thc purc undcrstandincis itscl
thc transccndcnta povcr olimacination and notsomcthincvhich stands on
its ovn.
]hat thc undcrstandinc is somcthincvhich stands on its ovn is attcstcd
to by ocic, vhich docs not nccd to dca vith thc povcr olimacination. ^nd
in lact Kant avays introduccs thc undcrstandincina lormvhich thc appar-
cntyabsoutc,"athandocichas dctcrmincd lor it. ]hcanaysismustindccd
dcpart lrom this indcpcndcncc ol thinkinc il thc oricin ol thinkinc in thc
povcr olimacination is to bc shovn.
]hat traditiona ocic docs not trcat thc purc povcr ol imacination is
indisputabc. Vhcthcr ocic docs not nccd to trcat it in ccncra ilit undcr
stands itscl, hovcvcr-this, at cast must rcmain opcn. ]hat Kant takcs thc
point oldcparturc lor his qucstioninc timc and acain lrom ocic is simiary
undcniabc. ut|ustas qucstionabc is vhcthcr in this vay ocic in a dctcr-
minativc scnsc, makcs thinkinc its ony thcmc, as vc as vhcthcr it cuaran
tccs that this ocic can dcimit thc lu csscncc ol thinkinc or can cvcn
approach it.
Oocsnot Kants intcrprctation olpurc thinkinc in thc ]ransccndcnta Oc-
duction and in thc Ooctrinc olthc Schcmatism shov that not ony thc lunc-
tions ol judcmcnt, but aso thc purc conccpts as notions, mcrcy prcscnt
artihciay isoatcd ccmcnts ol thc purc synthcsis vhich, lor its part, is an
csscntiay ncccssary prcsupposition" lor thc synthctic unity ol appcrccp
tion"` ^nd docs not Kant cvcn absorb lorma ocic, vith rcspcct to vhich hc
indccd constantyoricts himsclasilvithrcspccttoan^bsoutc,"intovhat
hc cas ]ransccndcnta ocic vhich has thc transccndcnta povcr ol im-
acination as its ccntra thcmc` Oocs thc rccction ol traditiona ocic not co
so lar that Kantcharactcristicay lor thc hrst timc in thc sccond cdition
must say ^nd so thc synthctic unity ol appcrccption is thc hichcst point to
vhich vc must ascribc a cmpoymcnt olthc undcrstandinc, cvcn thc vhoc
ol ocic, and in conlormity vith it, transccndcnta phiosophy. Indccd, this
lacuty is thc undcrstandinc itscl"`
]hus, thc prcconccptions conccrninc thcabiityolthinkinc tostand on its
ovnhov thcy vcrc succcstcd throuch thc tactica cxistcncc ol vhat vas
20 I 33, notc
a. Scc thc |atc |oulaton olhc Conccrr oludcmcntl
h2. |I 1-IJ0I !J
apparcnty thc hichcst and irrcducibc discipinc ol lorma ocic-arc not
pcrmittcd tobccomc thcstandard lor a dccision conccrnincthcpossibiity ol
anoricinolpurc thinkinc inthctransccndcntapovcrolimacination. Rathcr,
it isvorth ourvhic to scck thc csscncc olpurc thinkinc invhat thc cround-
ayinc itscl has arcady broucht to icht in this rccard. Cny by bccinninc
viththc oricina csscncc olundcrstandinc, and in no vayvith a ocic that
sichts this csscncc, can a dccision bc madc conccrninc its possibc oricin.
]hc charactcrization ol thinkinc as |udcinc is indccd appropriatc, but is
sti ony a distant dctcrmination ol its csscncc. ]hc dcsicnation ol thinkinc
as lacuty ol rucs" arcady comcs coscr to" this | csscncc ,' and indccd it
docs so bccausc lrom thcrc a vay cads out to thc basic dctcrminationolthc
undcrstandinc as purc appcrccption. "
acuty olrucs,"hovcvcr, mcans. tohod bclorc usi nadvancc thc rcprc
scntcd unitics vhich civc dircction to cvcry possibc unihcation that is rcprc
scntcd. ]hcsc unitics |notions, or rathcr catccorics) vhich arc rcprcscntcd as
rccuativc, hovcvcr, must not ony havc carncd to pay thcir part bascd on
thcir propcr alhnity, but this alhnity must itscl aso bc craspcd comprchcn-
sivcyinadvanccinaastincunitythrouchastimorcanticipatoryproposinc
' vctgtccodctcs \ctstcllco olthcm.
]hcproposinc

olthisastincunity, as thc samcncssolthc totaity olthc

rucs olalhnity is thcbasicimpuscolthc cttinc-stand-acainst-ol. . . . Insuch
a proposinc 'vcts|cllcodco scl-oricntinctovard . . . , thc scl" in this oricnt-
inc-tovard . . is, as it vcrc, takcnoutsidc. Insuchanoricntinc-tovard . . . ,
or rathcr in thc scl" vhich vas throvn out" vith it, thc I" olthis scl" is
ncccssariy apparcnt. Inthis vay, thc Iproposc"accompanics" a rcprcscnt-
inc.

utitisnotaqucstionolancarb consummatcdactolknovincvhich
isdircctcdby thinkincitscl. ]hc I" cocsvith" in thc purc scl-oricntinc. ]o
thc cxtcnt that it is itsclony vhat it is in this I think," thc csscncc olpurc
thinkinc as vc as that ol thc I ics in purc scl-consciousncss. " ]his con-
sciousncss" olthc scl, hovcvcr, can onybc cucidatcdbascd on thc cincol
thc scland notthc rcvcrsc, vhcrcby thc attcrmicht bc cucidatcd bascdon
thc lormcr, orrathcr vhcrcby thc attcr micht cvcn bc rcndcrcd supcrluous
throuch thc lormcr.
]hc I think," hovcvcr, is avays an I think substancc, " I think causaity"
or rathcr, in" thcsc purc unitics |catccorics), avaysarcady it mcans"

I think substancc," I think causaity," ctc. ]hc I is thc vchicc" ol thc

catccorics to thc cxtcnt that in its prciminary scloricntinc tovard . . . , it
brincs thcm aonc |to a oint| lrom vhich, as rcprcscntcd, rccuativc unitics,
thcy can unily
207.A ! 2.
20 A JJ, 10!.
I0 Kaht ahd thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics | ! J0 IJ2l
^sa rcsut. thc purc undcrstandincisa prc-lormincol thc horionol unity
vhich rcprcscnts lrom out olitscl." t isa rcprcscntinc. lormincspontancity.
thc occurrcncc ol vhich ics in thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. " Kant cx
prcssy cas this thc proccdurcolundcrstandincviththcscschcmata. "and
hc spcaks ol thc schcmatism ol our undcrstandinc.
~ U
^nd yct. hc purc
schcmata arc nov a transccndcnta product ol thc povcr olimacination."
ov docs this aov lor rcconciiation ]hc undcrstandinc docs not brinc
lorth thc schcmata. but vorks vith thcm. " ]his vorkincvith olthc undcr
standinc. hovcvcr. is oct a vay olputtincintopracticc. vhich it alsc carrics
out on occasion. Rathcr. this purc schcmatism. vhich is croundcd in thc
transccndcnta povcr olimacination. constitutcs prciscy thc oricina cinc
olthc undcrstandinc. thcIthinksubstancc. "ctc. ^srcprcscntincvhichlorms
spontancousy. thc apparcnt achicvcmcnt ol thc purc undcrstandinc in thc
thinkinc ol thc unitics is a purc basic act ol thc transccndcnta povcr ol
imacination. ]his is al thc morc so sincc this rcprcscntinc. scl-oricntinc
tovard . . . is no thcmatic asscrtinc olthc unity. butis instcad thc unthcmatic
brincnc-itscl-bclorc -us olvhat has bccn proposcd 'da \cgctclltco| .asvc
havc arcady indicatcd scvcra timcs. ]his occurs. hovcvcr. in a lorminc
rcprcscntinc. i . c. . onc vhich brincs-lorth.
lov il Kant cals this purc. scl-oricntinc. scl-rcatinc-to . . our
thoucht uoctco Ccdao|co thcn thinkinc" ' lco|co| this thoucht 'Cc
dao|cos is no onccrcacd|udcinc. but is thinkincin thc scnsc olthc lrcc.
lorminc. and pro|cctinc |athouch not arbitrary) conccivinc" 5c|dco|cos
ol somcthinc. ]hisoricina thinkinc" is purc imacininc.
]hc imacinativc charactcr ol purc thinkinc bccomcs cvcn ccarcr il vc
attcmpt. bascd on thc csscntialdctcrmination olthc undcrstandincvhich has
nov bccn achicvcd. to comc ncarcr to purc sclconsciousncss. to its csscncc
inordcrto crasp it as rcason. Icrc acain. thc dillcrcncc bctvccn undcrstand
incvhich|udccsand rcason vhich dravs concusions. adillcrcnccborrovcd
lromlormal locic. ccrtainlymaynotbcpcrmittcdtobc dccisivc nstcad,vhat
vi bc dccisivc is vhat ariscs in thc transccndcnta intcrprctation ol thc
undcrstandinc
Kant cas thc purc undcrstandinca coscd unity" ut lrom vhcrc docs thc
procctcd vhoc olalhnity takc itsvhocncss` Insolar as it is a qucstion olthc
vhocncssolarcprcscntincas suchan alnity .that vhich civcs thcvholcncss
must itscll bc a rcprcscntinc ]his occurs in thc lorminc ol thc dca 'dcc|
ccausc thc purc undcrstandinc is thc think." on thc crounds ol its csscncc
it must havc thc charactcr ol a laculty ol Idcas." i . c . ol rcason. or vithout
2 A I0, l 7
2 l A I l , B
2 I A l 2, B
h2. |IJ2-I JJI !07
rcasonvc havc nocohcrcntcmpoymcntolthcundcrstandinc. " Idcascon-
tain a ccrtain compctcncss, " thcy rcprcscnt thc lorm ol a vhoc," and
hcncc in a morcoricina scnsc arc ruc-civinc.
lovonc micht ob|cctthat prcciscy viththcunlodincolthc]ransccndcn
ta Idca, vhich must scrc . . . as ruc and archctypc"

Kant cxprcssy
says that it acts compctcy dilcrcnty . . . vith crcations ol thc povcr ol
imacination" olthc kind vhich paintcrs and physiocnomists prolcss to havc
in thcir hcads."

Hcrc thc conncction bctvccn thc Idcas olpurc rcason and

thoscolthc povcrolimacinationhasindccdbccncxprcssy dcnicd. Hovcvcr,
this passacc says simpy that thc ]ransccndcnta Idca must avays rcst on
dctcrminatc conccpts," and can bc no arbitrary and burrcd skctch" ol thc
cmpirica, productivc povcr olimacination. ]his docs notruc out that thosc
dctcrminatc conccpts" arc possibc ony in thc transccndcnta povcr ol im-
acination.
lov onc coud acrcc vith thc intcrprctation ol thcorctica rcason vith
rccard to its kinship vith thc transccndcntapovcr olimacinationinsolaras
it hichichts thc rcprcscntinc, lrcc lorminc inpurc thinkinc. Hovcvcr, ilthc
intcrprctation vants to concudc lrom this as toan oricin ol purc thinkinc in
thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination, thcn vc must point out that spon-
tancity constitutcs but onc momcnt olthc transccndcnta povcr olimacina-
tion and that, accordincy, vhic thinkinc indccd has a rcationship vith thc
povcr ol imacination, this is ncvcr indicativc ol a lu coincidinc ol thcir
csscnccs. or thc povcr ol imacination is aso and prcciscy a lacuty ol
intuition, i. c. , olrcccptivity ^nd it isrcccptivc, morcovcr, notjust apart lrom
its spontancity Rathcr, it is thc oricina unity ol rcccptivity and spontancity
and not a unity vhich vas compositc lm thc hrst.
lov it has bccn shovn that on thc crounds ol its purity purc intuition
posscsscsthccharactcrolspontancity ^s purc, spontancousrcccptivity, ithas
itscsscnccin thc transccndcnta povcr olimacination.
lov il purc thinkinc is to bc olthc samc csscncc, thcn as spontancity it
must at thc samc timc cxhibit thc charactcr ol a purc rcccptivity ut docs
Kantnotccncraysupposc thatundcrstandincandrcasonarcsimpyidcntica
vith spontancity`
lcvcrthccss, il Kant cquatcs thc undcrstandinc vith spontancity, this no
morc cxcudcs a rcccptivity ol undcrstandinc than thc cquatinc ol scnsibi-
ityhnitc intuition-vith rcccptivity cxcudcd a corrcspondinc spontancity
In thc cnd, thc vicv olcmpirica intuition mcrcy|ustihcs thc cmphatic and
2! 2. A 5! . 79.
2! J. A 57., 595.
2!+. A BJ2, B0.Sccinthis rceard \om Wcscndcs Gundcs,thcd. | ! 97J) p. J! .
2 !5. A 570, 59B.
2 !. Ibid.
!0B Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics | !J- !l
cxcusivc charactcrization as rcccptivity. and. corrcspondincy. thc vicwol thc
ocica" lunction ol thc undcrstandinc within cmpirica knowcdcc ustics
thc cxcusivc cmphasis ol its spontancity and lunction."
Cnthc othcrhand.inthcdomainolpurcknowcdcc.i. c. . withinthcprobcm
olthc possibiity oltransccndcncc. thc purc takincin-stridc olthatwhich civcs
itscl. i . c. . thc takinc-in-stridc which civcs to itscl|spontancousy). cannot rc-
main conccacd. ut must not prcciscy a purc rcccptivity now cmcrcc. just as
compcinc and with a its spontancity. in thc transccndcnta intcrprctation ol
purc thinkinc! ^pparcnt Ithasoncsincc cmcrccd inthcprcccdincintcrprc-
tation olthc ]rasccndcnta Ocduction and thc Schcmatism.
In ordcr to scc thc csscntia intuitivc charactcr ol purc thinkinc. ony thc
ccnuinc csscncc olnitcintuitincasa takinc-instridc olwhatcivcsitsclmust
bc craspcd and adhcrcd to. ut now it has comc out as thc lundamcnta
charactcr ol thc unity" oltransccndcnta appcrccption that. constantyunily
incinadvancc. itisopposcdtocvcrythincrandom. Icncc.inthcrcprcscntinc
scl-urninctoward . . . ony this cincin-opposition and no othcr is takcn
up. ]hc lrcc. lormativc projcctinc ol thc alnity is in itscl a rcprcscntinc
submittncto itwhich takcs thincsinstridc. ]hc rucs.whicharc rcprcscntcd
in thc undcrstandinc as thc lacuty ol rucs. arc not craspcd as somcthinc at
hand in consciousncss. " Rathcr. thc rucs olbindinc toccthcr |synthcsis) arc
rcprcscntcd prcciscy as bindinc in thcir charactcr as bindinc-toccthcr. Il
somcthinc. such as a ruinc ruc is ony thcrc in thccttinc-bc-rucd which
akcs thincs in stridc. thcn thc Idca" as rcprcscntation ol thc ruc can ony
bc rcprcscntcd in thc manncr olsomcthincwhich takcs thincs in stridc.
In this scnsc. purc thinkinc in itscl. not altcr thc lact. is capabc ol takinc
thincs in stridc i . c. it is purc intuition. ]his structura. cohcrcnt. rcccptivc
spontancity must. accordincy sprinc lorth lrom thc transccndcnta powcr ol
imacination in ordcr to bc abc to bc what it is. ^s purc appcrccption. thc
undcrstandinchas thc croundlor its possibiity" ina lacuty"which ooks out
in an innity olscl-madc rcprcscntations and conccpts. "']hc transccndcnta
powcrolimacinationprojccts. lormincin advancc thc totaity olpossibiiticsin
tcrs olwhich it ooks out." in ordcr thcrcby to hod bclorc itsclthc horizon
within whichthc knowinc scl. butnotjustthc knowncscl. acts. Cnylorthis
rcasoncan Kantsay. Iumanrcasonisbyitsnaturcahitcctonic.ic. itrccards
a knowcdcc asbconcinc to a possibc systcm. . . . "
"
]hc intuitivc charactcr which bconcs to purc thinkinc as such. howcvcr.
canappcarmuch css strancc ilwc considcrthatthcpurc intuitions timcand
spacc. arcjust as unintuitabc" as thc propcry undcrstood catccorics. i. c. as
purc schcmata-as oncas intuitabc"just mcans to bc pcrccivabc throuch
a scnsc orcan.
2 ! 7 crJic For|schri||c JcrMc|urhVsi, VIII, p 29
2 !B. A 7, 502.
hJ0. |IJJ-I JcI !09
]hc ncccssity, hovcvcr, rcvcacd in thc standinc-acainst ol thc horizon ol
objcctivity

is ony possibc as cncountcrcd compusion" insolar asit hap-

pcns inadvancc upon a cinc-lrcc lorit. Irccdom arcady ics in thc csscncc
olpurc undcrstandinc, i. c. , olpurc thcorctica rcason, insolar as this mcans
pacinconcsclundcr a scl-civcn ncccssit Hcncc undcrstandinc and rcason
arc not lrcc bccausc thcy havc thc charactcr olspontancity but bccausc this
spontancity is a rcccptivc spontancity, i . c. , bccausc it is thc transccndcnta
povcr olimacination.
^onc vith thc cadinc-back ol purc intuition and purc thinkinc to thc
transccndcnta povcrolimacination, hovcvcr, itshoud aso bccomc obvious
that in this vay thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination rcvcas itscl morc
and morc as structura possibiity, i. c. , in itsmakinc-possibc oltransccndcncc
as thc csscncc ol thc hnitc scl. ]hus it oscs not ony thc charactcr ol an
cmpirica lacuty olthcsou vhich hasbccn pickcd up, but aso thc rcstric-
tion, hithcrto in cllcct, ol its csscncc to thc rootcinc ' watzclsc|o| lor thc
thcorctica lacuty as such. ^nd so, thcn, thc ast stcp in thc unvciinc olthc
oricinaity" olthc prcviousy aid cround must bc riskcd.
hJ. Thc Transccndcntal Powcr o[ Imagination and Practical Rcason
Kant arcadysays in thc Ct||aacc]PatcPcasco Lvcrythincvhichispossi
bc throuch lrccdom is practica. " Insolar as lrccdom bconcs to thc possi-
biityolthcorcticarcason, hovcvcr, itisinitsclasthcorcticay practica. ut
ilhnitc rcason asspontancityis rcccptivc andthcrcbysprincs lorth lm thc
transccndcnta povcr olimacination, thcn olncccssitypracticarcasonis aso
croundcd thcrcin. Indccd, thc oricin ol practica rcason may not bc dis-
coscd
,

throuch arcumcntation, cvcnthouchit pcrhapssccmsccitimatc to
do so. Rathcr, vhat is rcquircd is an cxprcss unvciinc by mcans olan cuci-
dation olthc csscncc olthc practica scl. "
^ccordinc to vhat has bccn said about thc I" ol purc appcrccption, thc
csscncc ol thc scl ics in scl-consciousncss. " ut as vhat and hov thc scl
is inthisconsciousncss,"thisisdctcrmincdbythccincolthcscl, tovhich
its manilcstncss bconcs. ]his manilcstncss is vhat it is ony insolar as it
codctcrmincsthccinc olthcscl. Ilthc practica sclisnovto bc cxamincd
vith rccard to thc cround ol its possibiity, thcn it is vorth hrst dcimitinc
that scl-consciousncss vhich makcs this sclas sclpossibc. Vith thc con-
sidcration olthis practica, i . c. , mora, scl-consciousncss, thcn, vc must in-
vcsticatcthccxtcnttovhichitscsscntiastructurc rclcrsbacktothc transccn
dcnta povcr olimacination as its oricin.
2 I 9. A B00, B2B.
! ! 0 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' I J- I JBI
]hc mora I, thc authcntic sc| and csscncc o| man, Kant aso cas thc
pcrson. In vhat docs thc csscncc o| thc pcrsonaity o| thc pcrson consist`
Icrsonality itsc| is thc idca o|thc mora av" aonc vith thc rcspcct vhich
is inscparabc |rom it. " Rcspcct is susccptibiity" to thc mora av, i. c. , thc
makinc-possibc o| a bcinc-susccptibc to this av as a mora onc. ut i|
rcspcctconstitutcs thc csscncc o|thc pcrson as thc mora sc|, thcn accordinc
tovhathasarcadybccn saiditmust prcscnt avayo|cinc-sc|-conscious.
|77l
]o vhat cxtcnt is it such`
Can it | rcspcct |unction as a vay o| cincsc|conscious i|, accordinc to
Kants ovn dcsicnation, it is a |ccinc"` Iccincs, pcasurabc and unpca-
surabc statcs, indccd bconc to scnsibiity ]o bc surc, this is notjust dctcr-
mincd throuch bodiy statcs, so that thc possibiity o| a purc |ccinc-onc
vhich is not dctcrmincdby thc a||cctions, butrathcroncvhichis sc|-pro-
duccd"-rcmains opcn. '
]hcrc|orc, vc must hrst ask about thc univcrsa
csscncc o| |ccinc inccncra. ]hc cucidation o| this csscncc vi aovusto
dccidc |or thc hrst timc thc cxtcnt to vhich |cclinc" in ccncraland vith
it, rcspcct as a purc |ccinccanprcscnt somcthinc ikc a vay o|cinc-sc|-
conscious.
Lvcn in thc basc" |ccincs o| pcasurc, a pccuiar basic structurc appcars.
Icasurc || isnotj ustpcasurc |orsomcthincand in somcthinc,but rathcr
it is avays at thc samc timc cnjoymcnt '8clust|guog| , i. c. , a vay in vhich
human bcincs cxpcricncc thcmscvcs ascnj oyinc 'hclust|gt . invhichthcy arc
happy 'lust|g| ]hus,in cvcryscnsibc |inthc narrovcrscnsc) andnonscnsibc
|ccinc is |ound this ccar structurc. |ccinc is an instancc o|hainc a |ccinc
|or . . . , and as sch it is at thc samc timc a scl|-|ccinc o|that vhich |ccls.
]hc manncr in vhich sc|-|ccinc |rom timc to timc makcsthc sc|mani|cst,
i . c. , thcmanncrinvhichit cts it bc, vi avays bc codctcincd csscntiay
throuch thc charactcr o|that |orvhich thc |ccinc |bcinc| , in thc sc|-|ccinc
has a |ccinc. lov to vhat cxtcnt docs rcspcct corrcspond to this csscntia
strcturc o||ccinc, and vhy is it a purc |ccinc`
Kant civcs thc anaysis o| rcspcct in thc Cr|t|auc c] Pract|cal Pcasco ]hc
|oovinc intcrprctation vi sincc out ony vhat is csscntia.
Rcspcct as such is rcspcct |or thc mora av. It docs not scrvc |as a basis|
|or thc judcmcnt o| actions, and it docs not hrst appcar a|tcr thc cthica
220. Dic Rcliyion inncrhulb Jcr Orcnzcn Jcr blocn \cuIt, Wcc, voI VI, p. I . |Rcliyion
within thc imits o| Rcuson Alonc, trans. Thcodorc Grccnc and Hoyt Hudson Chicaeo. l9J), p
22|. tr.
22 . OrunJlcyunyzurMctuchVsiJcrittcn,2dcd. , Wcc, voI. IV, p. 257, notc |Kunt.FounJu
tions o| thc MctuchVsics o| Moruls, trans. Lcwis Vhitc cc, cd. Rbcn FauI VoI|||ndianapois,
97B), pp. 202 , noc 2r.
222. KritiJcrcrutischcn \crnun|t . Fa I , ook I, Division J Wcc, voI. V p. 79||. |Mcincr
cdition, cd. VoIndcr Hambure I97), p. B||. Critiuco|Pructicul Rcuson, trans. LcwisVhic
ckndianapois. I 97B) p. 7|I.
hJ0. |I J8-I JI J J J
lact

to bc somcthlnc lkc thc manncr ln vhlch vc takc a posltlon vlth

rcspcct to thc consummatcd act. Cn thc contrary, rcspcct lor thc av hrst
constltutcs thc posslbllty lor actlon. ]hc rcspcctlor . . . lsthc vayln vhlch
thc av hrstbccomcs acccsslbc tous. ^t thc samc tlmc vc hnd thcrcln. thls
lcclnc ol rcspcct lor thc av docs not aso scrvc, as Kant puts lt, lor thc
croundlnc" olthc av. ]hc av ls notvhat lt ls bccausc vc havc rcspcct lor
lt, but rathcr thc rcvcrsc. thls rcspcctlnc havlnc-a-lcclnc lor thc av, and
vlth lt thls dctcrmlnatc manncr ol maklnc thc av manllcst, ls thc vay ln
vhlch thc av, as such a rcspcctlnc havlnc-alcclnc lor ln ccncra, can bc
cncountcrcd by us.
Icclnc ls havlnc-a-lcclnc lor . . . so lt ls truc that thc lcclnc I at thc
samctlmc lccsltsclhcrcln. In rcspcct bclorc thcav, thcrclorc, thcrcspcctlnc
I ltsclmust at thc samc tlmc bccomcmanllcstln a dctcrmlnatc vay Iurthcr-
morc, thls vay olbccomlnc manllcst ls not omcthlnc subscqucnt and occa-
slona,butrathcrthc rcspcctbclorc thcav-thls dctcrmlnatc vayolmaklnc
thcavmanllcstasthc dctcrmlnatlvccroundloractlon-lsln ltsclamaklnc-
manllcst olmysclasactlncscl. Rcason, as lrcc, clvcs to ltscl that lorvhlch
thc rcspcct ls rcspcct, thc moraav. Rcspcct bclorc thc av ls rcspcct bclorc
oncsclasthat sclvhlch docs not comc tobc dctcrmlncd throuchsclconcclt
and scl-ovc. Rcspcct, ln lts spcclhc maklncmanllcst, thusrclcrs to thc pcr
son. Pcspcctls avays dlrcctcd tovard pcrsons, ncvcr tovard thlncs."`
In rcspcct bclorc thc av, I subordlnatc myscl to thc a ]hc spcclhc
havlnc-a-lcclnc lor . . . vhlchls lound lnrcspcct ls a submlttlnc. In rcspcct
bclorc thcav, Isubmlttomyscl. Inthlssubmlttlnc-to-myscl,I amas I ltscl.
P vhat, or morc prcclscy, as vho am I manllcst to mysclln thc lcclnc ol
rcspcct`
Insubmlttlnc to thc av, I submlt to mysclas purc rcason. Inthls submlt-
tlnc-to-myscl, I ccvatcmysclto mysclasthclrcccrcaturcvhlchdctcrmlncs
ltscl. ]hls pccular, submlttlnc, scl-ccvatlnc ol ltscl to ltsclmanllcsts thc I
ln lts dlcnlty" Mccatlvcy statcd. In rcspcct bclorc thc av, vhlch as a lrcc
crcaturcI clvc tomyscl,I cannotdcsplscmyscl. Hcncc,rcspcctls thc manncr
olthc clnc-lts-scl ol thc I 'dcs5clhstsc|osdcslc|| , on thc crounds ol vhlch
lt docs not throv avay thc hcro ln lts sou. " Rcspcct ls thc manncr ol thc
scls clnc-rcsponslbc, lacc to lacc vlth ltscl ltls authcntlc clnc-lts-sc.
]hc submlttlnc, scl-projcctlnc

onto thc cntlrc baslc posslbllty olvhat

authcntlcay cxlsts, vhlch thc av clvcs, ls thc csscncc ol thc actlnc clnc
ltscl, l. c. , olpractlca rcason.
]hc prcccdlnc lntcrprctatlon ol thc lcclnc ol rcspcct shovs not ony thc
cxtcnt to vhlch lt constltutcs practlca rcason, but at thc samc tlmc ltmakcs
lt ccar that thc conccpt ol lcclnc ln thc scnsc ol an cmplrlcay lntcndcd
22. Ibid. , p. B1. |Mcincrcd. , p. B9, Crtquc o] Practtca| Rco,p. 79. |
! ! 2 Kant and thc FmbIcm O Mctaphysics ' ! 9- !0|
lacuty olthc sou has disappcarcd, and into its pacc hasstcppcda transccn-
dcnta, basic structurc ol thc transccndcncc ol thc mora scl. ]hc cxprcssion
lccinc" must comc to bc undcrstood in this ontoocicomctaphysica scnsc
il vc arc to cxhaust vhat Kant mcans by thc charactcrization ol rcspcct as
mora lccinc" and as lccinc ol my cxistcncc. " lo lurthcr stcps arc nov
rcquircd in ordcr to scc that this csscntia structurc ol rcspcct initsclaovs
thcoricinaconstitutionolthc transccndcnta povcr olimacinationto cmcrcc.
]hc scl-submittinc, immcdiatc, surrcndcr-to . . . is purc rcccptivity thc
lrcc, scl-allcctincolthcav, hovcvcr, L purc spontancity Inthcmscvcs both
arc oricinay onc. ^nd acain, ony this oricin ol practica rcason in thc
transccndcnta povcr ol imacination aovs us to undcrstand thc cxtcnt to
vhich, in rcspcct, thc avasmuchas thc actincsclisnot tobc apprchcndcd
obcctivcy Rathcr, botharcmanilcstprcciscy ina morc oricina,unob|cctivc,
andunthcmaticvayas dutyandaction, andthcylorm thcunrc|cctcd, actinc
cinc ol thc scl 5clhs|-sc|o
sJ1 . Thc DrgnaIty o| thc PrcvousIy Lad Cround and Kants 5hrnkng-
8ack |mm thc TmnsccndcntaI Powcr o| Imagnaton
]hc hichcst principc ol a synthctic|udcmcnts" dcimits thc lu csscncc
olthc transccndcncc olpurc knovcdcc. ]hc transccndcnta povcr olimaci-
nation manilcsts itsclas thc csscntia cround lor this csscncc. ]hc prcccdinc,
morc oricina intcrprctation olthc csscncc olthis csscntia cround, hovcvcr,
hrst shovs thc scopc ol thc hichcst principc. ]his principc spcaks ol thc
csscntia constitution olthc human csscncc in ccncra, to thc cxtcnt that it is
dctcrmincd as hnitc, purc rcason.
]hisoricina, csscntia constitution olhumankind, rootcd" inthc transccn
dcnta povcr ol imacination, is thc unknovn" into vhich Kant must havc
ookcd il hc spokc ol thc root unknovn to us," lor thc unknovn is not that
ol vhich vc simpy knov nothinc. Rathcr, it is vhat pushcs acainst us as
somcthincdisquictincinvhatisknovn. ^ndyct, Kant did not carry throuch
vith thc morc oricina intcrprctation ol thc transccndcnta povcrolimacina-
tion indccd, hc did not cvcn makc thc attcmpt in spitc ol thc ccar, initia
skctchincout ol such an anaytic vhich hc himscl rccocnizcd lor thc hrst
timc. Cn thc contrary.
Kant shrankback lrom this unknovn root
a.Thatappics,ccrtainIy, |orthoscwhoadmitthat Kantwcnt rowurJthctransccndcntaI powcr
o| imaeination |or onlV rhcn can thcrc aIso bc a buc cin Zuuc. Rc|crs to thc root o|
zuckecwichcn," transIatcd as "shrank back"- tr. . Scc KririJ. Lrrci|sru|r , 59, pp. 25B59
Criquco|]uJymcnr,l. . H. ard,. I99| hcrc as wcII thcntcrprctation is|ulIy uphcId, and
hcrc aeain thcshrininybuc lruccichcn! but in what scnsc.
hJI . |I cI -I c2 J
In thc sccond cdition ol thc Crtauc c] Purc Pcasco, thc transccndcnta
povcr olimacinationas itcamc to icht inthc impassioncd coursc olits hrst
projcction vas thrust asidc and civcn a ncv intcrprctationonc lavorinc
thc undcrstandinc. Il thc cntirc cround-ayinc is not thcrcby to coapsc into
itscl, thcn ccrtainy thc accompishmcnt ol its transccndcnta croundinc ac
cordinc to thc hrst cdition must sti bc maintaincd.
Vc cannot discuss hcrc thcscnsc in vhich thc purc povcr olimacination
rccursinthc Cr|t|aucc]]udcotandabovcavhcthcritstirccursincxprcss
rcationship to thc ayinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics as such vhich vas
pointcd out caricr.
irst ol a, in thc sccond cdition Kant struck out both ol thc principc
passaccs in vhichhc had caricrcxprcssyincudcd thc povcr olimacination
as a third basic lacuty, aonc vith scnsibiity and undcrstandinc. ]hc hrst
passacc is rcpaccd by a critica discussion ol thc anayscs ol thc undcr-
standinc by ockc and Humc, just as il Kant sav his ovn proccdurc in thc
hrst cdition-athouch mistakcny-assti bcinc cosc to Lmpiricism.
]hc sccond passacc,hovcvcr, vas omittcd in thc coursc ol thc rcvision
olthc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction as a vhoc.
Indccd, Kantsubscqucnty modihcdina vcrytcincvaycvcn thc passacc
in vhich hc hrst introduccs thc povcr ol imacination in thc Cr|t|auc c] Purc
Pcasco as an indispcnsabc lunction ol thc sou,

athouch ony in his

pcrsona copy" Instcad ol lunction ol thc sou," hc nov vants to havc
vrittcn lunction ol thc undcrstandinc. Vith that, thc purc synthcsis has
bccn aocatcd to thc purc undcrstandinc. ]hc purc povcr ol imacination
has bccomc dispcnsabc as a particuar lacuty, and thus thc possibiity that
prcciscy it coud bc thc csscntia cround lor ontoocica knovcdcc has ap-
parcntybccntoppcdoll,vhichindccdthc chaptcron Schcmatismachaptcr
that rcmaincdunatcrcd in thc sccond cdition) shovs ccarycnouch.
Movthc transccndcnta povcr olimaciation, hovcvcr, isnotrcvcacdlor
thc hrst timc as thc lormativc ccntcr ol purc knovcdcc in thc chaptcr on
Schcmatism lourth stacc), on thc contrary, this has arcady happcncd in thc
]ransccndcntaOcductionthirdstacc) . Hcncc, ilthc transccndcntapovcrol
imacination is to bc rcmovcd in thc sccond cdition vith rccard to its ccntra
22. Scc abovc, 2and 25.
225. A9.
22 A I ! 5.
227. A78. l 0J
228. Scc Nuchrrdyc, XLI.
b. undcrstanding, howcvcr, conccivcd o|"trnsccndcnty"
I I Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysks | I2- I JI
|unction as a basic |acuty, thcn bc|orc anythinc csc thc ]ransccndcnta
Ocduction must undcrcoa |u rcvision. ]hc transccndcntapovcro|imacina-
tion is thc disquictinc unknovn that bccomcs thc inccntivc |or thc ncv
vcrsion o| thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction. rom this inccntivc, hovcvcr, thc
coa o| thc ncv rcvorkinc o| thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction hrst bccomcs
visibc as vc. ]his coa at hrst provcs to bc thc corrcct cuidc |or a morc
pcnctratincintcrprctation o|thisrcvision. C|coursc, this cannot bccxhibitcd
hcrc. Itmust su|hcc to indicatc thc atcrcd pacc o|thc transccndcnta povcr
o|imacination.
]hc chancinco||unction o|thcsou" into|unction o|thc undcrstandinc"
citcd abovc charactcrizcs Kantsncvpositionvith rcspcct to thc transccndcn
ta povcr o|imacination. Itisno onccr a |unction" in thc scnsco|a particu-
ar |acuty, but instcad isnovjust a |unction" as a prohcicny o|thc |acuty
o|thc undcrstandinc. Vhic in thc hrst cdition a synthcsis, i. c. , synthcsis as
such, spranc |orth |rom thc povcr o| imacination as a |acuty vhich is not
rcducibc to scnsibiity or undcrstandinc, in thc sccond cdition thc undcr-
standinc aonc nov assumcs thc roc o| oricin |or a synthcsis
^rcady at thc vcry bccinninc o| thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction in thc scc-
ond cdition it is said. synthcsis is an act o|thc spontancity o|thc povcr o|
rcprcscntation" vhich vc must cntitc undcrstandinc, incontrast to scnsibi-
ity"'` Vc shoud arcady noticc hcrc thc indi||crcnt cxprcssion povcr o|
rcprcscntation."
Synthcsis" in ccncra is thc namc o|an act o|thc undcrstandinc. "` ]hc
229. Scc bcIow, p. ! ! 7.
2J0 ! J0.
2J! Ibid.
c. Vith thc cIimination o|thc powcro|imaeination, thc distinction bctwccn scnsibiIity and
undcstandine bccomcs cIcarcr and sharpcr. Thc comcs morc into its ow, but as morc
transccndcntaI, i . c. , it is aIways rcIatcd at thc samc timc to intuition. Thc obcctivityo|thc obcct
bccomcs rcatcd morc dctcinatcIy o thc "I conncc" | "irh vcroindc"I and thc ccrtainty morc
dccisivc|orthc eroundine |caturc o|Mctaphysics tcine and thinkine).
Nowthc possibiIityhas aIso bccn acccptcd |withthcsharpscparation|rom scnsibiIityintuition)
and thinkine), o|thcncccssaryunity-tomakcundcrstandabIcinecncraI thcir toecthccssand
bconeineto onc anothcrinsomc wa
Thcy Iic thcrc Iikc two bIocks, and yct that is ust not thc scnsc and thc intcntion o|an
invcstieation that wouId cvcn caII itscI| "Epistcmc"oIoey |"rkcnntnis"-thcoricI .
Evcn thcn, thc unityo | both capacitics tthc ossioi|it,o | thc unity) must bc eraspcd. ormust
atcast bccomc a probIcm.
Thc scparationi s thc rst |undamcntaI ,gd|cgcndc| task, but onIy a hrst onc.
Thc Ccrman tcrmrkcnntnisthcoricrc|crrcdto this notcIitcraIIymcans"thcoryo|knowIcdec"
and iso|tcn transIatcd as"cpistcmoIoey", but Hcidcgcr spIit it and uscdquotcstocmphasic thc
"knowIcdec part |"rkcnntnis"-thcoic),rcquirine thc awkwardsoundine tcrm "Epistcmc oIoey.
which prcscrvcs ancmphasis on"cpistcmc, thc Crcck word |or "knowIcdec"-tr.
d. dcpcndcnt
c ut thc undcrstandineisnot thcthnneo||omaI Ioeic, butrathcr!9
|. thc "conncction" ron)unrtio.sccthc"Iconncct," I)udgc|
hJI . |I cJ-I cJI ! ! J
lacutyolbindinctoccthcra priori"isthc ndcrstandinc."'`']hatisvhythc
discussionisnovconccrncdviththcpurcsynthcsisolthcundcrstandinc."'``
utit docsnot oncrcmain a mattcrolasccrctassicnmcnt olthc lunctionol
synthcsis to thc undcrstandinc. Rathcr, Kant cxprcssy statcs. thc transccn-
dcnta synthcsis olthc povcr ol imacination is| . . . an cllcct ol thc undcr-
standincon scnsibiity"'`]hc transccndcnta act olthcpcwcrc]|mag|oat|co
is conccivcd olas thc synthctic inlucncc olthc undcrstandinc on thc inncr
scnsc,"'` i.c. , on timc.
utat thcsamctimc, docsthispassacc notasoshovthatthc transccndcn-
ta povcr olimacination is sti prcscrvcd` Ccrtainyits compctc cimination
in thc sccond cdition voud havc bccn much too surprisinc, particuary il
thc lunction" ol thc povcr ol imacination rcmains indispcnsabc lor thc
probcmatic. Morcovcr, thc povcr olimacination is namcd in thc parts olthc
Cr|t|aucc] PurcPcascovhich vcrc not rcviscd and vhich stand bclorc and
altcrthc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction.
Hovcvcr in thc sccond cdition, thc transccndcntapovcr olimacination
is sti thcrc in namc ony It is onc and thc samc spontancity vhich, thcrc
undcrthc namcpovcr olimacinationandhcrc undcrthat olthc undcrstand-
inc, brincs bindinc-toccthcr into thc manilod ol intuition."` Iovcr ol
imacinationis nov|ustthcnamc lorcmpiricasynthcsis, i. c. , lorthcsynthcsis
rcatcd to intuition. ^s thc passaccs citcd abovc shov ccary cnouch, this
synthcsis-accordinc to thc mattcr, i. c. , as synthcsisbconcs to thc undcr-
standinc.Synthcsis"isust cacd" povcrolimacination"insolaras t rclcrs
to intuition, but lundamcntay it is undcrstandinc.'`'
]hc transccndcnta povcr olimacination no onccr lunctions as indcpcn-
dcnt croundinc lacuty mcdiatinc in an oricinavay bctvccnscnsibiity and
undcrstandinc in thcir possibc unity. Rathcr, this intcrmcdiatc lacuty nov
las, so to spcak, bctvccn thc tvo scparatc croundinc sourccs ol thc mind.
Itslunctionisrcccatcdtothcundcrstandinc.^ndcvcnilKanthrstintroduccs
anapparcntydistnctivcpropcrnamc lor thc transccndcnta povcr olimaci-
nation in thc sccond cdition vith thc titc 5,ot|cs|s 5pcc|csa, thcn it is
prcciscy this cxprcssion vhich provcs that thc transccndcnta povcr ol
2J2. !5.
2JJ. !+0 ! 5J.
2J+. ! 52. Kant cmphasizcs thcword tnotldungskra|| tpowcro|imagination) by printingit
inspaccd typc Hcidggcr docsnotprcscrvc thc cmphasis hcrc-tr.
2J5. ! 5+. HcidcggcritaIicizcdinoidungskta]t inhs ourthcditionthcword isnotcmpha-
sizcdinKanttcxt-tr.
2J. ! 2, notc.
2J7. ! 5 ! .
2JB. Ibd.
g. as thc undcrstandtngt|scI|
h.scc Tradition
! ! Kant and thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' !J- !I
imacination has |or|citcd its |ormcr indcpcndcncc. It ony has this namc
bccauscinit thc undcrstandincrc|crs toscnsibiity, and vithout this rc|crcncc
it is 5,ot|cs|slotcllcctual|s.
ut vhy did Kant shrink back|rom thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacina
tion` Oid hc, pcrhaps, not scc thc possibiity |or a morc oricina cround-
ayinc` Cuitc thc oppositc. ]hc Irc|acc to thc hrst cdition dcimits thc task
o|such a |croundayinc vith compctccarity Kant distincuishcstvo sidcs"
to thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction, onc vhich is objcctivc" and onc vhich is
subjcctivc."'`
^ccordincto thcabovc-mcntioncdintcrprctationo|thc]ransccndcnta Oc-
duction, this says thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction poscs thc qucstion o| thc
inncrpossibiityo|transccndcncc, and throuch itsansvcrit unvcisthchori-
zon o| objcctivity 'Ccgcostaodl|c||c|t .
'

]hc anaysis o| thc Cbjcctivity

'Dh)c|t|v|tt o| possibc Cbjccts 'Dh)c|tc is thc Cbjcctivc" ' ch)c|t|vc` sidc
o|thc Ocduction.
Cbjcctivity ' Ccgcostodl|c||c|t| , hovcvcr, is |ormcd in thc cttincstand-
acainst ' Ccgcostc|colassco vhich turns-tovard, vhich takcs pacc inthc purc
subjcct as such. ]hc qucstion rccardinc thc |acutics that arc csscntiay con-
ccrncd vith this tuminc-tovard and vith its possibiity, is thc qucstion o|thc
subjcctivity o| thc transccndinc subjcct as such. It is thc subjcctivc" sidc o|
thc Ocduction.
Mov, bccausc vhat mattcrshrst and |orcmost to Kantis to makc transccn
dcncc visibc oncc in ordcr to cucidatc on thc basis o| it thc csscncc o|
transccndcnta |ontoocica) knovcdcc, that is vhy thc Cbjcctivc Ocduction
is aso csscntia to my purposcs. ]hc othcr sccks to invcsticatc purc undcr-
standinc itsc| accordinctoits possibiityand thc povcrs o|knovcdccupon
vhichititsc|rcsts, and conscqucnty,sccksto considcritinamorcsubjcctivc
rcationship. ^thouch this discussion L o| crcat importancc vith rccard to
my chic| purposc, it docs not bclonc to it csscntiay Ior thc chic| qucstion
avays rcmains. Vhat and hov much can undcrstandinc and rcason knov,
|rcc |rom a cxpcricncc` and not. Hov is thc]acult, c] t||o||ogitsc| possi-
bc
]hc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction is in itsc|ncccssariy objcctivc-subjcctivc at
thc samc timc, |or it is thc unvciinc o| transccndcncc, csscntia |or a hnitc
subjcctivity, vhich hrst |orms thc turninc tovard an Cbjcctivity in ccncra.
]hcsubjcctivc sidc o|thc ]ransccndcntaOcductioncanthusncvcrbc abscnt
hovcvcr, its cxplicit vorkinc-out micht bc c|crrcd. I| Kant has rcsovcd to
do this, thcn hc coud do so ony on thc basis o| a ccar insicht into thc
2J9. A x ||.
20. Ibid.
i. rcmains |FrcsumabIy, it rcmains Vnrhcsis inrc||ccruu|istr.
hJI . |I cc-I c8I ! ! 7
csscncco|suchavorkincouto|thcsubjcctivcsidco | thc ayinco|thccround
|or mctaphysics.
In thc abovc-citcdcharactcrization o|thc Subjcctivc Ocduction. morcovcr
itvas ccarystatcd thatit |thc SubjcctivcOcduction mustcobacktopovcrs
o|knovcdcc" upon vhichthc undcrstandinc itsc|rcsts." Iurthcrmorc, Kant
sccs vith compctc carity that this coinc back to thc oricin cannot bc any
sort o| cmpirico-cxpanatory, psychoocica considcration vhich ony hypo-
thcticay"scts |orth a cround. ^ndyct. this task o|a transccndcntaunvciinc
o|thc csscncc o|thc subjcctivity o| thc subjcct thc Subjcctivc Ocduction"
vasnothrstposcdinthcIrc|accasan a|tcrthoucht. Rathcr.inthcprcparation
o|thc OcductionKantarcadyspcakso|thissti compctcyuntroddcnpath"
vhich ncccssariy carrics vithit an obscurity" Hc docs notvant tocivc any
|ar-rancinc" thcoryo|subjcctivity, athouchthcOcductiono|thcCatccorics"
ncccssitatcs" that vc pcnctratc dccpy into thc hrst crounds |or thc possi
biity o|our knovcdcc in ccncra."
Hcncc. Kant kncv o| thc possibiity |or and ncccssity o| a morc oricina
cround-ayinc. butitvasnotparto|hisimmcdiatc purposc. loncthccss. this
cannot bc crounds |or dcctinc thc transccndcnta povcr o| imacination,
vhcrc indccd itdirccty |orms thc unity o| transccndcncc and its objcctivity
' Ccgcostaodl|c||c||| . ]hc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination must itsc|pro-
vidc thc occasion vhich turncd Kant avay |rom it as a basic transccndcnta
|acuty in its ovn richt.
ccausc Kant docs notcarry out thc Subjcctivc Ocduction. thc subjcctivity
o| thc subjcct |or him continucs to bc cuidcd by t|c constitution and ||c
charactcrzationo||crcdtohimthrouch traditiona ^nthropoocyandIsycho-
ocy. Iorthcsc discipincs| , thcpovcro|imacinationvasjust abasc |acuty
vithinscnsibiity In |act. thc outcomc o| thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction and
thc Schcmatism, i . c. , thc insicht into thc transccndcnta csscncc o| thc purc
povcr o|imacination vas not by itsc|stronccnouch to pcrmit thc subjcc-
tivity o| thc subjcct as a vhoc to bc sccn in a ncvicht.
Hov is thc bascr |acuty o| scnsibiity aso to bc abc to constitutc thc
csscncc o|rcason` Oocs not cvcrythinc |a into con|usion i|thc ovcst takcs
thc pacc o| thc hichcst` Vhat is to happcn vith thc vcncrabc tradition.
accordinc to vhichRatio and ocoshavc caimcd thc ccntra |unction in thc
history o|mctaphysics` Can thc primacy o|ocic |a` Can thc architcctonic
o| thc ayinc o| thc cround |or mctaphysics in ccncra thc division into
]ransccndcnta^csthcticand ocic, stibcuphcd i|vhat ithas|orits thcmc
isbasicay to bc thc transccndcnta povcr o| imacination`
Vinot thc Cr|t|aucc]PurcPcascohavc dcprivcd itsc| o|its ovn thcmc i|
purcrcason rcvcrts tothctransccndcntapovcro|imacination` Oocsnotthis
cround-ayinc cad us to an abyss`
2! . A 9B.
! ! B Kaht ahd thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics ' ! B- !9l
In thc radicalism olhis qucstions, Kant broucht thc possibiity" olmcta-
physics to this abyss. Hc sav thc unknovn. Hc had to shrink back. It vas
not ust that thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination lrichtcncd him, but
rathcr that in bctvccn |thc tvo cditions| purc rcason as rcason drcv him
incrcasincy undcr its spc.
1hrouch thc ayincolthc cround lormctaphysics inccncra,Kantlor thc
hrst timc von ccar insicht into thc charactcr ol thc univcrsaity" ol
ontoocico-mctaphysica knovcdcc. lov lor thc hrst timc hc had rod and
stall" in hand, in ordcr to vandcr criticay throuch thc rccion ol Mora
Ihiosophy and to rcpair thc indctcrminatc, cmpirica univcrsaityolpopuar
phiosophica doctrincs conccrninc moras by mcans ol thc csscntia orici-
naity ol thc ontoocica anayscs vhich aonc can situatc a Mctaphysics ol
Moras" and thc cround-ayinc thcrcol. Inthc struccc acainst thc supcrhcia
and obscurcd cmpiricism olthc prcdominant mora phiosophy, thc dccisivc
dcmarkation ol thc purc a priori in opposition to cvcrythinc cmpirica has
attaincd a crovincsicnihcancc. 1o thc cxtcnt that thc csscncc olthc subjcc-
tivity olthc subjcct ics in its pcrsonait vhich, hovcvcr, is synonymous
vith mora rcason, thc rationa charactcr ol purc knovcdcc and ol action
must bc soidihcd. ^ purc synthcsis and synthcsis in ccncra must, as
spontancity, la to thc lacuty vhich in a propcr scnsc is lrcc, thc actinc
rcason.
]hc purcrationacharactcrolpcrsonaityvhichis thus unvcicd morc and
morc,olcoursc,coud ikcvisc notimpucn human hnitudclor Kant, ilindccd
a bcinc ccncray dctcrmincd throuch cthicaity '|ttl|c||c|tl and duty can
ncithcrbc norbccomc inhnitc. "Cnthc contrary, Kant avokc to thc probcm
olnov scarchinc lor hnitudc prcciscyin thc purc, rationa crcaturc itscl,and
not hrst in thc lactthat it is dctcrmincd throuch scnsibiit" Cnyin thisvay
vas cthicaity abc to bc craspcd as purc, i. c. , as ncithcr conditioncd by nor
cvcn madc lor thc lactica, cmpirica human bcinc.
]his pcrsonaontoocicaprobcmola hnitc purcrcasoninccncraadmit-
tcdy vas not abc to tocratc in proximity to itscl that vhich rccas thc
spccihc constitution ol a dctcrminatc kind ol rcaization ol a hnitc rationa
crcaturc inccncra. Such, hovcvcr, vas thc povcr olimacination, vhichvas
rcputcd to bc not ony a spccihcay human lacuty, but aso a scnsibc onc.
]hc pro

cmatic ola purc rcason ampihcd in this vay must push asidc
thc povcr olimacination, andvith thatitrcayhrst conccas itstransccndcn-
ta csscncc.
It is unmistakabc that thc probcm ol this distinction bctvccn a hnitc,
rationa crcaturc in ccncra and thc scparatc rcaization ol such a crcaturc,
vhich is thc human bcinc, thrusts itscl to thc lorc in thc ]ransccndcnta
Ocduction olthc sccond cdition. Indccd, thc hrst improvcmcnt" vhichKant
appcnds tothc hrst pacc olthc sccond cdition olhisvork arcadymakcs this
ccar. ]o thc charactcrization ol hnitc knovcdcc, namcy, to that ol hnitc
hJI . |I c-I /0I ! ! 9
intuition, hc adds. at cast to us humans.
,,
1his shoud shov that cvcry
hnitc intuitionisindccd onc vhich takcsthincsin strldc, but that thc takinc-
in-stridc must not ncccssariy bc mcdiatcd throuch thc scnsc orcans, as vith
us humans.
1hc obscurityandstranccncss" olthctransccndcntapovcrolimacination,
olthc cround ccarcd in thc hrst cround-ayinc, and thc shccr povcr olpurc
rcason, vcrc vorkcd toccthcr in ordcr to vci oncc morc thc inc ol vlsion
into thc morc oricina csscncc ol thc transccndcnta povcr olimacination, a
pcrspcctivc vhich vas brokcn opcn, so to spcak, ony lor an instant.
1his is thc quintcsscntia contcnt ol thc obscrvation, arcady onc cstab-
lishcd in Kant intcrprctation on thc basis ol thc lundamcnta probcm olthc
C|t|auc c] Puc Pcasco and vhich lor thc most part has bccn cxprcsscd as
loovs Kant chanccd lrom thc psychoocica" intcrprctation ol thc hst
cdition to thc morc ocica" intcrprctation olthc sccond.
]o bc surc, vc shoud notc that thc cround-aylnc in thc hrstcditionvas
ncvcrpsychoocica, " anymorcthanthatolthcsccondcditionvasaocica"
onc. Cnthccontrarybotharctransccndcnta , i. c. , thcyarcncccssariyobj cc
tivc" as vc as subjcctivc. " ut in thc transccndcnta, subjcctivc cround-
Iayinc olthc sccond cdition, it dccidcd in lavor ol thc purc undcrstandincas
opposcd to thc purc povcr ol imacination in ordcr to prcscrvc thc mastcry
ol rcason. In thc sccond cdition, thc subj cctivc, psychoocica" dcduction
rcccdcs so ittc that, on thc contrary it intcnsihcs prcciscy in thc dircction
olthcpurcundcrstandincasthclacutyolsynthcsis.Itnovbccomcssupcr|u-
ous totracc thc undcrstandincback to morcorlcinapovcrs olknovcdcc."
]hcintcrprctationolthc staccs olthc ayincolthc croundlormctaphsics,
vhichvascarricdoutabovc lrom ancxcusivcoricntationvith rcspcctto thc
hrstcdition olthc C|t|aucc]PucPcasco,had constantyshi|cd thc hnitudc
ol human transccndcncc into thc ccntcr ol thc probcmatic. lov, il Kant
prcscntcdthcprobcmolhnitudcmorccomprchcnsivcyinthcsccondcdition
thouch thc cnarccmcnt ol thc conccpt ol a hnitc, rationa crcaturc that no
onccrcoincidcsvlththcconccptolthchumanbcinc,thcnisthisnotcrounds
cnouch-cvcnviththcintcntion ol |providinc| accntraintcrprctationolthis
vorkto abidc by thc sccond cdition`^ccordincto vhathasbccn said, this
|sccond cdition| isnot thcrclorc bcttcr" bccausc itprocccds morc ocicay"
Cn thc contrary, in a propcry undcrstoodscnscit is cvcn morc psychooci-
ca," namcy |in thc scnsc ol| a morc cxcusivc oricntation vth rcspcct to
purc rcason as such.
In this vay, hovcvcr, did not thc prcccdinc intcrprctation 'lotcpctat|co .
212. JJ
. bccauscundcrstandineandudemcnttscc!9)arc erasd transccndcntaIybc|orchand, i. c.
as rc|crrine o tntuttton
!20 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysks | !70- !72
and cvcn thc ayinc-out 'Auslcguog o|thc transccndcnta povcro|imacina
tion vhich in a morc oricina vay has outcrovn it, discuss|udcmcnt`
utvhy, thcn, did thc hnitud o|purc knovcdcc bcsct thc probcm |rom
thc bccinninc` ccausc mctaphysics, thc ayinc o| thc cround |or vhich it
|thc probcm| rc|crs, bconcs to human naturc. " Conscqucnty, thc spccihc
hnitudc o|human naturc is dccisivc |or thc ayinc o| thc cround |or mcta-
physics. ]hc apparcnty supcrhcia qucstion as to vhcthcr, in thc intcrprc-
tation o| thc Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco, thc sccond cdition dcscrvcs priority in
principc ovcr thc hrst or thc rcvcrsc. is mcrcy thc pac rc|cction o| thc
dccisivc qucstion |or thc Kantian ayinc o| thc cround |or mctaphysics and
thc incrprctation thcrco|. Is thc transccndcnta povcr o| imacination, as
prcviousy aid cround, soid cnouch to dctcrminc orIcinay, i . c. , cohcsivcy
and as a vhoc, prcciscy thc hnitc csscncc o|thc sub|cctivity o|thc human
sub|cct` Crvi thc probcm o| a human purc rcason, throuch thc cimina-
tion o| thc transccndcnta povcr o|imacination, arcady havc bccn |ormcd
morc comprchcnsivcy as a probcm and thus havc bccn broucht coscr to a
possibc soution` A onc as this qucstion is not dccidcd. thc morc oricina
intcrprctation o| thc transccndcnta povcr o| imacination bcinc soucht aso
rcmains ncccssariy incompctc.
C. 1HE 1RANSCENDEN1AI FVER I IMACINA1IN
AND 1HE FRIEM I HIMAN FLRE REASN
It shoud hrst bccomc ccar by mcans o| a distinctivc proo| that in thc
Cr|||aucc] Purc Pcasco, as a ayinc o|thc cround |or mctaphysics. it is |rom
thc bccinninc and socy a mattcr o| human purc rcason. ]hc |ormua |or thc
probcm o| thc possibiity o| Mctap|,s|ca Ccocral|s runs. Hov arc synthctic
a priori|udcmcnts possibc`" Kant says thc |oovInc conccrninc thc soution
to this probcm
]hc abovc probcm cannot bc sovcd cxccpt as |oovs that vc considcr
it bc|orchand in rcation to thc human |acutics by mcans o| vhich man is
capabc o|thccxpansiono|hisknovcdccaprioriandvhichin||mconstitutc
vhat onc canspccihcayca||spurc rcason. Iori|vc arc torccocnizcundcr
thc purc rcason o| a crcaturc in ccncra thc |acuty o| knovinc thincs indc-
pcndcnty o| cxpcricncc and thcrc|orc o|scnsibc rcprcscntations. thcn vith
this nothinc at a has bccn dctcrmincd conccrninc thc ccncra manncr in
vhich such knovcdcc vas possibc in this crcaturc |c. c. , in od oranothcr
hichcr spirit) , and thc probcm is thcrc|orc indctcrminatc. ^s |or human
hJ2. |I /2-I /JI ! 2 I
bclncs, in con|ras|, a knovcdcc o l |hc samc consis|s o l conccp| and in|u-
l|lon."
1his passacc is lound in |hc |rca|isc cr d|c Fcrtsc|r|ttc dcr Mctap|,s||
|Cn|hcIrocrcssolMc|aphyslcs"| . Vl|h|hcvorklnc-ou|ol|hls|rca|lsc, Kan|
has ccr|ainy aid |hc probcma|ic ol mc|aphysics as such bclorc us immc-
dla|cyand ln i|s cn|irc|y n aayincol|hc croundlormc|aphysics, |hcn, |hc
spccihc" hnl|udc olhumansubjcc|lvl|yls|hc probcm. | canno|cxis|mcrcy
asapossibc lns|ancc" ola hni|c, ra|iona crca|urc inccncra colncldlncv|h
vha| vas cx|rac|cd ln |hc coursc ol |hc considcra|ion.
1o human hni|udc bconcs scnsibil|y, mcanlnc |hc ln|ul|ion vhich |akcs
|hincs in s|ridc. ^s purc ln|ui|ion, i .c. , purc scnsibii|y i| is a ncccssary
ccmcn| in |hc s|ruc|urc ol |ransccndcncc vhich dis|incuishcs hni|udc.
Human purc rcason is ncccssarly a purc scnsibc rcason. 1his purc rcason
mus|bc scnsibc lni|scl, l|docsno| hrs|bccomc scnslbc ln|hlsvaybccausc
i| is |icd |o a body Ra|hcr, |hc rcvcrsc is |ruc |hc human bcinc, as hni|c,
ra|iona crca|urc, can |hus ony havc" l|s body ln a |ransccndcn|a |l. c. , a
mc|aphysica) scnsc bccausc |ransccndcncc as such ls scnslbc a priorl.
Mov,il|hc |ransccndcn|apovcrolimacina|ionis |obc|hcoricinacround
lor |hc possibii|y ol human subjcc|lvi| namcy, in i|s uni|y and vhocncss,
|hcn i| mus| makc posslbc somc|hinc ikc a purc, scnslbc rcason. Iurc
scnslbil|y, hovcvcr, namcy, in |hc univcrsa mcaninc accordinc |o vhich l|
mus|comc |obccraspcd in|hcayinc ol|hc cround lormc|aphysics, ls|lmc.
Shoud|imcaspurcscnsibii|ys|andlnan oriclnaunl|yvl|h |hc |hlnk
ol purc appcrccp|ion` Shoud |hc purc I , vhlch accordinc |o |hc ccncray
prcvaiincln|crprc|a|ion Kan| paccd ou|sidc ol a |cmporai|y and a |lmc,
bc |akcn as |cmpora"` ^nd a |his on |hc crounds ol |hc |ransccndcn|a
povcr olimacina|ion` Hov in ccncra is |his rca|cd |o |lmc`
hJZ. Thc TransccndcntaI Powcr o[ Imagination and Its RcIation to Timc
1hc |ransccndcn|a povcr ollmaclna|lon has bccn rcvcacd as |hc orlcln ol
purc, scnsibc in|ui|ion. 1hus, i|has bccn provcninprlncipc |ha| |imc, as a
purc in|ul|lon, sprincs lor|h lrom |hc |ransccndcn|a povcr ol imacina|ion.
lcvcr|hccss, a spccihc, anay|ica cucida|ion ol |hc manncr in vhich |imc is
nov croundcd prcclscyin |hc|ransccndcn|apovcrolimacina|ionisrcquircd.
1imc |ovs con|inuay" as |hc purc succcssion ol|hc scqucncc olnovs.
2J. UbcrJic ForrschrirrcJcrMcrurhVsi, VI, p J !2.
2. Scc abovc. N2B, p. 99
25. 29!.
!22 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' ! 7J- !7J|
Iurc intuition intuits this succcssion unobjcctivcy Intuitinc mcans thc tak
inc-in-stridc o|vhat civcs itsc|. Iurc intuition, in thc takinc-in-stridc, cics
itsc| that vhich is capabc o| bcinc takcn in stridc.
]akinc-in-stridc o| . . is undcrstood hrst o|a as thc rcccivinc o|somc
thincat hand or prcscnt. ut thisnarrovconccption o|takincin-stridc, sti
oricntcd vith rcspcct to cmpirica intuition, mustbc kcptscparatc |rom purc
intuition and its charactcr as takinc-in-stridc. It is casiy sccn that thc purc
intuition o| thc purc succcssion o|novs cannot bc thc takinc-in-stridc o|a
prcscncc Aowcscodco I|it vcrc, thcn at most it voud bc abc to intuit
just thccurrcntnov,andncvcrthc scqucncc o|novsassuch andthchorlzon
|ormcd in it. Indccd, stricty spcakinc, inthc mcrc takinc-in-stridc o|a prcs-
cnt momcnt ' c|ocs Ccgcowtt|gco"l it is not possibc to intuit a sincc nov
inso|ar as it has an csscntiay continuous cxtcnsion in its havinc-just-arrivcd
and its cominc-at-any-minutc.
2l
]hc takincin-strldc o|purc intuition must
in itsc|civc thc ook o|thc nov, so that indccd it ooks ahcad to its cominc-
at-any-minutc and ooks back on its havinc-just-arrivcd.
Mov |or thc hrst timc it is unvcicd in a morc concrctc vay that purc
intuition, vhich is trcatcd inthc]ransccndcnta^csthctic, |rom thcbccinninc
cannot bc thc takinc-instridc o|a prcscnt momcnt. In purc intuition, thc
sc|-civincvhich takcs thincs instrldcisinprlncipc not rcatcdtosomcthinc
vhich is onya prcscncc andis rcatcd cast o|a toa bcincvhichis at hand.
Conscqucnty, i| purc intuitinc has this |rcc-movinc charactcr, docs it not
arcady |oov|omthis that at bottom it is thc purc povcro|imacination`
]his |oovs at bcst ony inso|ar as purc intuition itsc||orms that vhich can
bc takcn in stridc in it. Hovcvcr, that this orlcina |orminc, in itsc|and in
particuar, is to bc a ookincat, a ookincahcad and a ookinc-back, indccd
has nothinc to do vith thc transccndcnta povcr o| imacination
I| ony Kant himsc| had not cxprcssy sct |orth this thrcc|od, trinitarian
charactcr o||orminc in thc imacininc o| thc povcr o|imacination
'29I
In his ccturcs on Mctaphysics, namcy in thc Rationa Isychoocy, Kant
anayscs thc |orminc povcr 'h|ldcodc Kta]t in thc |oovinc manncr this
|acuty produccs rcprcscntations cithcr o|prcscnt timc, orrcprcscntations o|
past timc, or cvcn rcprcscntations o||uturc timc. Hcncc thc |ormativc |acuty
'8|lduogsvctmcgco consists o|.
! . ]hc |acutyo|takinc a ikcncss 'Ahh|lduog ,thc rcprcscntationso|vhich
arc o| thc prcscnt timc.]acultas]ctmaod|.
2. ]hc |acutyo|rcproduction 'Nac|h|lduog thc rcprcscntations o|vhich
arc o| a past timc.]acultas |mag|oaod|
J. ]hc|acutyo|prchcuration ' \cth|lduog ,thcrcprcscntations o|vhich arc
o| a |uturc timc.]acultasptacv|dcod|
2o. FOl|z, Knts \or|csungcnocrdicMctaph,sik, p. BB 5CC p. BJ.
hJJ. |I /J-I /cI !2J
]hc tcrm takinc a ikcncss" |Ahh|lduog) rcquircs a bric| cxpanation. I t
docs not mcan thc production o| a ikcncss in thc scnsc o| a copy. Rathcr, it
mcans thc ook vhich vas itsc| cathcrcd immcdiatcy |rom thc prcscncinc
|prcscnt ob|cct.'` ]hc |orminc-|rom 'Ah-h|ldco docs not mcan a |orminc-
accordinc-to 'Nac|-h|ldco , but rathcr |orm-civinc '8|ld-gchcod in thc scnsc
o|thc immcdiatc distincuishinco|thc ook o| thc ob|cct itsc|.
^thouch Kant docs not spcak in this passacc o| thc transccndcnta povcr
o|imacination, stionc pointbccomcsccar. thc |orminc 8|ldco o|thcimac-
ination" ' L|oh|lduo is |o |tscj rcativc to timc. Iurc imacininc, hovcvcr,
vhich is cacd purc bccausc it |orms its |abric 'Cch|ldc |rom out o|itsc|, as
in itsc| rcativc to timc, must hrst o| a |orm timc. ]imc as purc intuition
mcansncithcr|ustvhatisintuitcdinpurcintuitincnor|ustthcintuitincvhich
acks thc ob|cct. " ]imc as purc intuition is thc |orminc intuitinc o| vhat it
intuits|ococ. ]his civcs thc |u conccpt o|timc |or thc hrst timc.
Iurc intuition, hovcvcr, canony |ormthcpurc succcssion o|thcscqucncc
o|novs assuchi|in itsc|it isa ikcncss-|orminc, prchcurinc, andrcproduc-
incpovcro|imacination. Hcncc it is in no vaypcrmissibctothinko|timc,
cspcciay in thc Kantian scnsc, as an arbitrary hcd vhich thc povcr o|
imacination |ust ccts into |or purposcs o| its ovn activity, so to spcak. ^c-
cordinc timc mustindccdbctakcnaspurcscqucncco|novsinthchorizon
within vhich vc rcckon vith timc. " ]his scqucncc o|novs, hovcvcr, is in
no vaytimc in its oricinaity Cn thc contrary, thc transccndcnta povcr o|
imacination aovs timc as scqucncc o| novs to sprinc |orth, and as this
cttinc-sprinc-|orth it is thcrc|orc oricina timc.
ut is it possibc to si|t out such a vidc-rancinc intcrprctation o| thc
transccndcnta povcr o|imacination as oricina timc |rom Kant |cvintima-
tions` Vith thc un|orcsccabc conscqucnccs vhich in thc cnd voud rcsut
|rom this intcrprctation, it must bc croundcd morc concrctcy and sccurcy
hJJ. Thc Inncr TcmporaI Charactcr
o| thc TransccndcntaI Powcr o| Imagnaton
In thc hrst cdition, thc povcr o| imacination vas tcrmcd thc |acuty o|
snthcsisinccncra. "I|thcinncr, tcmporacharactcro|thcpovcro|imacina-
tion is nov to bc cmphasizcd, thcn vc must invcsticatc vhcrc it is that Kant
cxprcssy trcats synthcsis. ]his occurs in thc scction vhich prcparcs thc vay
|or thc carryinc-out o| thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction accordinc to thc tvo
vays prciousy prcscntcd, a scction cntitcd. Cn thc a priori rounds |or
thc Iossibiity o| Lxpcricncc. "' ]hc ocation o| thc thcmatic anaysis o|
27. A 9D||.
!2 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 7- I 7Bl
synthcsisassuchisthusnotarbitrary. ^ndilinparticuar Kant sti dcscribcs
thc discussion olsynthcsis asa prciminary rcmark, vc shoud not thcc-
lorc think ol it as a casua and at bottom supcrluous obscrvation. Instcad,
vhat vas trcatcd thcrcin must bc kcpt in vicv lrom thc start lor thc 1ran-
sccndcnta Ocduction and thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism. ]hc 1ransccndcn-
ta Ocduction, hovcvcr, asthc third stacc olthc cround-ayinc, has asitstask
to shov thc inncr possibiity lor thc csscntia unity olontoocica synthcsis.
1hc thrcc ccmcnts ol purc knovcdcc arc. purc intuition, purc povcr ol
imacination, and purc undcrstandinc. 1hcirpossibc unity, i. c. , thc csscncc ol
thciroricina unihcation |synthcsis), is thc probcm. Hcncc, an cucidation ol
thc synthcsis vth a vicv tovard thcsc thrcc ccmcnts olpurc knovcdcc is
rcquircd.
^ccordincy Kant dividcshisIrciminary Rcmark into thrcc scctions.
I . Cn thc Synthcsis ol^pprchcnsion in Intuition.
2. Cn thc Synthcsis olRcproduction in Imacination.
J . Cn thc Synthcsis olRccocnition in Conccpts. "
Movarc thcsc modcs olsynthcsis thrcc innumbcrbccausc thcrc arc thrcc
ccmcnts bconcinc to thc csscntia unity ol purc knovcdcc` Cr docs this
tripicity ol modcs olsynthcsis havc a morc oricinacround, onc vhichat thc
samctimccucidatcsvhy,cspcciayasvaysolpurc synthcsis,thcyarc unihcd
in ordcr to lorm" thc csscntia unity olthc thrccccmcnts olpurcknovcdcc
on thc crounds ol thcir morc oricina unity`
^rc thcrc thrcc modcs ol synthcsis bccausc timc appcars in thcm and
bccausc thcy cxprcss thc thrcclod unity oltimc asprcscnt, havinc-bccn, and
luturc` ^nd il thc oricina unihcation ol thc csscntia unity ol ontoocica
knovcdcc occurs throuch timc, but il thc cround lor thc possibiity olpurc
knovcdcc is thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination, thcn is this not rc-
vcacd as oricina timc`
^nd yct, by naminc thc sccond olthc thrcc modcs olsynthcsis Synthcsis
olRcproductioninImacination, "Kantarcadysays that thc povcrolimacina-
tion is just onc ccmcnt amonc othcrs and that it is in no vay thc root ol
intuition and conccpt 1hat turns out to bc thc casc.
ut|ust as indisputaby thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction, vhich throuch this
anaysis olthc thrcclod synthcsis is to havc providcd thc lundamcnt, shovs
that thc povcr ol imacination rcprcscnts not just onc lacuty amonc othcrs,
but rathcr thcir mcdiatinc ccntcr. ]hat thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacina-
tion is thc root ol scnsibiity and undcrstandinc vas admittcdy hrst shovn
in thc morc oricina intcrprctation. Mo usc can bc madc ol this rcsut hcrc.
Instcad, thc vorkinc-out olthc inncr tcmpora charactcr olthc thrcc modcs
ol synthcsis shoud producc thc utimatc, dccisivc prool lor thc lact that thc
27a. A 9B.
hJJ. |I /8-I /I !2J
intcrprctation olthc transccndcnta povcr olimacination as thc root olboth
stcmsis not onypossibc, but aso ncccssary. ora ccncraundcrstandinc ol
thcKantian anaysis olthcthrcc modcsolsynthcsis, scvcra pointsmusthrst
bc carihcd, and thcy must cuidc us in vhat loovs.
irst, Kant's manncr olcxprcssion rcquircs coscr dctcrmination. Vhat is
mcantbySynthcsisol"^pprchcnsion, Synthcsisol"Rcproduction,Synthcsis
ol" Rccocnition` It docs not mcan that apprchcnsion ctc. arc subjcct to a
synthcsis nor that apprchcnsion, orrathcr rcproduction and rccocnition, con
summatca synthcsis. Rathcr, it mcansthatsynthcsisas suchhas thc charactcr
olcithcrapprchcnsion orrcproduction or rccocnition. Hcncc thc cxprcssions
mcan. Synthcsis in thc modc ol ^pprchcnsion, Rcproduction, and Rccocni-
tion orsynthcsisasapprchcndinc, as rcproducinc, as rccocniinc. 1hus Kant
trcatssynthcsis i. c. , thc lacuty olsynthcsis, vith rccard tothcsc thrccmodcs
as pccuiar to it inspccihc vays.
Sccond, it isvorthnotinc. thcmodcs olsynthcsis hrstcomc to bc carihcd
in thcindividua scctionsthrouch a dcscriptionolthc manncrin vhich thcy
lunctionincmpiricaintuition,incmpiricaimacininc,andincmpiricathink-
inc. 1his prcparatory charactcriation, hovcvcr, is intcndcd to shov that in
purc intuition, in purcimacination, and inpurc thinkinc, thcrc is arcady in
cach casc a corrcspondinc purc apprchcndinc, purc rcproducinc, and purc
rccocniincsynthcsis vhich is aso constitutivc. Vith that, it is shovn at thc
samc timc that thcsc modcs olpurc synthcsis constitutc thc condition lor thc
possibiity olcmpirica synthcsis in thc knovinc rcation to thc bcinc.
1hird, it is vorth notinc that thc propcr coa ol thc intcrprctation ol thc
thrccmodcs olsynthcsis -cvcn ilit is not avays lormuatcd ccarycnouch
and in advanccics in dcmonstratinc thcirintrinsic andcsscntiabconcinc-
toccthcr in thc csscncc ol purc synthcsis as such.
^nd hnay vc may not lorcct , as Kant himscl cxprcssy rcquircd, that
throuchout vhatloovs" it mustbcquitclundamcnta". aourrcprcscnta
tions . . . arc sub|cct to timc. " ut il a intuitinc, imacininc, and thinkinc
rcprcscntincs arc covcrncdby thc thrcclod synthcsis, thcn is it not thc timc-
charactcr ol this synthcsis vhich makcs cvcrythinc unilormy submissivc in
advancc`
a) Frc Svnthcsis as Frc Apprchcnsion
In cmpirica intuition as thc immcdiatc takincin-stridc ol a this-hcrc," a
manilod is avays rcvcacd. 1hus, vhat thc ook attaincd by this intuition
prcscnts contains" manilodncss. 1his can ncvcr bc rcprcscntcd as such a
manilod . . . , ilthc mind docs notdillcrcntiatc timc in thc scqucncc olonc
2B. A 9B- ! 00.
!2 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | ! 79- I B! I
imprcssion upon anothcr. " I ndistincuishinc timc, our mind must alrcady bc
sayincconstantlyandin advancc novand novandnov," in ordcr to bc ablc
to cncountcr nov this and nov that" and nov al this in particular. " Cnly
in such a dillcrcntiatinc ol thc nov docs it hrst bccomc possibc to run
throuch" and cocctivcly takc up thc imprcssions.
Intuition is ust a rcprcscntation ol thc manilod-a rcpracsco|a|c s|ogu-
s -il, as that vhich takcs thincs in stridc, it takcs up and comprchcnds
thc ocrinc ol thc manilold cxacty" and at oncc. Intuition is in itscll syn-
thctic. " 1his synthcsis has thc pcculiarity that vthin thc horizon ol thc suc-
ccssion olthc scqucncc olnovs, it takcs up cxacty" thc ollcr olthc imprcs-
sion ol cach look |imacc). It is an immcdiatc lorminc-lrom 'Ah-h|ldco| in
thc scnsc alrcady clarihcd.
utvc aso ncccssarilyhavc a purc, apprchcndincsynthcsis, bccauscvith-
out it thcrc isno vay vc could havc thc rcprcscntation oltimc, i . c. , this purc
intuition. 1hc purc, apprchcndinc synthcsis docs not hrst takc placc vithin
thc horizon ol timc, but instcad it hrst lorms prcciscly thc likc ol thc nov
and thc scqucncc ol novs. Iurc intuition is orcina rcccptivity," i. c. , a
takinc-instridc ol vhat it, as takinc-in-strdc, lcts comc lorth lrom out ol
itscll. Its olcrinc" is onc vhich produccs" 'ccugcodcs| vhat thc purc
intuitinc ollcrinc |lorminc as civinc a ook) produccs |lorminc as crcatinc) is
thc immcdiatc look ol thc nov as such, i . c. , alvays thc look ol thc actua
prcscnt as such.
Lmpirical intuition is dircctly conccrncd vith thc bcincvhich is prcscnt
in thc nov 1hc purc apprchcndincsynthcsis, hovcvcr, is conccrncd vith thc
nov, i . c. , vith thc prcscnt itscll, so that indccd this intuitinc conccrn vith
. . . in itscll lorms that vith vhich it is concccd. 1hc purc synthcsis as
apprchcnsion, as that vhich ollcrs thc prcscnt in ccncra," is timc-lorminc.
^ccordincly, thc purc synthcsis olapprchcnsion in itscll has a tcmpora char-
actcr.
Mov, hovcvcr, Kant cxprcssly says. It is thus an activc lacuty in us lor
thc synthcsis ol this manilold vhich vc call imacination, and its immcdiatc
action on pcrccptions I call apprchcnsion."
Synthcsis in thc modc ol apprchcnsion sprincs lorth lrom thc povcr ol
imacination, hcnccthc purc apprchcndnc synthcsis must bc spokcn ol as a
modc olthc transccndcntal povcrolimacination. ut nov ilthissynthcsisis
timclorminc, thc transccndcntal povcr ol imacination has in itscll a purc
tcmporalcharactcr. 1othccxtcnt,hovcvcr, that thc purc povcr olimacination
is an incrcdicnt" ol purc intuition and hcncc to thc cxtcnt that a synthcsis
ol imacination is arcady lound in intuition, thcn vhat Kant initialy cals
imacination" ' L|oh|lduog| invhat lollovscannotbc idcntical viththc tran-
sccndcntal povcr ol imacination '|raoszcodco|alcoL|oh|lduogs|ra]|| .
219. A I20. Scc aIso Kants notc.
hJJ. |I 8I -I 82I I 27
b) Furc Svnthcsis as Furc Kcproduction''
KantacaInbccInsthcanaysIsvItha rclcrcncc to thcrcproductIvcsynthcsIs
In cmpIrIca rcprcscntInc. 1hc mInd" can rcprcscnt thc bcInc, c. c. , somc-
thInc prcvIousy pcrccIvcd, cvcn vithout thc prcscncc olthc objcct. " Such
makInc-prcscnt hovcvcr, or as Kant says, such ImacInatIon," prcsupposcs
that thc mInd has thc possIbIIty ol brIncInc lorth acaIn rcprcscntatIonay
thcbcIncrcprcscntcdcarIcrInordcrto rcprcscnt ItIna morcactuaunIty
vIth thc bcInc dIrccty pcrccIvcd lrom tImc to tImc. 1hc brIncInc-lorth-
acaInrcproductIon-Is, accordIncy, a kInd olunIlyInc.
1hIs rcproducInc synthcsIs, hovcvcr, can ony unIly Ilthc mInd docs not
osc lrom thoucht" vhat Is broucht-lorth-acaInIn It. Hcncc thc not-osInc,
I. c. , thc abIItytorctaIn, Is ncccssarIyloundIn suchsynthcsIs. cIncscxpcrI-
cnccdcarIcr,hovcvcr, can ony bc rctaIncd Ilthc mInd dIlcrcntIatcs tImc"
and thcrcby has InvIcv such | tcmpora dIstInctIons as carl|cr anda|||a|
t|mc1hcbcInccxpcrIcnccdcarIcrvoudconstantybc ost compctcyvIth
cachnov,IlItvcrc not In ccncra rctaInabc. Hcncc, IlcmpIrIcasynthcsIsIn
thcmodc olrcproductIon Is thcrcby to bccomc possIbc, thc no-onccr-nov
suc| must In advancc and prior to a cxpcricncc havc bccn broucht lorth
acaIn and unIhcd vIth thc spccIhc nov. 1hIs occurs In purc rcproductIon a
a modc ol purc synthcsIs. Mcvcrthccss, Il thc cmpIrIca synthcsIs ol rcpro-
ductIon bconcs prImarIy to thc cmpIrIca ImacInatIon, thcn purc rcproduc-
tIon Is purc synthcsIs olthc purc povcr olImacInatIon.
^nd yct, Is not thc purc povcr ol ImacInatIon acccptcd as csscntIay
productIvc` Hov Is a rcproductIvc synthcsIs to bconc to It` Iurc rcproduc-
tIondocs thIs not mcan productIvc rcproductIon, hcncc a squarc cIrcc`
ut Is purc rcproductIon thcn a productIvc rcproducInc` In lact, t lorms
thc possIbIIty olrcproductIonInccncra, nacy, duc to thc lactthat It brIncs
thc horIzon olthc carIcr Into vIcv and hods It opcn as such In advancc.
Iurc synthcsIsIn thc modc olrcproductIon lormshavInc-bccn-ncss Ccwcsco
|c|| as such. ut thIssays. thc

purc povcr olImacInatIon, vith rccard to thIs

250. A !00 !02.
25! A !02.
252. n p. A 02 Kant says ". . . thcrcproductivc synthcsis o|thc powcr oimaeination
bcIones to thc transccndcnta acts o thc mind. Now Kant usuaIy caIIs thc nontransccndcntaI
powcr o|imaeination |c , thc cmprca) thc rcproductivc imaeination. Ionc takcs rcproductivc
as"cmpicaI"inthisscnsc, thcn thc prcviousIycitcd scntcncc bccomcsmcanineIcss. Richl |"Kor
rckturcnzu Kant," Kan|s|udicn, vol. V ! 90! , p. 2B) thusproposcswritine"productivc"instcad
o|"rcproductivc This wouId indccd rcmovc thc aIIcecd inconsistcnc but at thc samc timc i
woudasorcmovcinecncraIthcscnsc that Kantwantsto cxprcsswiththcscntcncc,|ritshouId
indccd show dircctly that thc productivc, i c , hcrc thc purc powcr o| imaeination, is purcIy
rcproductivcin that it makcspossibc rcproducionin ecncraI. Thc inscniono|"productivc"onIy
makcs scnsc, thcn, iit docs not rcpIacc thc "rcproductivc, but i|instcad it dctcrmncs it morc
prcciscIy. Givcn thc cntirc contcx, howcvcr, that is supcrIuous. I|it is to bc improvcd thcn it
mustrcad"purc rcproductivc synthci."
!2B Kant and thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics | !B2- IBl
modc olsynthcsis, is timc-lorminc. It an bc cacd purc rcproduction" not
bccausc it attcnds to a bcinc vhich is conc nor bccausc it attcnds to it as
somcthinc cxpcricnccd caricr. Rathcr, |it can bc cacd purc imitation"| to
thc cxtcnt thatit opcnsupinccncra thc horionolthc possibc attcndinc-to,
thc havinc-bccn-ncss, and so it lorms" this altcr"` as such.
Vhcrc, hovcvcr, docs thc purc charactcrolsynthcsisstandvith this lorm-
inc ol timc in thc modc ol thc at that timc"` ]hc oricina, lorminc rctaininc
ol thc atthat-timc" is in itscl thc rctaininc loinc ol thc no-onccr-no
]his lormincis occasionay unihcd as such vith thc no Iurc rcproduction
is csscntiay unihcd vith thc purc synthcsis olintuition as that vhich lons
thcprcscnt. ]h synthcsis olapprchcnsionis thus inscparabybound upvith
thc synthcsis ol rcproduction," lor cvcry nov is nov arcady |ust-arrivcd.
In ordcr lor thc sythcsis olapprchcnsion to civc thc currcnt ook pcrlccty
in an imacc, it must bc abc to rctain as such thc prcscnt manilod vhich it
runs throuch andatthcsamc timcitmustbcpurc sythcsis olrcproduction.
ut il thc synthcsis ol apprchcnsion as vc as that ol rcproduction is an
act ol thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination, thcn this attcr must bc
craspcd as that vhich lunctions sythcticay and in itscl inscparaby" as
lacuty ol sthcsis in ccncra" accordinc to both ol thcsc modcs. In this
oricina unity ol both modcs, thcn, it can aso bc thc oricin ol timc |as unity
ol prcscnt and havincbccn-ncss). Il this oricina unity ol both modcs ol
synthcsis did not cxist, thcn thc purcst and hrst croundinc rcprcscntations
olspacc and timc coud not sprinc lorth cvcn oncc."
ut il timc is nov thc thrcclod-unihcd vhoc madc up ol prcscnt, past,
and luturc, and ilKant nov adds a third modc to both modcs olsynthcsis
vhich havc novbccnshovntobc timc-loninc, and ilhnayarcprcscntinc
incudinc thoucht is to bc sub|cct to timc, thcn this third modc olsynthcsis
must lorm" thc luturc.
c) Frc Svnthcsis as Frc Kcco
R
nition''
]hc anaysisolthisthirdsynthcsisisindccd much morccxtcnsivcthanthc
hrst tvo, and yct at hrst onc scarchcs in vain lor vhat voud nonay bc
dcvcopcd in such compcinc" arcumcntation. 1hc sythcsis ol purc rcc-
ocnition is to constitutc thc third ccmcnt olpurc knovcdcc, purc thinkinc.
ut vhat has rccocnition cot to do vith thc luturc` Hov in ccncra is purc
thinkinc, thc I olpurc appcrccption, to havc a tcmpora charactcr vhcn Kant
opposcsin thc sharpcst tcrms thc I think" inparticuarand rcason inccncra
to a timc-rcations`
25J. A 02 .
25+. A ! 02.
255. A ! 0J !0.
hJJ. lI 81-I 8JI I29
Iurc rcason, asa lacuty vhIch I smcrcy IntcIcIbc, I snotsubjcctt othc
lorm ol tImc or, conscqucnty, to thc condItIons ol thc succcssIon ol tImc. "

^nd ImmcdIatcy loovInc thc SchcmatIsm chaptcr, vIth thc IntroductIon to

thc dctcrmInatIonolthc hIchcst prIncIpc olasynthctIcjudcmcnts, docs not
Kantshov thatthc tcmporacharactcrmust contInuc tobc cxcudcd lromthc
hIchcst princIpc ola anaytIcajudcmcnts, "thc IrincIpc ol ContradIctIon,
vhIch dcImIts thc csscncc olmcrc thInkInc` ]hc at thc samc tImc" |
can havc no pacc In thc lormua lor thIs basIc prIncIpc. CthcrvIsc, thc
prIncIpc voud bc allcctcd by thc condItIon ol tImc."' Mov thc IrIncIpc
ol ContradIctIon, as a mcrcy ocIca basIc prIncIpc, must not In any vay
rcducc Its caIms to tImcrcatIons. 1hcrclorc, such a lormua Is compctcy
contrary to thc IntcntIonolthIs prIncIpc. "
"
Is ItsurprIsInc, thcn, that vc hnd nothInc In Kant about a tcmpora char-
actcr lor thIs thIrd modc ol synthcsIs` ^nd yct, ncIthcr cmpty supposItIons
and concusIons nor aoInc thc mattcr to bc dccIdcd by vhat vc hnd
InItIay In rcadIncthc dIscussIon olthIsthIrdsynthcsIs, arc olany avaI hcrc.
Kant aso bccIns thc prcscntatIon ol thc thIrd modc ol synthcsIs vIth a
charactcrizatIon olcmpIrIca rccocnItIon, namcy,lromsynthcsIs as rcproduc-
tIon hc cstabIshcs. VIthout conscIousncss ol thc lact that vhat vc arc
thInkInc Is thc samc as vat vc thoucht an Instant bclorc, a rcproductIon
In thcscrIcs olrcprcscntatIons voudbcInvaIn." ]hc rcproductIvcsynthc-
sIs shoud cllcct and maIntaIn vhat It brIncs lorth In unIty vIth thc bcInc
vhIch Is rcvcacd dIrccty In pcrccptIon.
^nd yct, vhcn thc mInd acaIn rcturns lrom Its coInc-back Into thc past,
vhcn It rcturns acaIn to thc dIrccty prcscnt bcInc In ordcr to sct thc lormcr
In unIty vIththc attcr, vho thcnts It thatthIsbcIncvhIchIs novprcscnt
Is thc samc as that vhIch It prcIousy abandoncd, so to spcak, vIth thc
luhmcnt ol thc vIsuaIzatIon`

^ccordInc to Its csscncc, thc rcproducInc

synthcsIs stumbcs upon somcthInc vhIch It caIms Is thc samc bcInc and
vhIch vI bc cxpcrIcnccd bclorc, durInc, and altcr Its luhmcnt In thc
prcscnt pcrccptIon. ]hIs pcrccptIon Itscl avays attcnds just to vhat has
prcscncc 'dasAowcscodc| as such.
Oocs not thc vhoc succcssIon ol rcprcscntIncs brcak up Into IndIvIdua
rcprcscntatIons so that thc rcturnIncsynthcsIs olrcproductIon must sct vhat
It brIncs aonc at any tImc Into unIty vith a bcInc-avays othcr-vhIch Is
dIrcctyat hand`VhatIsthcunItyolapprchcndIncIntuItIonandrcproducInc
ImacInatIon to bc Ilvhat thcy vant to prcscnt as unIhcd and thc samc Is, so
to spcak, pacccss
25. A 55! . 579
257. A l 52 . ! 9! .
25B. A 52. 92
259 A !0J.
!J0 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | !BJ- !Bl
Oocs thIs pacc hrst comc tobc crcatcd, thcn, altcr thc achIcvcmcnt ola
pcrccptIon and thc rccocctIon conncctcd to It, vhIch rccocctIon vants to
sct vhat Is rcmcmbcrcdInunItyvIth vhat has prcscncc In thc currcnt statc"`
Cr arc thcsc tvo vays ol synthcsIs arcady orIcntcd In advancc tovard thc
bcInc as somcthInc vhIch has prcscncc In samcncss`
^pparcnty |thc attcr. or at thc cround olboth synthcscs, and dIrcctInc
thcm, aunIlyInc|synthcsIs) olthc bcIncvIth rcspcct toItssamcncssIsarcady
lound. ]hIs synthcsIs olthc samc, I . c. , thc hodInc olthc bcInc bclorc us as
oncvhIchIsthcsamc, Kantcas andjustyso-thcsynthcsIsInconccpts,
lorthcconccpt Is IndccdthcrcprcscntInc olunItyvhIchas sclsamc appIcs
to many" or thIs coc conscIousncss rcprcscntInc thIs unIty as conccptua
rcprcscntInc Is vhat unIhcs thc manIlod, vhIch Is IntuItcd acaIn and acaIn
and vhIch Is thcn aso rcproduccd, Into onc rcprcscntatIon"

It has thusbccn shovn. vhat cmcrccd asthc thIrd synthcsIs In thc charac-
tcrIzatIon ol thc cmpIrIca ccncsIs ol conccptua dcvcopmcnt Is In lact thc
hrst, I c. , thcsynthcsIsvhIchIn thc hrstpacc dIrcctsthc othcrtvocharactcr-
zcd abovc. It pops up In advancc ol thcm, so to spcak Kant cIvcs thIs
synthcsIs ol IdcntIhcatIon a most approprIatc namc. Its unIlyInc Is a rccon-
noItcrInc. It cxporcs In advancc and Is vatchInc out lor
,,

vhat must bc
hcd bclorc us In advancc as thc samc In ordcr that thc apprchcndInc and
rcproducInc synthcscs In ccncra can hnd a coscd, cIrcumscrIbcd hcd ol
bcIncsvIthIn vhIch thcy can attach to vhat thcybrInclorth and cncountcr,
so to spcak, and takc thcm In strIdc as bcIncs.
^s cmpIrIca, hovcvcr, thIs cxporInc, advancIncsynthcsIs olIdcntIhcatIon
ncccssarIy prcsupposcs a purc IdcntIhcatIon. ]hat Is to say. |ust as a purc
rcproductIon lorms thc possIbIIty ol a brIncInc-lorth-acaIn, so corrcspond-
Incymust purcrccocnItIonprcscnt thc possIbIItylorsomcthIncIkcIdcntIly-
Inc ut Il thIs purc synthcsIs rcconnoItcrs, thcn at thc samc tImc that says.
It docs not cxporc a bcIncvhIchItcan hod bclorc Itsclas sclsamc. thcr,
It cxporcs thc horIzon olbcInc-abc-tohod-somcthInc-bclorc-us \ct|al|hat-
|c||| In ccncra. A purc, Its cxporInc Is thc orIcIna lormInc olthIs prcImI-
nary attachInc ' \ct|a]|co| , I . c. , thc luturc ]hus thc thIrd modc olsynthcsIs
aso provcs to bc onc vhIch Is csscntIay tImc-lormInc. Insolar as Kant ao-
catcs thc modcs ol takInc a Ikcncss, rcproductIon, and prchcuratIon 'Ah-
Nac| uod \cth|lduog| to thc cmpIrIca ImacInatIon, thcn thc lormInc ol thc
prcImInary attachInc as such, thc purc prcparatIon, Is an act ol thc purc
povcr olthc ImacInatIon.
20. A !0J.
2!. A ! 2.
a. I | onccharactcrizcsthccmpircaI ecncsiso|conccptua dcvclopmcntthcn this isaII rieht
but this charactcrzation isnot KantseoaI.
hJJ. I8/-I 88I ! J!
^thouch at thc outsct I t appcarcd hopccss, cvcn absurd, to cucIdatc thc
Inncr lonatIon olthc purc conccpts as csscntIay dctcnIncd by tImc, nov
not onyhas thc tImc-charactcr olthc thIrd modc olsynthcsIs bccnbroucht
to Icht, but aso thIs modc olpurc prc-paratIon, accordInc toIts Inncr struc-
turc, cvcncxhIbItsa prIorIty ovcr thc othcr tvo, vIthvhIch at thc samc tImc
It csscntIay bconcs toccthcr. In thIs KantIan anaysIs ol purc synthcsIs In
conccpts, vhIch Is apparcnty compctcy aool lrom tImc, vhcn cxacty docs
thc mostorIcInacsscncc ol tImc, I . c. , that It Is dcvcopcd prImarIylromthc
luturc, comc to thc lorc`
c that as It may, thc task ol provInc thc Inncr tImccharactcr ol thc
transccndcnta povcr olImacInatIon, vhIch vasundccIdcd, hasbccn accom-
pIshcd. Il thc transccndcnta povcr ol ImacInatIon, as thc purc, lormInc
lacuty, In Itscl lorms tImc-I . c. , aovs tImc tosprInclorththcnvc cannot
avoId thc thcsIs statcd abovc. thc transccndcnta povcr ol ImacInatIon Is
orIcIna tImc.
]hc unIvcrsa charactcr olpurc scnsIbIIty, I . c. , oltImc, hovcvcr, nov has
IkcvIsc bccn rcvcacd. Conscqucnty thc transccndcnta povcr ol ImacIna-
tIon Is abc to support and lorm thc orIcIna unIty and vhocncss ol thc
spccIhc hnItudc ol thc human subjcct, vhIch has bccn asscrtcd to bc purc,
scnsIbc rcason.
^nd yct, do not purc scnsIbIIty tImc and purc rcason rcmaIn sImpy
hctcroccnous, and docs not thc conccpt ol a purc, scnsIbc rcason rcmaIn
sImpya nonconccpt` ]hc ob|cctIons to thc attcmpt tocrasp thc sclhood
ol thc scl as Inhcrcnty tcmpora and not as somcthInc vhIch ony thc
cmpIrIcacraspIncolthc cmpIrIca sub|cctIsto rccocnIzcastImc-dctcnIncd,
appcarInsunountabc.
ut Il |thc attcmpt| cannot succccd In shovInc thcsclas tcmpora, docs
thc opposItc vay pcrhaps havc a chancc olsucccss` Hov docs It stand vth
thcproolthattImc as suchhasthccharactcrolsclhood`ItschanccsollaIurc
arcjust as sIcht asthosc olthc caIm, vhIch Indccd Is undIsputcd, that tImc
apart lrom thc sub|cct IsnothInc. "

]hIs Indccd ImpIcs that In thc subj cct,

ItIs cvcrythInc.
utvhatdocs Inthcsubjcctmcanhcrc` ]Imc IsccrtaInynotathandIn
thcsub|cct"as ccsarcIn thcbraIn. ]hcconstantrclcrcncc tothc sub|cctIvIty
oltImcyIcds Ittc. Movhad KanthImsclsccnonythIsnccatIvcaspcct, that
tImc apart lrom thc subjcctIs nothInc` OId Kant notshov Inthc]ransccn-
dcnta OcductIon and In thc chaptcr on SchcmatIsm that tImc takcs part
csscntIay In thc Inncrmost csscntIa structurc ol transccndcncc` ^nd docs
not transccndcncc dctcrmInc thc cIncas-scl '5clhs|sc|ol ol thc hnItc scl`
Must vc not kccp thIs csscncc ol subjcctIvIty In vIcv, cvcn thouch vc ony
22.A J5, 5 !
!J2 Kant and thc Froblcm oI MctaphysIcs | !BB- !B9I
vant to ask ccitimatcly about thc much-discusscd subjcctivc" charactcr ol
timc` l Kant camc across timc in thc dcpths" ol thc csscntial cround ol
transccndcncc, thcn vi vhat vas said inan introductory vay about timc in
thc ]ransccndcntal ^csthctic bcthc astvord` Crisvhat vas discusscdthcrc
ony an indication olthc morc oricinal csscncc oltimc` Inthc cnd, is notthc
clucidatincolthc tcmporal charactcrolthcsubjccthrst pcrmittcd onthcbasis
olthc corrcctly undcrstood subjcctivc charactcr ol timc`
hJ1. Tmc as Purc Sc|j-A[[ccton and thc TcmporaI Charactcr o[ thc Sc|j
In thc passacc dclimitinc thc csscntia unity olpurc knovlcdcc lor thc hrst
timc |thc sccond stacc ol thc cround-layinc), Kant rcmarks that spacc and
timc must avays allcct" thc conccpt ol rcprcscntations ol objccts
Vhat
docs thc initially obscurc thcsis mcan hcrc timc alccts a conccpt, namcly,
that olthc rcprcscntations olobjccts`
Vc bccin thc intcrprctation vith thc carihca ol thc conccpt ol thc
rcprcscntations olobjccts." irst olall, this cxprcssionmcans thc univcrsal"
vhich charactcrizcs cvcry rcprcscntinc ol objccts as such, i . c. , thc cttinc-
stand-acainst ol . . . . ]his, says thc thcsis, vill ncccssarily bc allcctcd throuch
timc. ^ndyct, thc discussion ol this mattcrup to nov hasbccnjust that timc,
3 vcll as spacc, lorm thc horizon vithin vhich thc allcctions olthc scnscs
lrom timc to timc strikc us and arc ol concc to us. Mov timc itscl is to
allcctus. ^llallcction,hovcvcr, isthcscll-announcinc '5|c|-mcldcoolabcinc
vhich is alrcady at hand. ut timc is ncithcr at hand nor is it ccncraly
outsidc. " rom vhcncc docs it comc, thcn, il it is to bc allcctinc`
]imc is only purc intuition to thc cxtcnt that it prcparcs thc look ol
succcssionlromoutolitscl, anditclu|c|csthisassuch|c||scjasthc lormativc
takincin-stridc. ]his purc intuition activatcs itscl vith thc intuitcd vhich
vas lormcd in it, i . c. , vhich vas lormcd vithout thc aid ol cxpcricncc.
^ccordinc to its csscncc, timc is purc allcction ol itscll. urthcrmorc, it is
prcciscly vhat inccncralormssomcthinclikc thc lromout-olitsclltovard-
thcrc . . . , "

so that thc upon-vhich

looks back and into thc prciousy

namcd tovard-thcrc. . . .
^spurc scllallcction, timc isnotanactincalcctionthatstrikcsa scllvhich
is athand. Instcad, aspurc it lorms thc csscncc olsomcthinc likc sclactivat-
inc. Hovcvcr, ilitbcloncs to thc csscncc olthc hnitc subccttobc ablc to bc
activatcd asa scll, thcn timc aspurc scll-allcctionlormsthccsscntialstructurc
olsubjcctivity
2oJ. A 77, !02.
hJ1. |I8-I I I !JJ
Cnlyonthc crounds olthisscl|hood can thc hnitc crcaturcbcvhatitmust
bc dcpcndcntupon takinc-thincs-in-stridc.
Mov, in thc hrst placc, vc must clarlyvhat thc | lollovinc| obscurcstatc-
mcnt says. timc ncccssarily allccts thc conccpt ol thc rcprcscntations ol ob-
ccts. ]hc lcttinc-stand-acainst as such, i . c. , as purc turninconcs-attcntion-to
. . . , purca|cctinc, mcans. tobrincsomcthinclikc anacainstit," thc cinc-
in-opposition, into opposition to it in ccncral, to it"-to thc purc lcttinc-
stand-acainst ol . . . , but that mcans to purc appcrccption, to thc I itscl.
]imc bcloncs to thc inncr possibility ol this lcttinc-stand-acainst o. . . . A
purc scll-allcction, it lormsin an oricinal vay thc hnitc scllhood, so that thc
scll can bc somcthinc likc scll-consciousncss.
y vorkinc out thc prcsuppositions dccisivc lor thc intrinsic problcmatic
olthc Cr|||aucc]PurcPcasco, thc hnitudc olknovlcdcc isdravn to ccntcr
stacc. ]hc hnitudc ol knovlcdcc rcsts on thc hnitudc olintuitinc, i .c. , on
takinc-in-stridc. Conscqucntly, purc knovlcdcc, i . c. , thc knovinc ol vhat
standsacainst in ccncral, thc purc conccpt, iscroundcdinanintuitionvhIch
takcs | thincs in stridc. Iurc takinc-instridc, hovcvcr, mcans. bccominc al-
lcctcd in thc abscncc olcxpcricncc, i. c. , scll-allcctinc.
]imc as purc scll-allcction is that hnitc, purc intuition vhich bcars and
makcs possiblc in ccncral thc purc conccpt thc undcrstandinc) that stands
incsscntial scrvic to intuition.
]hc idca olpurc scll-allcction, vhich asvc havc nov sccndctcrmincsth
inncrmost csscncc oltransccndcncc, vas thus not introduccdby Kant lor th
hrst timc in thc sccond cdition. In that cditionit vas simply lormulatcd mor
cxplicitly, and indccd it appcars charactcristically |at thc bccinninc| in thc
]ransccndcntal ^csthctic.

]o bc surc, this passacc must rcmain obscurc as

lonc as thc intcrprctation lacks that pcrspcctivc vhich should havc bccn
sccurcd bymcans olthc prcccdinc prcscntation olthcstaccs olthc cround-
laync and thcir morc oricinal scttinc. ut thcn, lrom this pcrspcctivc it is
almost scll cvidcnt. " Mov that vhich, as rcprcscntation, can bc antcccdcnt
to cvcry act ol thinkincanythinc, is intuition and ilit contains nothincbut
rclations,it is thc lorm olintuition. Sincc this lorm rcprcscntsnothinccxccpt
insolar assomcthincs positcd in thc mind, it can bc nothinc othcr than thc
vay thc mind, throuch its ovn activity namcly, this positinc ol its rcprc-
scntation), conscqucntly comcs tobc acctcd throuch itscll, i. c. , accordincto
an inncr scnsc olits lorm."

2. Scc abovc, and 5, p l ||. |Additional rc|crcncc to 5 addcd in GA-tr.

25 7|.
2. Ibid. Thc proposcd chanec o|thc phrasc "thcir rcprcscntation" into "its rcprcscntation"
tJcs"ihrcrvors|c||uny"in":cincr)rcmovcsprcciscIywhat iscsscntiaI inthc tcxt.Thc"thcir isnot
|intcndcd to cxprcss that thc rcprcscnation is a rcprcscntation o|thc mind, but rathcrthat thc
rprscntine,positcdbyhc mind, rcprcscntsthc"purcrcIations"o|thcsucccssiono|thcscqucncc
o|owsas such and alIows thcm to comc up to thc takine-in-stridc.
! J Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' !9! - !92l
Scnsc mcans hnitc intuition. ]hc lorm ol scnsc i s purc takinc-in-stridc.
Inncr scnsc docs not rcccivc lromvithout," but rathcr lrom thc scl. npurc
takincinstridc, thc inncrallcction mustcomclorthlromout olthc purc scl
i, c. , it must bc lormcd in hc csscncc ol sc|ood as such, and thcrclorc it
must constitutc this scl in thc hrst pacc. Iurc sclallcction providcs thc
transccndcnta, prima structurc olthc hnitc scl as such. ]hus it isabsoutcy
notthc casc thata mindcxists amonc othcrs vhich, lor it, arc asosomcthinc
rcatcd to it, and that it practiccs scl-positinc. Rathcr, this lom-out-ol-itscl-
tovard . . . and backtoitscl hrst constitutcs thc mcnta charactcr ol thc
mind as a hnitc scl.
Inthisvay, hovcvcr, itisobviousat acanccthattimcaspurcsclallcction
is not lound in thc mind" aonc vith" purc appcrccption. Rathcr, as thc
cround lor thc possibiity olsc|hood, timc arcady ics vithin purcappcrccp-
tion, and so it hrst makcs thc mind into a mind.
]hc purc, hnitcsclhas, in itscl, tcmporacharactcr. Hovcvcr,ilthc I, purc
rcason,iscsscntiaytcmpora, thcnitisprcciscyonthcbasis olthistcmpora
charactcr that thc dccisivc dctcrmination vhich Kant civcs ol transccndcnta
appcrccption hrst bccomcs undcrstandabc.
]imcand thc I think" no onccr stand incompatibyand incomparaby at
odds thcyarc thc samc. Vith his ayinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics, and
throuch thc radicaism vith vhich, lor thc hrst timc, hc transccndcntay
intcrprctcd both timc, avays lor itscl, and thc I think," avays lor itscl,
Kant broucht both ol thcm toccthcr in thcir oricina samcncss-vithout, to
bc surc, cxprcssy sccinc this as such lor himscl.
Can vc rcad ovcr it vith as ittc conccrn as prcvious thcn, vhcn Kant
rclcrs to both timc and thc I think" vith thc samc csscntia prcdicatcs`
In thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction, thc transccndcnta csscncc olthc I |i.c. ,
that vhich makcs transccndcncc possibc) is charactcrizcd as loovs. ]hc
hxcd and pcrdurinc I |olpurc appcrccption) constitutcs thc corrcatc ola ol
our rcprcscntations . . = .
2
^nd in thc chaptcr on Schcmatism, vhcrcin thc
transccndcnta csscncc oltimc comcs to icht , Kant says oltimc. ]imc docs
not capsc . . . , timc vhich is itsclunchancincand pcrdurinc.
/Od
^nd atcr
]imc . . . pcrdurcs and docs not chancc.
29
Maturay, vc coud rcpy, this covcrinc ovcr olthc csscntia prcdicatcs lor
timc and thc I is not surprisinc, lor Kant ony vants to say vith this that
ncithcr thc I nor timc is in tunc. " ]o bc surc. ut docs it loov lrom this
that thc I is not tcmpora, or docs it comc about dirccty that thc I is so
tcmpora" that it is timc itscl, and that ony as timc itscl, accordinc to its
ovnmost csscncc, docs it bccomc possibc`
2o7. A !2J.
2oB. A ! J, !BJ.
2o9. A ! B2, 22|.
hJ1. |I 2-I 1I I JJ
Vhat thcn docsi t mcan to say. thc hxcd and pcrdurinc" I constitutcs thc
corrcatc" ola our rcprcscntations` irst ola, it mcans this. thc hxcd and
pcrdurinc ! carrics out thc cttinc-stand-acainst by such a thinc, vhich isnot
onya rcation olthcrc-upon . . . 'dcsH|ozu-au! , but isa corrcationol
thcback-into . . . 'dcsZurac|-zu-|o . . . , andso it lorms thccincin-oppo-
sition-to 'daslaw|dct ut vhy docs ant say that thc hxcd and pcrdurinc
I" lorms this cttincstand-acainst` Oocshc vant to imprcss upon us that this
lorminc avays ics at thc cround ol a mcnta cvcnts and pcrsists" as
somcthinc vhich has bccn rcicvcd ol any chancc ol mcnta cvcnts` Shoud
ant,vho vorkcdout thcparaocismolsubstantiaitybascdonthc particuar
ayincolthc cround lorontoocy,
havc mcant by thc hxcd and pcrdurinc"
I somcthinc ikc a mcnta substancc` Cr did hc mcrcy vant to conhrm that
thisIisnot tcmpora,butrathcrthatinaccrtainscnscitisinhnitcandctca,
athouch not as substancc` ut vhydocs thissupposcd conhrmation appcar
prcciscyvhcrchc dcimitsthc hnitudc olthc !, i. c. , its cttinc-stand-acainst`
orthc simpc rcason that this hxincand pcrdurinc" olthc I bconcs csscn-
tiay to this cttinc-sand-acainst.
his hxinc" and this pcrdurinc" arc no ontic asscrtions conccrninc thc
unchanccabiity ol thc I , but arc transccndcnta dctcrminations vhich mcan
thcloovinc. insolarasthcI assuchbrincsbclorcitsclinadvanccsomcthinc
ikchxcdncssandpcrdurincinccncra,itlormsthchorizonolsclhoodvithin
vhich vhat is ob|cctivc bccomcs cxpcrIcnccabc as thc samc throuchout
chancc. hc hxcd" ! is so cacd bccausc as I think," i . c. , as I pacc bc-
lorc, " itbrincsbclorc itscl |somcthinc| ikc standinc and cndurinc.

A
I, it lorms thc corrcatc ol constancy '8cs|aod|g|c|| in ccncra.
his purc suppyinc olthc purc ook olthc prcscnt inccncra, hovcvcr, is
thc csscncc oltimcitsclas purc intuition. hc hxcd and pcrdurinc" ! cocs
so lar as to mcan. thc I, in thc oricina lorminc oltimc, i . c. , as oricina timc,
lorms thc cttinc-sand-acainst ol . . . and its horizon.
Conccrninc thc timccssncss and ctcrnaity ol thc I. not ony is nothinc
dccidcd, but it has not subscqucnty bccn qucstioncd vithin thc transccn
dcnta probcmatic in ccncra. hc I , hovcvcr, is hxcd and pcrdurinc" in
this transccndcnta scnsc as onc as it is tcmpora, i . c. , |as onc as it is| as
hnitcscl.
Mov, il thcsc samc prcdicatcs arc attributcd to timc, that docs not simpy
mcan. timc is not in timc. " Cn thc contrary, il timc as purc scl-allcction
aovs thc purc succcssion ol thc scqucncc ol novs to sprinc lorth lor thc
hrsttimc,thcnthis,vhichsprincslorth lromitandvhich,so tospcak comcs
to bc disccrncd lor itscl aonc in thc customary chronoocy," csscntiay
cannot bc sulhcicnt to dctcrminc thc lu csscncc ol timc.
270. A JB||. , 0oU.
!J Kant and thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics | I9- I9JI
^ccordincy i lvcarc t ocomct oa dccision rccardinc thc tcmporaity,"or
rathcr thc timccssncss, ol thc I , thcn thc oricina csscncc ol timc as scl-
alcction must bc takcn as our cuidc. ^nd vhcrcvcr Kant dcnics, vith lu
justihcation, a tcmpora charactcr to purc rcason and to thc I olpurcappcr-
ccption, hc mcrcysays thatrcasonmaynotbcsubjcctto tcmpora lorm. "

Inthisscnsc aonc, thc dcction olthc atthc samc timc" inthc lormuation
ol thc Irincipc ol Contradiction" is asojustihcd.''
'
Hcncc, Kant arcucs on
thispoint. ilvccrantvhatissaid about thc atthcsamc timc" 'dasZuglc|c|"
andhcncctimc" Zc||inthcIrincipc olContradiction,"thcnthcprincipc
voud bc rcstrictcd to cmpirica, acccssibc bcincs vithin timc. " Hovcvcr,
this basic principc rucs a thoucht ol anythinc at a. Conscqucnty, thc
dctcrmination oltimc has no pacc in it.
^nd yctthc morc ccrtain it is that thc at thc samc timc" is a dctcrmina
tion ol timc, thc css it has to mcan thc vithintimc-ncss" olbcincs. Rathcr,
thc atthc samctimc" cxprcsscs that tcmpora charactcr vhich, asprciminary
rccocnition" |prc-paration"), oricinay bconcs to a idcntihcation as such
Hovcvcr, this ics soidy at thc cround ol both thc possibiity and thc im
possibiity ol contradiction.
Vith his oricntation tovard thc nonoricina csscncc ol timc, Kant must
dcny thc tcmpora charactcr ol thc Irincipc ol Contradiction," lor it L
iocica to vant csscntiaytodctcrminc vhat timc itsclisoricinayvithth
hcp ola product dcrivcd lrom it. Ircciscy bccausc in its inncrmost csscncc
thc sclis oricinay timc itscl, thc I cannot bc craspcd as tcmpora." i. c. , as
vithin timc. Iurc scnsibiity |timc) and purc rcason arc not just ol thc samc
typc, rathcr hcy bconc toccthcr in thc unity ol thc samc csscncc vhich
makcs possibc thc hnitudc ol human subjcctivity in its vhocncss.
27! . Sccabovc, JJc,p. I 2Bl Apassagc|romthcdisscrtatono|I 770 showsthatKanthimscI
wavcrsin hisudgmcnt conccrning thc "at thc samc tmc" "antumvcro abcst, ut qisunquam
tcmporis conccptum adhuc rationis opc aliundc dcducat ctcxpIicct, utpotius psum prncipium
contradictionis cundcm pracmttat ac sb conditionis Ioco substcrna. A cnim ct non A non
rccuynunr. nsi :imu| th. c. tcmporc codcm) cogitata dc coJcm . Dc mundi scnsibiIis atquc
incIlgibls oa ct prncipiis." |N !+, 5, W|c, cd. Cassircr. vol. II, p. ! 7
-
) Hcrc Kant shows
thc impossblty o thc "ratonaI" dcrivaton o| tmc. . c. , o| its intuitvc charactcr. through a
rc|crcncc to thc |act that all "rio." cvcn thc groundng prncipIc o|thnking ngcncraI, prcsup
poscs"timc"cvcrthcIcss, it indccd rcmainsobscurcastowhich "tcmporaI" mcaningthc"rcmcorc
coJcm" has I tgocs so|ar as tomcan "in thc samc now," thcn Moscs McndcIsohn wasustihcd
whcn hc wrotc in a cttcr to Kant |25 Dcccmbcr ! 770), withrc|crcncc to thc prcccdingpassagc.
"I bcIicv thc stpulaton cJcm rcmcorc to havc bccnunncccssary|orthc Frincplc oContradic
tion. Inso|ar as t is thc samc subcct, A and non A cannot bc prcdcatcd o| it. cvcn at d||crcnt
timcs, and nothing |urthcr isrcurcd o|thcconccpt o|thc impossblc than thatthc samc subcc
havc two prcdcatcs,A and non A. nc can aIso say imco::ibilc c:|, nonAcrucJicurumJc :ub|ccro
A. tKant, Wcr|c, vo IX. p. 9J. )
a. nthis rcgard, wha smorc,sccHacring, DcrDui:bury':chc Nuchlu|, I0

|p. o0).
b Sc VS ! 9J5/Jo lDic Fruyc nuchJcm Diny. ZuKunr:hrcvon Jcn rrun:zcnJcn|u|cnOrunJ-
:drzcn, GA, vo. ! I , p ! 75l | WhurI: u Thiny?tr artonand Dcutsch, p. ! 72l.
hJJ. |I J-I /
hJ. Thc DriginaIity o[ thc PrcviousIy Laid Cround
and thc ProbIcm o[ Mctaphysics
IJ7
Kant's layinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics asks about thc crounds lor thc
intrinsic possIbiity ol thc csscntial unity ol ontolocical knovlcdcc. ]hc
cround upon vhich it comcs is thc transccndcntal povcr olimacination. /
opposcd to thc arranccmcnt oltvobasIc sourccslorthc mind|scnsIbiItyand
undcrstandinc) , thc transccndcntal povcr ol imacination obtrudcs as an in-
tcrmcdiatc laculty ]hc morc oricinal intcrprctation ol this prcvIously laid
cround, hovcvcr, unvcils this intcrmcdiatc laculty not|ust as oricinal, unily-
incccntcr, but rathcr it unvcils this ccntcras thcroot olbothstcms.
]husthcvayisopcncd to thcoricinal croundlorthc sourcc olbothbasic
sourccs.
|1/l
]hc intcrprctation olthc transccndcnta povcr olImacInatIon as
root, i. c. , thcclucidation olhovthcpurcsythcsisallovsbothstcmstocrov
lorth lrom out ol It and hov it maintaIns thcm, lcads back lrom itscllto that
invhichthisrootisrootcd. to orIcinal tImc./ thcoricinal, thrccloldunilyinc
lormincolluturc,past,and prcscntin ccncral,thIsIsvhathrstmakcs possiblc
thc laculty olpurc synthcsis, i. c. , that vhich it Is abc to producc, namcly,
thc unihcation ol thc thrcc ccmcnts olontolocical knovlcdcc, in thc unity
olvhich transccndcncc Is lormcd.
]hcmodcsolpurcsynthcsis-purc apprchcnsIon,purcrcproductIon, purc
rccocnition-arc not thcrclorc thrcc innumbcr bccausc thcyrclcr to thc thrcc
ccmcnts ol purc knovlcdcc, but rathcr bccausc, oricinally unihcd in thcm
scvcs, as tImc-lormInc, thcy constitutc thc ripcninc ol timc itscll. Cnly bc
causc thcsc modcs ol purc synthcsis arc orIcinaly unIhcd in thc thrcclod
unilyInc ol tImc, is thcrc also to bc lound in thcm thc possibiity lor thc
orIcIna unihcatIon olthc thrcc ccmcnts olpurc knovlcdcc. Ior that rcason,
hovcvcr, thc oricIna unilyinc vhIch Is apparcntly only thc mcdiatinc, intcr-
mcdiatc lacuty ol thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination, is in lact nonc
othcr than oricInal timc. ]his rootcdncss in timc alonc cnabcs thc transccn-
dcntal povcr ol imacInation In ccncral tobc thc root oltransccndcncc.
Cricina timc makcs possiblc thc transccndcntal povcr ol ImacInation,
vhIch in itsclIscsscntiallyspontancousrcccptivityand rcccptivcspontancIt
Cny In this unity can purc scnsibiity as spontancous rcccptivity and purc
appcrccption as rcccptIvc spontancity bclonc toccthcr and lorm thc unIhcd
csscncc ola hnItc, purc, scnsiblcrcason.
Il, hovcvcr, as occurs in thc sccond cdItion, thc transccndcntal povcr ol
Imacination is dclctcd as a particular croundinc lacuty andilits lunction is
takcn ovcrby thc undcrstandInc as mcrc spontancity, thcn thc possIbIIty ol
craspinc purc scnsibility and purc thinkinc vith rccard to thcIr unIty In a
hnItc, human rcason diminishcs, as docscvcnthcpossibility olmakincitinto
a problcm. Hovcvcr, bccausc thc transccndcntalpovcrolimacination onthc
crounds olits Indissolubc, oricinal structurc, opcns up thc possIbIIty olthc
JB Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' !97- !9BI
layInc ola cround lor ontolocIcal knovlcdcc, and thcrcby lor mctaphysIcs,
thcn lor thIs rcason thc hrst cdItIon rcmaIns closcr to thc Inncrmostthrustol
thc problcmatIc ola layIncolthc cround lormctaphysIcs.VIth rclcrcncc to
thIs most ccntral qucstIon olthc vholc vork, thcrclorc, It |thc hrst cdItIon|
dcscrvcs a lundamcntal prIorIty ovcr thc sccond. ^ll rcIntcrprctatIon 'Um-
dcutuogl ol thc purc povcr olImacInatIon as a lunctIon olpurc thInkInc-a
rc-IntcrprctatIon vhIch crman IdcalIsm" cvcn acccntuatcd subscqucnt to
thc sccond cdItIon olthc Cr|t|aucc] Purc-mIsundcrstands Its spccIhc
csscncc.
CrIcInal tImc allovs thc purc lormatIon ol transccndcncc to occur. ascd
on thc prcvIously prcscntcd, morc orIcInal` unvcIlInc olthc prcvIously laId
cround, vc nov also undcrstand lor thc hrst tImc, rctrospcctIvcly, thc Inncr-
most thrust olthc hvc staccs olthc croundlayInc and thc mcanIncvhIch Its
nuclcus-thc ]ransccndcntal SchcmatIsm-hasbccn ad|udccd as havInc.
ccausc transccndcncc rIpcns In orIcInal tImc, |Instanccs ol| ontolocIcal
knovlcdcc arc transccndcntal dctcrmInatIons ol tImc."
It Is tructhatthIs ncccssary ccntral lunctIon oltImc Is alvays hrst shovn
by Kant In such a vay that It Is|ust Introduccd as thc unIvcrsal lorm ol all
rcprcscntIncs. Hovcvcr, vhat rcmaIns dccIsIvc Is thc contcxt vIthIn vhIch
thIs occurs. ]hc IrclImInary Rcmark" to thc ]ransccndcntal OcductIon Is
Intcndcd to shov thc cxtcnt to vhIch thc thrcc modcs ol purc synthcsIs In
thcmsclvcs arc orIcInally unIhcd. Indccd, Kant docs not succccd In cxprcssly
brIncInc thcm to lIcht as tImclormInc and hcncc as unIhcd In orIcInal tImc
^ll thc samc, thc lundamcntal lunctIon oltImc Is cmphasIzcd prccIsclyhcrc,
namcly, vIth thc analysIs olthc sccond synthcsIs, that olrcproductIon In thc
ImacInatIon.
Vhat Is It that constItutcs thc a prIorI cround ol a ncccssary synthctIc
unIty" ola possIblc and Indccd rcprcscntIncrcstorIncolthc bcInc to spccIhc,
dIrcctprcscncc`Vhat thatsomcthInc Is vc soon dIscovcrvhcnvcconsIdcr
that appcaranccs arc not thIncs In thcmsclvcs, butarc rathcr thc mcrc playol
our rcprcscntatIons, vhIch In thc cnd cmcrcc lrom dctcrmInatIons ol Inncr
scnsc.
^272
Mov docs thIs mcan. lor Itscll thc bcInc Is nothInc and dIssolvcs In a
playInc ol rcprcscntIncs` In no vay Kant vants to say. thc cncountcrInc ol
thc bcInc Itscll occurs lor a hnItc crcaturc In a rcprcscntInc vhosc purc
rcprcscntatIonsolobj cctIvItyassuchhavc playcduptoonc anothcr 'au]c|oao-
dcrc|ogcsp|cl|| 1hIscInc-playcdup 'L|ogcsp|cl|sc|o|Istantamounttothccnd,
I c , It Is dctcrmIncd Inadvancc In sucha vaythat In ccncral It canbc playcd
out In a play-spacc '|o c|ocm5p|cl-Paum ahsp|clco |aoo| . ]hIs |playspacc| Is
lormcd throuch purc dctcrmInatIons ol thc Inncr scnsc. ]hc purc Inncr scnsc
272. A I 0! .
hJJ. |I8-200I J9
i spurc scll-allcction, i. c. , oricinal timc. 1hc purc schcmataastransccndcntal
dctcrminations ol timc arc vhat lorm thc horizon oltransccndcncc.
ccausc lrom thc hrst Kant savthc problcm olthcinncr possibility olthc
csscntial unity olontolocical knovlcdcc lrom thispcrspcctivc andbccausc hc
hcld last tothc ccntral lunction oltimc,hccould lorcco ancxplicit discussion
oltimc in thc prcscntation olthc unity oltransccndcncc on thc tvo paths ol
thc ]ransccndcntal Ocduction
^dmittcdly, in thc sccondcdition Kant appcars torcscindthistransccndcn-
tal priority ol timc in thc lormation ol transccndcncc as such toccthcr vith
thc transccndcntal povcr ol imacination, i . c. , hc appcars to rcnouncc thc
nuclcusolthc layincolthc cround lor mctaphysics, thc ]ransccndcntal Schc-
matism.
Inthc sccond cdition, a cncral Motc on thc Systcm olIrinciplcs," i . c. , |a
ccncral notc| onthcvholcolontolocicalknovlcdcc,vasinscrtcd. Itbccins
vith thc scntcncc It is quitcnotcvorthy that vc cannot rccocnizc thc possi-
bility ol a thinc accordinc to thc mcrc catccory, but must alvays havc an
intuition athandin ordcr tocxposcvithrcspcct to samcthc objcctivc rcality
ol thc purc conccpt ol thc undcrstandinc. " Hcrc, in a lcv vords, vc havc
cxprcsscd thc csscntial ncccssity olthc purcscnsibilizationolthcnotions,i . c. ,
thcir prcscntation i na purc imacc. " Hovcvcr, thc lact that this purc imacc
must bc purc intuiton as timc is not statcd.
Cnthccontrary, thcncxtparacraphbccinsvithan cxplicit rclcrcncc tothc
prcvious scntcncc. It is cvcn morc notcvorthy, hovcvcr, that in ordcr to
undcrstand thc possibility olthincs in conlormity vith thc catccorics, and so
to dcmonstratc thc ch)cct|vc tcal|t, ol thc lattcr, vc nccd not just intuitions,
but intuitions that arc alvays cxtcal |otu|t|cos" Hcrc thc transccndcntal
lunction olspacc comcs to thc lorc. ]hat Kant himscllhashcrcby opcncd up
a ncv insicht is unmistakablc. Spacc also cntcrs into thc purc schcmatism.
Mcvcrthclcss, thc chaptcr on thc Schcmatism in thc sccond cdition has in no
vay bccn altcrcd in this scnsc. Must vc not inlcr, thcn, that thc priority ol
timc has bccn droppcd` ]his conclusion vouldnotonlybcrash, it vould bc
a complctc misundcrstandinc ol thc cntirc intcrprctation to this point ilvc
choosctodcducclromthispassaccthattimcaloncisnotvhatoricinallylorms
transccndcncc.
ut,onccouldobjcct, iltansccndcnccisnottobc croundcd intimcalonc,
Kant isjust bcinc| consistcnt il,viththcdclimitation olthc priority oltimc,
hccliminatcsthcpurcpovcrolimacination.ct,viththisrcllcctionvclorcct
that as purc intuition, purc spacc is no lcss rootcd transccndcntally in thc
transccndcntal povcr olimacination than timc," insolar asthisisundcrstood
27J. 2BB.
271. 2!.
!0 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 200-20! l
mcrcy as vhat is lormcd in purc intuition as thc purc intuitcd, thc purc
succcssion olthc scqucncc olnovs. In lact, spacc in a ccrtain scnsc is avays
and ncccssariy cquivacnt to timc so undcrstood.
Hovcvcr, it is not in this lorm, but rathcr as purc sclallcction, that timc
is thc morc oricina cround oltransccndcncc.^s such, itis aso thc condition
lor thc possibiity ol thc rcprcscntinc lorminc, i . c. , thc makincapparcnt, ol
purc spacc. ]hc rcjcction ol thc priority oltimc in no vay loovs lrom thc
insicht into thc transccndcntalunctionolpurc spacc. Instcad, it|ustdcvcops
into thc positivc probcm olshovinc that, ikc timc, spacc in a ccrtain scnsc
asobconcs to thc sclassomcthinchnitc, andthatthis |scl , onthc crounds
ol oricina timc to bc surc, is csscntiay spatia. "
In thc sccond cdition, thc knovcdcc that in a ccrtain scnsc spacc aso
bconcs to thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism onymakcsit ccarthat this |Schc-
matism| cannot bc craspcd in its inncrmost csscncc as onc as timc is ony
craspcdasthc purcsucccssionolthcscqucncc olnovs. Itmustbcundcrstood
as purc sclallcction othcrvisc its lunctionin thc schcma-lormation olcvcry
disccrnibiity is ackinc.
Vith that, vc cncountcr a pccuiarity and indccd not an accidcnta onc,
pcrtaininc to thc vhoc Kantian |projcct ol| ayincthccound lor mctaphys-
ics. Ircciscyvhatvasunvcicdinthc coinc-back tothccround lorthc sourcc
in lact manilcsts itscl in itscsscncc vhich lorms transccndcncc. ]hc lacutics
olthc mind vhich takc part, as vc as thc purc intuition, timc, ncvcrthccss
arc not dctcrincd cxprcssy and primariyon thcbasis olthis transccndcnta
lunction. Instcad, thcy arc civcn durinc thc croundayinc and cvcn at its
concusion, vhich is sti compctcy vithin thc provisiona composition ol
thc hrst point oldcparturc. ]hc cucidation olthc purc schcmataastransccn
dcnta dctcrminations ol timc must rcmain so scanty and opaquc bccausc,
vith thc prcscntation ol thc ]ransccndcnta Schcmatism, Kant had not prc-
parcd a vorkcd-out intcrprctation ol thc oricina csscncc ol timc lor timc,
takcn as purc scqucncc ol novs, ollcrs throuchout no possibc vay to thc
tcmpora" intcrprctation olthc notions '
Mov, il an intcrprctation 'lotctptctat|co| mcrcy civcs back vhat Kant has
cxprcssy said, thcn lrom thc outsct it is not a ayinc-out || , insolar
as thc task ol such a ayinc-out rcmains lramcd as thc makinc visibc in its
ovn richt ol vhat Kant had broucht to icht in his cround-ayinc ovcr and
abovc thc cxpicit lormuation.
Kant himscl, hovcvcr, vas unabc to say
morc about this. ut vith any phiosophica knovcdcc in ccncra, vhat is
said in uttcrcd ppositions must not bc dccisivc. Instcad, vhat must bc
dccisivc is vhat it scts bclorc our cycs as sti unsaid, in and throuch vhat
has bccn said.
275. Scc abovc, N22, p 75|.
hJJ. |20I -20JI !!
]hus thc lundamcntalintcntionol thc prcscnt intcrprctationol thc Ct|||auc
c] Putc Pcasco vas to makc visiblc in this vay thc dccisivc contcnt ol this
vork and thcrcby to brinc out vhat Kant had vantcd to say" Vith this
proccdurc, thc layinc-out crcatcs a maxim ol its ovn vhich Kant himscll
vould havc vantcd to knovhad bccn applicd to thc intcrprctationolphilo-
sophical invcstications and vhich hc put in thc lollovncvords at thc cnd
ol a rcply to thc crtiquc by thc cibnizian Lbcrhard. hus thc Ct|||auc c]
Putc Pcasco may vcll bc thc propcr apclcg|a lor cibni, cvcn in opposition
to hisadhcrcnts vho clcvatc himvith dishonorablcvordsolpraisc, as itcan
alsobclorvariousoldcrphilosophcrsaboutvhommanyvritcrsolthchistory
olphilosophy vith all thci praisc, still lct thcmsclvcs spcak nonscnsc. ]hcy
do not discovcr thc intcntions ol thcsc philosophcrs vhilc thcy ncclcct thc
kcy to all intcrprctations 'Auslcguogco olthc purc products olrcason o thc
basis ol mcrc conccpts, thc critiquc ol rcason itscll as thc common sourcc
lor all) , and vhilc thcy cannot scc, bcyond thc ctymolocy ol vhat thcir
prcdcccssors havc said, vhat thcy had vantcd to say"
Ccrtainly, in ordcr to vrinc lrom vhatthc vords say, vhatit is thcyvant
to say, cvcryintcrprctation 'lo|ctptc|a||co mustncccssarlyuscviolcncc. Such
violcncc, hovcvcr, cannotbc rovincarbitrarincss. ]hc povcrolanidcavhich
shincs lorth must drivc and cidc thc layinc-out 'Auslcguog Cnly in thc
povcrolthisidcacananintcrprctationriskvhatisalvaysaudacious,namcly,
cntrustinc itscll to thc conccalcd inncr passion ola vork in ordcr tobc ablc,
throuch this, to placc itscllvithin thc unsaid and lorcc it into spccch. ]hat
is onc vay hovcvcr, by vhich thc cidinc idca, in its povcr to illuminatc,
comcs to licht.
Kant's layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics lcads to thc transccndcntal
povcr olimacination. ]his is thc root olboth stcms, scnsibility and undcr-
standinc. ^ssuch, it makcspossiblc thcoricinalunityolontolocicalsynthcsis.
]his root, hovcvcr, is rootcd in oicinal timc. ]hc oricinal cround vhich
bccomcs manilcst in thc cround-layinc is timc.
Kant'slayincolthccroundlormctaphysicsstartsvthMc|ap|,s|caCcoctal|s
and thusbccomcs thc qucstion olthc possibility olontolocy inccncral. ]his
poscs thc qucstionconccrninc thc csscncc olthc constitution olthc cinc ol
bcincs, i. c. , conccinc cinc in ccncral.
]hc layinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics crovs upon thc cround ol timc.
]hc qucstion conccrninc cinc, thc croundinc qucstion lor a layinc ol thc
cround lormctaphsics, is thc problcm ol 8c|ogaod mc
]his titlc contains thc cuidinc idca olthc prcccdinc intcrprctation ol thc
Ct|||auc c] Putc Pcasco as a layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics. ]hc idca,
27. brrcincEn|Jccunv, vo. VI, p. 7 ! .
3 . I t Is ncvcrthccss drivcn MctachVsicacccia|is Icolovic, scc p. I J bcow.
!2 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 20Jl
hovcvcr, attcstcd to throuch this intcrprctatIon, provIdcs an indication olthc
probcm ol a lundamcnta ontoo ]his is not to bc craspcd as somcthinc
supposcdy ncv," as opposcd to thc acccdy od. Rathcr, it is thc cxprcs-
sIon ol thc attcmpt to adopt in an oricina vay vhat is csscntia in a ayInc
ol thc cround lor mctaphysics, i . c. to aId In thc cround-ayinc throuch a
rctrIcva w|cdcr|cluog ol its ovn, morc oricina possibity
0r| l0ur
HC uVIDP O lHC LIOuD0 OI
%CluDHV5IC5 ID u HClIICVu' ' '
y thc rctricval ol a basic problcm, vc undcrstand thc opcninc-up ol its
oricina, lonc-conccalcd possibiitics, throuch thc vorkinc-out olvhich it is
translormcd. In this vay it hrst comcs to bc prcscrvcd in its capacity as a
problcm. 1oprcscrvc a probcm,hovcvcr, mcans tolrcc and kccpvatch ovcr
thosc inncr lorccs vhich makc it possibc, on thc basis ol its csscncc, as a
problcm.
Rctricva ol thc possiblc docs not |ust mcanthc takinc-up ol vhat is
customary, " croundcd ovcrvicvs |ol vhich| cxist" lrom vhich somcthinc
can bc donc. " 1hc possibc in this scnsc isalvaysjust thc altoo-rcal vhich
cvcryonc manaccs to manipulatc in its prcvailinc modc ol opcration. 1hc
possiblc in ths scnsc dirccty hindcrs a ccnuinc rctricval, and thcrcby in
ccncral it hindcrs a rclationship to history
^corrcctlyundcrstood rctricvalolthcayincolthccround lormctaphysics,
hovcvcr, musthrsthavcmadcsurc olvhat constitutcs thc authcntic outcomc
olthccaricr, in this casc thc Kantian, croundlayInc| . ^t thc samc timc, thc
soucht-altcrrcsult" olthc ayinc olthc cround lor mctaphysicsin thc Ct|t|auc
c] PutcPcasco and, on that basis, thc vay in vhich thc hndincsvcrc dctcr-
mincd. must bc aovcd to tcst hov lar thc undcrstandinc ol thc possibc,
vhich cuidcs all rctricval, rcachcs, and vhcthcr it is a match lor vhat is
rctricvablc.
I J
! Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 20J-20l
A. 1HE LAYlNC I 1HE CRLND IR ME1AFHYSICS
lN AN1HRFICY
hJ. Thc PrcvousIy Lad Cround and thc Outcomc o[
thc Kantan Layng o[ thc Cround [or Mctaphyscs
In runninc throuch thc individua staccs olthc Kantian cround-ayinc, vc
sav hov it hnay hit upon thc transccndcnta povcr ol imacination as thc
cround lor thc inncr possibiity ol ontoocica synthcsis i . c , transccndcncc.
Mov isthccstabishmcnt olthis cround, or rathcritsmorc oricina intcrprc-
tation as tcmporaity, thc rcsut ol thc Kantian cround-ayinc` Cr docs his
cround-ayinc yicd somcthinc csc` Ccrtainy to cstabish thc alorcsaid rcsut
thcrc vas no nccd lor thc cllort cxcrtcd to cxhibit thc croundayinc, particu-
ary in its intcrna vorkincs and in thc succcssion ol its stcps. ]hc citation
ol thc appropriatc quotations rccardinc thc ccntra lunction olthc transccn-
dcnta povcr ol imacination in thc ]ransccndcnta Ocduction and in thc
]ransccndcnta Schcmatism voud havc bccn sulhcicnt. ut il thc outcomc
docs not consist in thc knovcdcc that thc transccndcnta povcr olimacina-
tion constitutcs thc cround thcn vhat csc is thc cround-ayinc to yicd`
Il thc outcomc ol thc cround-ayinc docs not ic in its rcsut, " thcn vc
must ask vhat thc cround-ayinc rcvcas in its occurrinc assuch, conccrninc
thc probcm ol a croundinc ol mctaphysics. Vhat occurs in thc Kantian
cround-ayinc` Mothinc css than this. thc croundinc olthc inncr possibiity
ol ontoocy is broucht about as an unvciinc ol transccndcncc, i. c. , an un-
vciinc ol thc subjcctivity ol thc human subjcct.
]hc qucstion as to thc csscncc olmctaphysics is thc qucstion conccrninc
thc unity ol thc basic lacutics ol thc human mind. " ]hc Kantian cround-
ayinc yicds this concusion . thc croundinc olmctaphysics is a qucstioninc
vith rccard to thc human bcinc i. c. anthropooc
^nd yct, did not thc hrst attcmpt to crasp thc Kantian cround-ayincmorc
oricinay, namcy thc coinc-back to its anthropooc brcak dovn` Ccr-
tainy, insolar as it vas shovn that ^nthropoocy ollcrs to thc intcrprctation
olknovcdcc andits tvo sourccsvasbroucht to icht ina morcoricinalorm
prcciscy throuch thc Ct|||auc c] Putc Pcasco ut lrom that, a that nov
loovs is that thc ^nthpoocy vorkcd out by Kant is an cmpirica onc and
not onc vhich is adcquatc lor thc transccndcnta probcmatic, i. c. , it is not
purc. ]hat nov makcs thc dcmand lor an adcquatc i . c. , a phiosophica
anthropoocy" lorthc purposc ola ayincolthccround lormctaphysics cvcn
morc prcssinc.
277. Scc abovc, N2, p. 89
hJc. |20c-20/ IJ
]hat thc outcomc olthc Kantian cround-ayinc ics in thc insicht into thc
ncccssary conncctcdncss ol anthpoocy and mctaphysics can cvcn bc
vcrihcd unambicuousy throuch Kant's ovn asscrtions. Kants ayinc ol thc
cround lor mctaphysics takcs aim at a croundinc ol mctaphysics in its hna
purposc" olMctap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s. to vhich bconc thc thrcc discipincs ol
Cosmoocy, Isychoocy, and]hcoocy. ^s critiquc olpurc rcason, thiscround-
inc must ncvcrthccss undcrstand thcsc |discipincs| in thcir inncrmost cs-
scncc, il indccd mctaphysics is to bc craspcd in its possibiity and its imits
as natura human tcndcncy" ]hc inncrmost csscncc ol human rcason dc-
monstratcs itscl, hovcvcr, in thosc intcrcsts vhich, as human, avays movc
it. ^ thc intcrcsts olmy rcason |both spccuativc and practica) arc unitcd
in thc loovinc thrcc qucstions
I . atcaol|ocw`
2. w|ats|culdldc`
J. w|atma, l|cpc`

]hcsc thrcc qucstions, hovcvcr, arc thosc associatcd vith thc thrcc divi-
sions olauthcntic mctaphysics, as Mctap|,s|ca 5pcc|al|s. Human knovcdcc
rclcrs to naturc in thc vidcst scnsc ol vhat is at hand |Cosmoocy) dccds
'das !uo arc human actions 'Haodclo dcs Mcosc|co and rclcr to human
pcrsonaity and lrccdom |Isychoocy), hopc aims at immortaity as bcsscd-
ncss, i. c. , as thc unihcation vith od |]hcoocy.
]hcsc thrcc oricina intcrcsts do not dctcrminc thc human bcinc as a
crcaturc olnaturc, but rathcr as a citizcn olthc vord. "]hcy constitutc thc
objcct ol Ihiosophy in thc aims ol thc vord-citizcn" ' |o wclthargcrl|c|cr
Ahs|c|t .i. c. , thcyconstitutc thcdomain olauthcnticphiosophy HcnccKant
says in thc introduction to his ccturcs on ocic, vhcrc hc dcvcops thc
conccpt olIhiosophyin ccncra. hc hcd olIhiosophy, in this contcxt ol
vord citizcnship, aovs lorthc loovinc qucstions to bc broucht.
. Vhat canI knov`
2. Vhat shoud I do`
J. Vhat may I hopc`
. Vhat is thchumanbcinc`"
Hcrc a lourth qucstion appcars toccthcr vith thc prcccdinc thrcc. ut is
nothis lourth qucstionconccrnincthchumanbcincattachcd supcrhciayto
thc hrst thrcc, and supcrluous as vc, ilvc considcr that Ps,c|clcg|a Pat|c-
oalcs. as a discipinc olMctap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s. arcady trcats human bcincs`
Hovcvcr, Kant didnotsimpypicccthislourth qucstionontothc hrst thrcc.
27d. Ad0|. , dJ2|.
279 Wcrkc, vo VIII, p. JJ
a. Fhlosophy as tc|co|ogia rationis humanac, Critiquc o] Purc Rcason.
b. wronv' rccdom bconvs to Cosmoovy bccausc lt was thouvht o| as prlmordla "Ur
shc"| scc SS !9J0 |DcrAn]angdcraocnd|andisrhcnPhi|osophic, CA, vo. JJ.
I Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 207-209l
Rathcr, hc says asically, vc can classily all ol thcsc undcr ^nthropolocy
bccausc thc hrst thrcc qucstions rclcr to thc last.
z0
Vith this, Kant himsclluncquivocally cxprcsscs thc propcr outcomc olhis
layincolthccroundlormctaphysics. ]hc attcmpt ata rctricval olthc cround-
layinchcrcbyrcccivcsa clcar dircctivcvithrccard toits task. ]obc surc, Kant
spcaks only in ccncral ol^nthropolocy Hovcvcr, accordinc to vhat vc havc
discusscd abovc, it standsbcyond doubt that only a philosophical anthropol-
ocy can assumc thc layinc ol thc cround lor authcntic philosophy lor
Mctap|,s|ca5pcc|al|sOocsthc rctricval ol thc Kantiancround-layincnot comc
to pursuc asits propcr task, thcrclorc, thc systcmatic vorkinc-out ola phil-
osophical anthropolocy," and hcncc must it not havc dctcrmincd thc idca ol
thc samc bclorchand`
hJ/. Thc Idca o[ a PhIosophcaI AnthropoIog
Vhat bcloncs to a philosophical anthropolocy` Vhat is anthropolocy in
ccncral, and hov docs it bccomc onc vhich is philosophical` ^nthropolocy
cans thc scicncc olman 'Mcosc|co|uodc It cmbraccs all that is knovablc
't|uodhat| rclativc to thc naturc olman as this corporcal, cnsoulcd, spiritual
crcaturc. Vithin thc domain ol anthropolocy, hovcvcr, lall not only mans
human qualitics vhich, bccausc thcy arc at hand, arc disccrniblc and distin
cuish this dctcrminatc spccics lrom animals and plants, but also his latcnt
abilitics, thc dillcrcnccs accordinc to charactcr, racc, and scx. ^nd inasmuch
as human bcincs appcarto bc not only crcaturcs olnaturc, butalso crcaturcs
that act and crcatc, anthropolocy must also scck to crasp vhat thc human
bcinc, as onc vho acts, can and should makc out ol itscll." Man's abilitics
and oblications

arc bascd hnally and spccihcally on lundamcntal attitudcs
vhich man assuch can alvays takc up and vhichvc call Vorldvicvs"thc
psycholocy" ol vhich dclimits thc vholc ol thc scicncc olman.
Vhat is prcscnt in ^nthropolocy, as thc somatic, biolocical, psycholocical
considcration ol thc human bcinc, all lovs toccthcr as Charactcrolocy, Isy-
choanalysis, Lthnolocy Icdacocical Isycholocy, ulturalMorpholocy, andthc
]ypolocy ol Vorld-vicvs. ]his is not only vast lrom thc standpoint ol its
contcnt, but abovc all it is lundamcntally hctcroccnous vith rcspcct to thc
manncr ol posinc qucstions, claims olcroundinc, thc intcnt olthc pcscnta-
tion and thc lorm olcommunication, and hnally vith rcspcct to thc cuidinc
prcsuppositions. Insolar as all thcsc |dicrcnccs| , and ultimatcly thc totality
olbcincs in ccncral,insomcvaycanalvays rclcrtohumans and, accordincly,
2d0. bld., p. J.
hJ/. |20-2I 0I !7
canbc ascribcdto^nthropoloc it^nthropolocy bccomcssocomprchcnsivc
that thc idca olit bccomcs mircd in complctc indctcrminacy
]oday, thcn ^nthropolocyis no lonccrjust thc namc lor a disciplinc, nor
has it bccn such lor somc timc. Instcad, thc vord dcscribcs a lundamcntal
tcndcncy olmans contcmporary position vith rcspcct to himscll and to thc
totality olbcincs. ^ccordinc to this lundamcntal position. somcthinc is only
kno and undcrstood il it is civcn an anthropolocical cxplanation. ^nthro-
polocy sccks not only thc truth about human bcincs, but instcad it nov
dcmands a dccision as to vhat truth in ccncral can mcan.
Mo timc has knovn so much and such a varictyabout mankind as is thc
casc today Mo timc has bccn ablc to prcscnt its knovlcdcc olmankind so
urccntly and in so captivatinc a manncr as is thc casc today Mo timc has
prcviously bccn ablc to ollcr this knovlcdcc as quickly and casily as today
ut also, no timc has knovn lcss aboutvhat man is than today' In no othcr
timc has man bccomc as qucstionablc as in ours.
Hovcvcr,isnotprccisclythisbrcadtholandunccrtaintyaboutanthropolo
cical qucstions sulhcicnt to allov a Ihilosophical^nthropolocy to arisc and,
lor thccllort, sulhcicnt tobcstovupon it a particular lorcc` Vith thc idca ol
a Ihilosophical ^nthropolocy, has not that disciplinc bccn attaincd upon
vhich thc vholc olphilosophy must conccntratc`
Scvcral ycars aco, Max Schclcr had alrcady spokcn ol this Ihilosophical
^nthropolocy. In a ccrtain scnsc, all thc ccntral problcms olphilosophy can
bc rcduccd to thc qucstion olvhat man is and vhat mctaphysical placc and
situation hc occupicsvithinthctotalityolcinc, thc vorld, and od."" ut
Schclcr also sav dircctly and vith particular kccnncss that thc varicty ol
dctcrmnations rccardinc thc csscncc ol human bcIncs cannot bc allovcd
simply to bc packcd toccthcr in common dchnition. hc human bcinc is
so broad, motlcy, and divcrsc a thinc that thc dchnitionsall lall a bit short.
Man has too many laccts."` So Schclcr's cndcavors,vhich in his last ycars
intcnsihcd and ushcrcd in ancv lruitlulncss, vcrc dircctcd notonlyatattain-
inca unihcd idca olman, but|ust as muchatthc vorkinc-out olthc csscntial
dilhcultics and complications associatcd vith this task.
ut pcrhaps thc basic dilhculty ol a Ihilosophical ^nthropolocy docs not
lic primarily in thc task ol attaininc thc systcmatic unity ol thc csscntial
dctcrminations ol this multilacctcd crcaturc. Icrhaps instcad a dilhculty lics
in its conccpt itscll-a dilhculty vhich cvcn thc richcst and most distinct
anthropolocical knovlcdcc can no lonccr closs ovcr.
2d! . Scc Max Schclcr, Dic rc||uny Jcs Mcnschcn imKosmos |!92d), p I JI
2d2. Scc ZurlJccJcs Mcnschcn. AbhunJ|unycnunJAu|sdrzc, vol. ! | ! 9! J) p J !9. n thc sccond
and thlrd cdltlons | 927), !hc volumcs appcarcd undcr thc titlc vom LmsturzJcr Wcrtc |Wcrc,
vol. ll, p. ! 7J).
2dJ. bld. , p J2 |Wcrc, vol. , p ! 7J).
2d. bcc Dicrc||unyJcsMcnschtn imKosmos
!B Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2!0-2!2I
yvhatmcans, thcn,docsananthropoocyi nccncrabccomca phiosoph-
ica onc` Is itsimpy duc to thc |actthat its knovcdcc is dilcrcntiatcdinthc
dccrcc o|its univcrsaity |rom knovcdcc o|thc cmpirica,vhcrcby it rcmains
pcrmancnty qucstionabc as to thc point at vhich thc dccrcc o|univcrsaity
appropriatc to cmpirica knovcdcc cnds and that appropriatc to phiosoph-
ica knovcdcc bccins`
Ccrtainy, ananthropoocycanbc cacdphiosophicainso|arasitsmcthod
is a phiosophica onc, pcrhaps in thc scnsc o| an csscntia considcration o|
thc human bcinc. 1his, thcn, is intcndcd to di||crcntiatc bctvccn thc bcinc
cacd man |on thc onc hand and pants, animas, and thc rcmainincrccions
o| bcincs on thc othcr , and thcrcby to vork out thc spccihc, csscntia
composition o| this dctcrminatc rccion o|bcincs Ihiosophica^nthropoocy
thcn bccomcs a rcciona ontoocy o| human bcincs, and as such it rcmains
arranccd aoncsidc thc othcrontoocicsvhich, aoncvith it, sprcad outovcr
thc cntirc hcd o| bcincs. Vithout doubt and, abovc a, not on thc crounds
o| thc inncr structurc o| its probcmatic, Ihiosophica ^nthropoocy thus
undcrstood is not at thc ccntcr o| phiosophy.
^nthropoocy, hovcvcr, can asobc phiosophicaprovidcd that, as^nthro-
poocy, it dctcrmincs in particuar cithcr thc coa o| phiosophy or its point
o|dcparturc orbothat oncc. I| thc coa o|Ihiosophy ics in thcvorkinc-out
o|a vord-vicv, thcn an^nthropoocy vi havc to dcimit thc pacc o|man
in thc cosmos. " ^nd i| man is rcputcd to bc that bcinc vhich is simpy thc
hrst civcn and most ccrtain in thc ordcr o| croundinc an absoutcy ccrtain
knovcdcc, thcn thc buidincup o| phiosophy panncd in this vay must
brinc human sub|cctivity in asthc ccntra startinc point. 1hc hrst taskcanbc
compatibc vith thc sccond and, as anthropoocica invcstications, both can
makc usc o| thc mcthod and thc rcsuts o| a rcciona ontoocy o| human
bcincs.
ut it is on thc basis o|prcciscy thcsc various possibiitics |or dcimitinc
thc phiosophica charactcr o|an anthropoocy that thc indctcrminatcncss o|
thisidcaariscs. 1hc indctcrminatcncssincrcascsi|vc kccpsichto|thcvaricty
o| anthropoocica knovcdcc vhich ics at thc hcart o| cvcry Ihiosophica
^nthopoocy, at cast at thc outsct.
^snaturaandsc|-cvidcntasthc idca o|a Ihiosophica^nthropoocymay
I, |or a its ambicuity, and as irrcsistiby as it incrcascs in vauc, so too it
bccomcsincrcasincyncccssarytocombat thcanthropoocism"inIhiosoph
1hc idca o| a Ihiosophica ^nthropoocy is not ony not su|hcicnty dctcr-
mincd, but aso its |unction in thc vhoc o|phiosophy rcmains uncarihcd
and undccidcd.
]hs dccIcc, hovcvcr, has itsbasIs in thc inhcrcnt ImIts othc Idca o
a Ihiosophica ^nthropooc Ior it is itsc| not cxprcssy croundcd in thc
csscncc o| Ihiosophy, but is instcad hxcd vth rc|crcncc to thc coa o| phi-
osophy, vhich L initiay composcd supcrhciay, and its possibc point o|
hJ/. |2I 2-2I JI !9
dcparturc. hus thc dctcrmination ol this idca hnally cnds i thc lact that
anthropolocy prcscnts a possblc catchmcnt arca lor thc ccntral philosophical
problcms, a charactcrizationvhosc supcrhciality and philosophical qucstion-
ablcncss|ump out at us.
ut cvcn ilanthropolocy ina ccrtain scnsc cathcrsinto itscllall thc ccntral
problcms ol philosophy. vhy arc thcsc ablc to lcad back to thc qucstion ol
vhat manis^rc thcy only ablc tolcad back tothis qucstion ilsomconc has
thc inspiration to undcrtakc it, or must thcy lcad back to it` Il thcy must do
so, vhcrc docs thc cround lor this ncccssity lic` Icrhaps in thc lact that thc
ccntral problcms olphilosophy comc lorthlromman, pcrhaps notonly in thc
scnsc that man poscs thcm, but rathcr bccausc in thcir inhcrcnt contcnt thcy
rclcrtohim` ut to vhatcxtcntarcallccntral philosophical problcms rcsidcnt
in thc csscncc o human bcincs` In ccncral, thcn, vhich arc thc ccntral
problcms and vhcrc docs thcir ccntcr lic` Vhat docs philosophizinc mcan il
its problcmatic has such a ccntcr vhich is rcsidcnt in thc csscncc ol human
bcincs`
^s lonc as thcsc qucstions arc not unpackcd and dctcrmincd vith rcspcct
tothcirinncrsystcmatics,notcvcn thcinhcrcntlimitsolthcidcaola philoso
phical anthropolocy bccomc disccrnablc. Vithout discussion ol thcsc qucs-
tions, thc basis lorthc dccisivcncss rccardinc thc csscncc, richt, and lunction
ola philosophical anthropolocy vithin philosophyis lackinc.
^cainand acain vc cncountcr attcmpts to ollcra philosophical anthropo-
locyin undcrstandablc arcumcntsand to maintain thc ccntralposition olthis
disciplinc vithout croundinc it in thc csscncc olphilosophy ^cain and acain
thc opponcnts olanthropolocy arc ablc to rclcr back to thc lact that human
bcincsdonotbcloncat thc ccntcrolbcincs, but thatthcrcis a sca olbcincs
aloncsidc" thcm-arc|cction olthc ccntral position olphilosophical anthro
polocy, vhich is no morc philosophical than is alhrminc it.
1hus, a critical considcration ol thc idca ola philosophical anthopolocy
ycldsnotonlyits indctcrminatcncss andits limits, butalsomakcs clcarabovc
all that inccncral thc basis and lramcvork lor a lundamcntal qucstion rccar
dinc its csscncc arc lackinc.
cncc, it vas also hasty, ilonly bccausc Kant rcduccs thc thrcc qucstions
ol authcntic mctaphysics to thc lourth, vhat is man, in ordcr to crasp this
qucstionas anthropolocical and tocarrythclayncolthc cround lormctaphy-
sics ovcr to a philosophical anthropolocy ^nthropolocy docs not cround
mctaphysics, thcrclorc,|ust bccausc it is anthropolocy
ut vas not thc propcr outcomc ol thc Kantian croundlayinc |ust this
cohcrcncc olthcqucstionsconccrnincthc humancsscnccviththc croundinc
3. Ycs |
! J0 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2!J-2!JI
olmctaphysics` Hcncc, must not this cohcrcncc cuidc thc task ola cround-
ayinc, vhich is to bc rctricvcd`
Hovcvcr, thc critiquc olthc idca olphilosophical anthropolocyshovsthat
it is not sulhcicnt simply to posc thc lourth qucstion, vhat is man. Cn thc
contrary, thcindctcrminacyolthis qucstion indicatcsthatinthc cnd, andcvcn
nov, vchavc not yct comc into posscssionolthc dccisivc task olthc Kantian
cround-ayinc.
hJ8. Thc Ducston Conccmng thc Human Lsscncc and
thc Authcntc RcsuIt o[ thc Kantan Cround-Layng
t bccomcs incrcasincly obvious that vc arc not cominc any coscr to thc
propcr outcomc ol thc Kantian cround-ayinc as lonc as vc hold to any
dchnition or to a lormulatcd thcsis. Vc only comc closcr to Kants authcntic
philosophiinc il, vith cvcn morc rcsolvc than prcviously, vc ask not about
vhat Kant says,butinstcad about vhatoccursinhiscroundlayinc. 1hcmorc
oricinal intcrprctation ol thc Ct|t|auc c] Putc Pcasco carricd out abovc takcs
aim ony at cxhibitinc this occurrcncc.
ut vhat has actually rcsutcd lromthc occurrcncc olthc Kantian cround-
aync`Motthatthc transccndcntalpovcrolimacinationisthcprcviouslylaid
cround, not that this cround-layinc bccomcs a qucstion ol thc csscncc ol
human rcason. Rathcr, as a rcsult olunvciinc thc sub|cctivity olthc sub|cct,
ant lalls back lrom thc cround vhich hc himsclhadlaid.
Oocsthislallincbacknotbcloncasvclltothcrcsult`Vhatoccursthcrcin`
Icrhaps an inconsistcncy to vhich Kant should ovn up` ^rc thc lalinc-back
and thc not-coinc-to-thc-cnd |ust somcthinc nccativc` y no mcans. Cn thc
contrary, thcy makc it obvious that vith his cround-layinc, Kant himscll
undcrmincs thc loor upon vhichhcinitialy placcd thc Ct|t|auc 1hc conccpt
olpurc rcason and thc unity ola purc, scnsibc rcason bccomc thc probcm.
nquirincinto thcsub|cctivityolthc sub|cct,thc Sub|cctivc Ocduction, lcads
us into darkncss. 1hcrclorc, Kant docsnot rclcr to his ^nthropolocy, not|ust
bccausc it is cmpirica and not purc, but rathcr bccausc in and throuch thc
cxccution ol thc cround-layinc itscll, thc manncr ol qucstioninc rccardinc
human bcincs bccomcs qucstionablc.
It is not a mattcr olscarchinclorthcansvcr to thc qucstion, vhatis man.
Rathcr, it is hrst ol all a mattcr olaskinc hov, in a layinc ol thc cround lor
mctaphysics in ccncral, vc can and must havc as|cdahcut man cxclusvcly
1hc qucstionablcncss olthc qucstioninc about humanbcincsis thc poblc-
matic vhich is lorccd to licht in thc proccss ol thc Kantian ayinc oI thc
cround lor mctaphysics. Mov it appcars lor thc hrst timc. Kant's lalinc-back
bclorc thc croundvhichhchimsclunvcicd,bclorc thc transccndcntal povcr
hJ8. |2I J-2I cI ! J !
o|imacination, is- |or purposcs o|thc rcscuc o|purc rcason, i. c. , o|holdinc-
|astto thcpropcr|oundation-thatmovcmcnt o|philosophizincvhichmakcs
mani|cst thc brcakinc-opcn o| thc |oundation and thus makcs mani|cst thc
abyss o|mctaphysics.
Cn thc basis o|this outcomc thc oricinal intcrprctation 'Auslcguog o| thc
Kantian cround-layinc, carricd out abovc, hrst acquircs its ustihcation and
thc croundinc o|its ncccssity It is not thc cmpty prcssinca|tcrvhat is morc
oricina , not thc vantinc-to-knov-bcttcr, but just thc task o| |rccinc thc in-
ncrmost drivc o| thc cround-layinc, and vith it its omost probcmatic
vhich cuidcs al thc c||orts o|thc intcrprctation 'lo|crc|a||co| .
I| thc cround-layinc. hovcvcr, pcrhaps docs not push asidc thc qucstion
vhat is man,' but sti docs not obtain a clcar-cut ansvcr to it, i|instcad it
hrstmakcsthc qucstionvisblcinitsqucstionablcncss, hovthcndocsitstand
vith thc |ourth o| Kant's qucstions, to vhich Mc|ap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s, and th
it authcntic philosophizinc, is to bc rcduccd`
Vc vil thus only bc ablc to posc this |ourth qucstion as it should havc
bccn poscd i|vc vork it out as a qucstion on thc basis o|thc undcrstandinc
o|thc outcomc o|thc croundayinc vhich vc havc nov attaincd and i|vc
|orcco a hasty ansvcr.
Itisamattcr o|askinc. Vhycanthc thrccqucstions- ) VhatcanI knov`
|2) Vhat should I do` |J) Vhat may I hopc` -bc rclatcd to" thc |ourth`
Vhy can vc . . . assicn all o| thcsc to Anthropoo"` Vhat is common to
thcsc thrcc qucstions, in vhat rcspcct arc thcy unihcd sothat thcy indccd can
lcad back to a |ourth` ov mustthis |ourth qucstion itscl|bc askcd so that
it can takc up and bcar cach o|thc thrcc qucstions unihcd vithin it`
]hc inncrmost intcrcst o| human rcason unitcs thcsc thrcc qucstions in
itscl|. In it, an ability, a duty, and an allovinc |to hopc|

o|human rcason
stand in qucstion.
Vhcrc an abiity is qucstionablc an vants to bc dclimitcd in tcrms o| its
possibilitics, it arcady paccs itsc| vithin a disability '|oc|ocm N|c||-ooco .
An al-povcr|ul cntity nccd not ask Vhat can I do, i. c. , Vhat can I not do` It
not ony docs not havc to so ask, but accordinc to its csscncc it cannot posc
thisqucstion at all. ]his disability, hovcvcr, isno dchcicncy itis rathcrvhatis
untouchcd in cvcry dchcicncy and not." Vhosocvcr asks. Vhat can I do`
bctrays thcrcby ahnitudc. Vhosocvcr comcsvholly to bc movcdbyhisincr-
mostintcrcst in thisqucstion rcvcas a hnitudc in thc dcpthso|his csscncc.
Vhcrc a duty is qucstionablc, thc qucstioninc crcaturc hovcrs bctvccn
ycs" and no" and vorrics about vhat it should not do. A crcaturc that is
|undamcntally intcrcstcd in a duty knovs itscl| in a not-yct-havinc-|uhcd,
so thatvhat indccdit should do bccomcs qucstionablc to it. ]hisnot-yct o|
a |uhllinc, vhichis itscl|still undctcrmincd, civcs us a cuc that a crcaturc
vhosc inncrmost intcrcst is vith a duty is |undamcntay hnitc.
Vhcrc an alloinc |tohopc bccomcs qucstionablc, itriscsup invhat hs
!J2 Kaht ahd thc FmbIcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2 I -2I Bl
bccn conccdcd or in vhat rcmains dcnicd to thc qucstioncr. Vhat is askcd
aboutisvhatcanbc placcdin thc cxpcctationandvhatcannot. Allcxpcctinc,
hovcvcr, nccds a privation. l this nccdincss cvcn ariscs in thc inncrmost
intcrcst ol human rcason, thcn it attcsts to that rcason as onc vhich is csscn-
tially hnitc.
uthumanrcasondocs not|ustdiscloschnitudcin thcsc qucstions, rathcr,
its inncrmost intcrcst is vith hnitudc itscll. Ior this rcason, it is not a mattcr
ol doinc avay vith thc ability, duty, and allovinc |to hopc| , in this vay to
cxtincuish hnitudc, but rathcrthc rcvcrsc. It isprcciscly a qucstionolbccom-
inc ccrtain olthis hnitudc in ordcr to hold oncscllin it.
Accordincly, hnitudc docs not dcpcnd simply upon purc human rcason,
but instcad its hnitudc is pcrishinc \ctcodl|c|uog| . i . c , arc" about thc
potcntiality-to-bc-hnitc.' '
rom this it lollovs that human rcason isnot nitc|ustbccausc it poscs
thc thrcc qucstions citcd abovc, but thc rcvcrsc. it poscs thcsc qucstions
bccausc it is hnitc, indccd it is so hnitc that in its cinc-rational this hnitudc
itscll is at issuc. ccausc thcsc thrcc qucstions ask about this onc |problcm ,
hnitudc, thcylct thcmsclvcsbcrclatcd" tothclourthVhatisahumanbcinc`
hc thrcc qucstions, hovcvcr, do not simply allovthcmsclvcs to bc rclatcd
to thc lourth. Rathcr, in thcmsclvcs thcy arc in ccncral no dillcrcnt lrom it,
i. c. ,accordinctothcircsscnccthcymustbcrclatcdtoit. Hovcvcr,thisrclation
is thcn a morc csscntially ncccssary onc only ilthc lourth qucstion abandons
itsintimatclycivcn ccncralityand indctcrminacy andattainsanuncquivocality
so that in it vc can ask about thc hnitudc in human bcincs.
As such a qucstion, hovcvcr, it is not lccitimatcly|ust subordinatc to thc
hrst thrcc. Rathcr, it is translormcd into thc hrst, vhich thcn discharccs thc
rcmaininc thrcc lrom itscl
ut vith this outcomc, in spitc ol all thc dctcrmnacy ol thc qucstion
rccardinc human bcincs, and cvcn bccausc ol it, thc problcm containcd in
this qucstion is honcd lor thc hrst timc. As a qucstion about human bcincs,
it bccomcs qucstionablc vhat kind ol qucstion this qucstion is, vhcthcr in
ccncral it can bc anothcr anthropolocical qucstion. 1hus thc outcomc olthc
Kantiancround-layincnov makcs itacutclyclcarlorthc hrst timc that amorc
oricinal possibility ol rctricval has bccomc visiblc in it.
1hc layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics is croundcd in thc qucstion
conccrnincthc hnitudcinhumanbcincs, so that indccd thishnitudc cannov
bccomc a problcm lor thc hrst timc. ]hc layincolthc cround lormctaphysics
L a discntanclinc" |analytic) olour knovlcdcc, i . c. , olhnitc knovcdcc nto
its clcmcnts. Kant calls it a study ol our inncr naturc. " ut this study,
hovcvcr, is not |ust an arbitrary, dircctionlcss qucstioninc about human bc-
2d". A 70J, 7J!
hJ. l2I8-2I I !J
incs. athcr, to thc philosophcr . . . |it| cvcn bccomcs| a duty"" i lthc
problcmatic vhich csscntially cuidcs it is craspcd vith sulhcicnt orIcinality
and comprchcnsivcncssand illrom that thc inncr naturc" olour" sclas thc
hnitudc in human bcincs is madc into a probcm.
Ihilosophica^nthropolocy" mayindccd producc such divcrscand csscn-
tialknovlcdcc abouthumanbcincs,yctlorjustthatrcasonitcanncvcrrichty
claim tbc a lundamcntal disciplinc olphiosophybccausc it isanthropooc
Cn thc contrary. it conccals in itscllthc constant danccr that thc ncccssity ol
dcvclopinc thc qucstion conccrninc human bcincs hrst and lorcmost as a
qucstion, vith a vicv tovard a layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics, vIl
rcmain conccalcd.
^ll thc samc, that and hov Ihilosophical ^nthropoocy"-apart lromthc
problcm ol ayinc thc croundlor mctaphysicsprcscnts a particuar kind ol
task, cannot bc discusscd hcrc.
. 1HL FRILM I IINI1IDL IN HIMAN LlNCS AND
1HE ML1AFHYSICS I DASLIN
]hc prcscnt intcrprctation olthc Ct|t|aucc] PutcPcco has bccnundcrta-
kcn in ordcr to brinc to licht this lundamcnta problcm olthc ncccssity ol
thc qucstion conccrninc thc hnitudc in human bcincs lor thc purposc ol a
layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics. ^ccordinc hnitudc also had to bc
rccallcdinadvanccatthcstartolthcintcrprctationandthcnconstantlydurinc
its cxccution. Ilin his cround-layinc Kant undcrmincs thc prcvously cstab-
ishcd loundationvhich undcrlics it, thcn that nov mcans. vhat vas sinclcd
out at thc bccinninc ol thc intcrprctation as Kant's unspokcn prcsuppo-
sitions,"'"'thccsscnccolknovlcdccands hnitudc,havcattaincdthc charac-
tcr oldccisivc problcms. Iinitudc and thc pcculiarity ol thc qucstion conccr-
ninc it hrst dccidc lrom thc cround up thc inncr lorm ol a ]ransccndcntal
^nalytic" othc sub|cctivity olthc sub| cct.
hJ9. Thc Prob|cm o[ a Possb|c Dctcrmnaton o[ Fntudc n Human 8cngs
Hov arc vc to ask about hnitudc in human bcincs` Is this in ccncra a
scrious problcm` Isnot thc hnitudc olhumanbcincs cvidcnt cvcryvhcrc and
alvays in a thousand dillcrcnt vays`
2d. Ibid. |Lllipscs addcd in thc th cdtion-tr.
2d7. Scc abovc, Far! 2, p 3.
! Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2!9-22 ! l
]hus, in ordcr to dcsicnatc thc hnitc in human bcincs it micht sulhcc to
citc any olour impcrlcctions. In this vay, vc cain, at bcst, cvidcncc lor thc
lact that thc human bcinc is a hnitc crcaturc. Hovcvcr, vc lcarn ncithcr
vhcrcin thc csscncc ol his hnitudc cxists, nor cvcn hov this hnitudc com-
pctcy dctcrmincs thc human bcinc lrom thc cround up as thc bcinc it is.
Lvcn ilvc coud succccdinaddincupthcsum olallhuman impcrlcctions
and in abstractinc" vhat is common to thcm, vc vould crasp nothincolthc
csscncc ol hnitudc bccausc it rcmains qucstionablc in advancc vhcthcr thc
impcrlcctions ol man in ccncral alov his impcrlcctions to bc sccn immc-
diatcy, or vhcthcr on thc contrarythcy arc not rcmotc, lacticalconscqucnccs
olthc csscncc olhis hnitudc and hcncc onlybccomc undcrstandablc throuch
it. ^nd cvcn il thc impossiblc vcrc possiblc, cvcn il a cinc-crcatcd ol man
'c|oCcsc|a]]cosc|odcsMosc|co couldbc rationay provcn, thcn by mcans ol
thc charactcrization olmanasancostcatumvcvouldonyprovconccmorc
thc lactolhis hnitudc,voudnot cxhibititscsscncc, andvouldnot dctcrminc
this csscncc to bc thc basic constitution ol thc cinc ol man. So it is, thcn,
that it is not at a sclcvidcnthov thc qucstion olthc hnitudc in man-thc
most cvcryday manilcstation ol his csscncc-is in ccncral to bc hxcd. 1hc
prcccdinc invcstication only yicldcd this onc point| . thc prcscnt qucstion
conccrninc hnitudc in human bcincs is no random cxplorinc olhuman qual-
itics. Cn thc contrary, it ariscs in thc coursc ol thc task ol tc layinc olthc
cround lor mctaphysics. / a lundamcntal qucstion, it is dcmandcd by this
task itscll. Conscqucntly, thc problcmatic ol thc layinc ol thc cround lor
mctaphysics must in itscll ollcr cuidancc conccrninc thc dircction in vhich
thc qucstion ol thc hnitudc olhuman bcincs has to movc.
utilthctaskolthclayincolthccroundlormctaphysicsallovslora morc
oricina rctricva, thcn by mcans ol this thc csscntia conncctcdncss ol thc
problcm ol cround-ayinc and thc qucstion vhich lcd lrom it conccrninc thc
hnitudc inhuman bcincs must comc to licht morc clcarly and morc prcciscl
]hc Kantian layincolthccroundlormctaphysicsbccan vith thc croundinc
olvhat undcricsauthcnticmctaphysics, or Mctap|,s|ca5pcL|al|s -bccanvith
thc croundinc ol Mctap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s ]his, hovcvcr-as ontolocy" -is
alrcady thc lorm vhich has bccn consolidatcd into a disciplinc, thc lorm ol
vhat, in^ntiquityandhnallyvith^ristotlc, rcmainscstablishcdasaproblcm
olthc pm1 ooooo. olauthcntic philosophizinc. ]hc qucstion conccrn-
inc thc v n V or thc bcinc as such), hovcvcr, is maintaincd thcrc in an
admittcdly obscurc conncction to thc qucstion conccrninc bcincs as a vholc
|miov) .
]hc titlc Mctaphysics" dcnotcs a conccption olthc probcm in vhichboth
basic dircctions pcrtaininc to thc qucstion conccrninc thc bcinc, and at thc
3. thc
h10. |22I -222I ! JJ
samc timc itspossiblcunitarc qucstionablc. I nthisconncction,vcvillacain
lcarn vhcthcr thc tvo dircctions lor thc qucstioninc in ccncral, prcviously
citcd, |inlact| cxhaust thc vholc olthc problcmatic ola lundamcntal knovl
cdcc olthc bcinc.
ut ilthc qucstion conccrninc thc hnitudc inhumanbcincs is to bc dctcr-
mincd on thc basis ola morc oricinal rctricval olthc layinc olthc croundlor
mctaphysics, thcn thc Kantian qucstion itscll must bc turncd avay lrom an
oricntation to thc hxcd disciplinc and systcmatic ol Scholastic mctaphysics
and must bc translcrrcd to thc lrcc hcld olthc particular problcmatic. ^t thc
samc timc, thcrcin lics thc rcason that thc ^ristotclian vay ol posinc thc
qucstion likcvisc cannot bc adoptcd as somcthinc hnishcd.
Vith thc 1 1 v. thc qucstion conccrninc thc bcinc has indccd bccn
poscd. ovcvcr, to posc a qucstion docs not yct mcan to takc hold ol thc
problcmati vhich lics vithin it and to vork it out. 1hc cxtcnt to vhich thc
problcm olmctaphysics still rcmains vcilcdin thc qucstion1 1 v allovs us
torccocncinit, hrst, that nothncvhatcvcrhasbccncut lrom this qucston
and, sccond, hov, to thc cxtcnt that it is to bc craspcd as a problcm, thc
problcm ol hnitudc in human bcincs is includcd in it Still lcss can vc cain
a dircction lor it mcrcly by cxprcssinc and cchoinc thc qucstion ol hov vc
may ask about thc hnitudc in human bcincs. Rctricval olthc problcm olthc
layinc ol thc cround lor Mctap|,s|ca Ccnctal|s thus docs not mcan cchoinc
thcqucstion olvhat thc bcinc as such michtbc. 1hc rctricval must dcvclop
this qucstion, vhich vc call thc Cucstion ol cinc lor short, as a problcm.
1hisdcvclopmcnthastoshovthc cxtcnttovhich thcproblcmolthchnitudc
inhumanbcincsand thc invcstications itprcscribcsncccssarilybclonc to thc
mastcrinc ol thc Cucstion ol cinc. Statcd basically thc csscntial conncction
bctvccncincassuch |not thc bcinc) and thchnitudc inhumanbcincsmust
bc broucht to licht.
h1. Thc Drgnal Workng-Dut o| thc Ducston o| 8cng as thc Way to
thc Problcm o| Fntudc n Human 8cngs
1hc lundamcntal qucstion olthc ancicnt \ouLoI conccrninc bcincs
in ccncral conccrninc thc Loc about thc tmc) vas built upand that is
thc inncr dcvclopmcnt ol mctaphysics lrom its bccinninc to thc timc ol
^ristotlc-lrom thcindctcrminacy andlullncss olitsinitialunivcrsality to thc
2dd. Scc ^rlstotc, PhVsics, C , 20Jb I ". Morcovcr, in |hc Cri|iquc o| Purc Rcuson |^ d",
d7J) Kant spcaks o| thc "Fhyslology o| Furc Rcason.
b. Scc SS !9J0 lOc An|uny Jcr ubcnJnJischtn Phi|osochic, C^, vo. J"].
! Kant and thc FrobIcm ol Mctaphysics ' 222-22J|
dctcrminacy olboth dircctions olqucstioninc vhich, accordinc toArstotlc,
constitutc authcntic philosophizinc.
Asobscurcasthcirconncctionalsorcmains,stillinoncrcspcctitispossiblc
to cstablish anordcr olprcccdcncc bctvccn thcm. Ilthc qucstion conccinc
thc bcinc as a vholc and in its principlc disions alrcady prcsupposcs a
ccrtain craspinc olvhat thc bcnc is as such thcn thc qucstion olthc v n
v must takc prcccdcncc ovcr thc qucstion ol thc bcinc as a vholc. ]hc
qucstion ol vhat thc bcinc in ccncral and as such is, is thc hrst onc in thc
ordcr ol thc possiblc pursuit ol a lundamcntal knovlcdcc olthc bcinc as a
vholc. Vhcthcr this priority also lalls to it in thc ordcrinc ol thc dccisivc
scll-croundinc olmctaphysics, hovcvcr, is a qucstion that vc can only mcn-
tion hcrc.
ut isnot thc ccncralqucstion 1 v so indctcrminatc that in ccncral it
is no lonccraskcd, and itdcnics usany cluc as to vhcrcand hov an ansvcr
to it is to bc soucht`
Inthc qucstion astovhat thc bcinc as such micht bc, vc havc askcdvhat
ccncrally dctcrmincs thc bcinc as a bcinc. Vc call it thc cinc ol thc bcinc,
and vc call thc qucstion conccrncd vith it thc Cucstion ol cinc. It asks
aboutvhat dctcrmincs thcbcincassuch. ]his dctcrminincshouldbc knovn
in thc Hov ol its dctcrmininc, it should bc intcrprctcd, i . c. , it should bc
craspcd, as such and such. In ordcr to bc ablc to crasp thc csscntial dctcmi-
nacy ol thc bcinc throuch cinc, hovcvcr, thc dctcrmininc itscll must bc
sulhcicntly comprchcnsiblc, 8c|og as suc|, and not thc bcinc as such, must
hrst bc craspcd. ]hus in thc qucstion 1 1 v |Vhat is thc bcinc` lics thc
morc oricinal qucstion. w|at dccs 8c|og mcao, w||c| |s altcad, uodctstccd |o
advaocc |o cvc aucst|co`
Ilthc qucstion1 T v isalrcady incomprchcnsiblc cnouch,hov thcncan
onc morc oricinal and indccdmorc abstract" allovaconcrctcproblcmatic to
sprinclorth`
Inordcrtovcrily thatsucha |concrctc problcmatic| prcscntsitscll,hovcvcr,
a rclcrcncc o somcthinc in ancicnt philosophy vhich has bccn acccptcd as
all too scll-cvdcnt vill sulhcc. Vc dctcrminc and intcrrocatc vith rclcrcncc
to its vhat-cinc |1 o1v) thc bcinc vhich is manilcst to us in cvcry typc ol
rclationship |vchavc| toit.Ihilosophycallsthisvhat-cinccsscot|a|csscncc.
It makcs a bcinc possiblc in that vhich it is. ]hcrclorc, thc dcsicnation
pcss|h|l||as|inncr possibility) also stands lorthc thincncss ola thinc |tcal|tas)
]hc appcarinc |sooc) ola bcinc civcs thc samc inlormation |in rcsponsc| to
thc qucstion olvhat it is. ]hc vhat-cincolthcbcincisthcrclorc callcdIo.
]o cvcry bcinc thc qucstion thcn ariscs, or it has alvays alrcady bccn
ansvcrcd, vhcthcrit -thcbcincvith thisdctcrminatcvhat-cinc-michtbc,
or rathcr micht not bc. Hcncc, vc also dctcrminc thcbcinc accordinc toits
that-cinc

,
|1 to1v) q vhich philosophy is accustomcd to cxprcssinctcr
minolocically as cx|stcot|a |actuality.
h10. j22J-22JI ! J7
1o cvcry bcinc, thcn, thcrc is" vhat-cinc and thatcinc, cssco||a and
cx|s|co||a,possibility and actuality. Oocscinc" mcanthcsamcthinchcrc in
bothcxprcssions| `Ilnot,hovisitthatthc cincinvhat-cincandthatcinc
has bccn split` Is thcrc this all too scll-cvidcnt dillcrcncc and cx-
-vhich vas snatchcd up, just as thcrc arc docs and also cats, or is
thcrc a probcm avaitinc us hcrc vhich hnally must bc poscd and vhich
obviously cao only bc poscd jw|a| |s as|cd ahcu| hcccmcs w|a| |s 8c|ogas
suc|`
Vithouta vorkinc-out olthis qucstion, arcvcnot lackincany horizon lor
thc attcmpt to dchnc" thc csscntiality ol thc csscncc and to cxplain" thc
actuality ol thc actual`
^ndisnot thcmcanincolcincastruc-cinc,vhich plainlycomcstolicht
in cvcy is" olcvcrypropositionvhcthcr cxprcsscd oruncxprcsscd |butnot
just thcrc), at thc samc timc alvays intcrtvincd vith thc prcviously citcd
aticulation ol thc cinc in vhatcinc and that-cinc, vhich vas obscurc
ith rccard to thc cround olits possibility and thc typc olits ncccssity`
"
Is not vhat lics containcd in thc problcm vord cinc" alrcady morc than
sulhcicnt and all too important` Is it pcrmissiblc any lonccr to abidc by thc
indctcrminacy ol thc Cucstion ol cinc, or must vc cvcn risk a still morc
oricinal stcp toard thc vorkincout ol this qucstion`
Hov is thc qucstion Vhat docs cinc mcan` to hnd its ansvcr il it
rcmains obscurc as to lrom vhcncc in ccncral vc can comc to cxpcct this
ansvcr Must vc not hrst ask. Irom vhcncc inccncral do vc layhold olthc
point ol vicv lrom vhich to dctcrminc cinc as such and thus to vin a
conccpt ol cinc lrom out olvhich thc possibility and thc ncccssity ol thc
csscntial articuation ol cinc bccomcs undcrstandablc` Hcncc thc qucstion
olIirst Ihilosophy," namcly

Vhatisthc bcincassuch`" must drivc usback

bcyond thc qucstion Vhat is cinc as such`" to thc still morc oricinal qucs-
tion. Fcmw|cocc|ogcocalacwc|cccmpc|cod||cl||cc]8c|og,w|||||cco||c
wcal||c]a||cula||cosaod c]ccoccs w||c|ac |ocludcd |o||`
ov ila morc intrinsic conncction cxistsbctvccn thc layincolthc cround
lor mctaphysics and thc qucstion conccrninc hntudc in human bcincs, thcn
thc morc oricinal vorkinc-out ol thc Cucstion ol cinc nov achicvcd vill
rcvcal in a morc clcmcntay manncr its csscntial rclation to thc problcm ol
hnitudc.
ut lor thc prcscnt this is still opaquc, particularly sincc vc may not bc
inclincd at all to cxpcct such a rclation to thc qucstion vhich has comc up.
It may bc at issuc in Kants prcviously citcd qucstions Vhat am I allovcd to
hopc`, ctc. ct, hovisthcqucstionolcinc, particularlyinthc lorminvhich
it has nov bccn dcvclopcd as thc qucstion conccrninc thc possibility ol
B9. Scc Vm WcscnJc: CnJcs, hrst sccton.
!JB Kant and thc FmbIcm o| Mctaphysics ' 22J-22l
comprchcndinc cinc in ccncral, tohavc ancsscntial rclation tothc nitudc
in humanbcincs`Vithin thcabstractontolocyolamctaphysicsvhichdcrivcs
its oricntation lrom ^ristotlc, thc Cucstion ol cinc may acquirc a ccrtain
scnsc, and so it may claim thc richt ol a spccial problcm vhich is scholarly
and morc or lcss unorthodox. Mcvcrthclcss, an csscntial rclation to nitudc
in human bcincs is not obvious.
utilup tonovvchavcclarcdthcoricinal lormolthcproblcmolcinc
in thc oricntation dcrvcdlromthc^ristotclian qucstion, this is not to saythat
thc oricin olthis problcm also lics hcrc. Cn thc contrary authcntic philoso
phizinc vIll only thcn bc ablc to comc upon thc Cucstion ol cinc il this
qucstion bcloncs to thc inncrmost csscncc olIhilosophy, vhich itscllis only
as a dccisivc possibility ol human Oascin.
l vc ask about thc possibility ol comprchcndinc somcthinc likc cinc,
vc do not thcn invcnt this cinc" and violcntly lorcc it into |bccomincl a
problcm inordcr, pcrhaps,to takcupacaina qucstion lromthc philosophical
tradition. Rathcr, vhat is askcd about is thc possibility

ol comprchcndinc
vhat all olusashuman bcincs alrcady and pcrmancntly undcrstand. Iorits
part, thc Cucstion ol cinc as a qucstion conccrninc thc possibility ol thc
conccpt ol cinc, sprincs lorth lrom thc prcconccptual undcrstandinc ol
cinc. 1hus thc qucstion conccrninc thc possibility olthc conccpt olcinc
oncc acain drivcn back a stcp to thc qucstion conccrninc thc csscncc ol
thc undcrstandinc olcinc in ccncral. 1hc task olthc layinc olthc cround
lor mctaphysics, craspcd in a morc oricinal vay, is thcrclorc translormcd int
thc clucidation ol thc inncr possibility lor thc undcrstandinc ol cinc. ]hc
vorkinc-out olthc Cucstion ol cinc so conccivcd brincs about lor thc rst
timc thc dccision as to vhcthcr and in vhat vay thc problcm ol cinc by
itscll shovs an inncr rclation to nitudc in human bcincs.
h1! . Thc Undcrstandng o| 8cng and Dascn n Human 8cngs
]hat vc human bcincs comport oursclvcs tovard bcincs is obvious Iaccd
vith thc task olrcprcscntincbcincs, vccanalvaysspccilyanybcinc. abcinc
vhich is not likc us and vhich is also not our cqual, a bcinc vhich is likc
vc oursclvcs arc, and a bcincvhich isnot likc usbut vhich ncvcrthclcss, as
a scll, is our cqual. ]hc bcinc is knovn to us-but cinc` ^rc vc not scizcd
vIth vcrtico vhcn vc |try tol dctcrminc such a thinc, cvcn il vc should
comprchcnd it propcrly` s cinc thcn not somcthinc ikc thc Mothnc |
a. condl!iona possibllty

b. compctcy rcvcrtlbc, ln thc scnsc o| thc transccndcnta poslnv o| thc qucstion
h1I . |22c-228I !J9
N|c|ts n lact, no css a pcrson than Hccc said. Iurc cinc and purc
othinc arc thus thc samc.
29
Vith thc qucstion conccinc cincas such, vc arc poiscd on thc brink ol
complctc obscurity ct it is vorthvhilc not to cvadc this prcmaturcly, but to
brinc thc lul pcculiarity ol thc undcrstandinc ol cinc closcr to us. Ior as
impcnctrablc asthc obscurity isvhichshroudscincand its mcaninc, stiit
rcmains ccrtain that, at all timcs and in thc cntirc hcd ol thc opcnncss ol
bcincs, vc undcrstand vhat cinc is in ordcr to conccrn ourscvcs vith thc
vhat-cinc and thc so-cinc olbcincs, inordcrto cxpcricncc and disputc thc
that-cinc, in ordcr to dccidc about thc truc-cinc ' wa|sc|ol ol thc bcinc,
and in ordcr to mistakc it. n cvcry cxprcssinc ola proposition, c.c. , today
is a holiday, vc undcrstand thc is," and cqualyvhat cincis.
In thc cry Iirc" |vc undcrstand| thc lollovinc. Iirc has brokcn out,
hclp is nccdcd, hc vho can savc himscl-vho can brinc his ovn cinc to
salctyshoud do so " ut at thc samc timc, ilvc do not cxprcss oursclvcs
in particular about thc bcinc and ilinstcad vc rclatc to it silcntly, vc undcr-
standitscharactcristicsolvhat-cinc,that-cinc,andtruc-cinc,vhichlunc-
tionvithoncanothcr, althouch in a vcilcdvay
Vith cvcry mood vhcrcin somcthinc is this vay or that," our cinc-thcrc
|Da-sc|o bccomcs manilcst to us. Vc thusundcrstand cinc, andyctvclack
thc conccpt. or all its constancy and brcadth, this prcconccptua undcr-
standinc olcincis lor thc most part compctcly indctcrminatc. 1hc spccihc
anncr ol cinc, c. c. , ol matcrial thincs, ol plants, animals, human bcincs,
numbcrs, is knovn to us, but this knovlcdcc is unrccocnicd lorvhat it is
urthcrmorc. thc cinc olthc bcinc, vhich is undcrstood prcconccptually in
its lu brcadth, constancy, and indctcrminac is civcn as somcthinc com-
pctclybcyondqucstion. cinc '5c|o as such comcs into qucstion so scdom
that it appcarsas ilthcrc is" nothinc olthc sort.
]hcundcrstandincolcinc,vhichvchavcconcisclyskctchcdout,rcmains
on thc undisturbcd and salc lcvcl ol thc purcst scll-cvidcntncss. And yct, j
t|cuodcstaod|ogc]8c|ogd|doctcccumancouldncvcrbcasthcbcincvhich
hc is, and this vould bc so rccardcss olthc vondcrlu lacutics vith vhich
humanbcincshavc bccn cquippcd. Morcovcr, an is a bcinc inthc midst ol
bcincsinsuchavay thatlormanthcbcincvhichhc ishimsclandthcbcinc
vhichhc is not arc alvays alrcady manilcst. Vc call this modc ol thc cinc
olhumanbcincscxistcncc.

Lxistcncc is onypossiblc on thc crounds olthc

undcrstandinc olcinc.
In mans comportmcnt tovard bcincs vhich hc himscl is not, hc arcady
hnds thc bcinc as that lrom vhich hc L supportcd, as that on vhich hc has
290. Wisscnshu|r Jcryi|, W|c, vo. I,p. 7d|.
a. Hlstory as dcstlny o| approprlatlon
!0 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' 22B-229l
dcpcndcd, asthat ovcrvhich, lorallhis culturcand tcchnolocy, hccanncvcr
bccomc mastcr. Ocpcndinc upon thc bcnc vhich hc is not, man is at tc
samc timc not mastcr olthc bcinc vhich hc himscllis.
Vith thc cxistcncc ol human bcincs thcrc occurs an irruption into thc
totality ol bcincs, so that nov thc bcinc in itscll hrst bccomcs manilcst, i.c. ,
asbcinc, i nvaryinc dccrccs, accordinc t ovarious lcvcls olclarty, in various
dccrccs olccrtainty ]his prcrocativc, hovcvcr, olnot|ust bcincamonc othcr
bcincs vhich arc alsoathand vithout thcscbcincs bccominc manilcstassuch
to thcmsclvcs, but rathcr |ol bcinc| in thc midst ol thc bcincs, c] hc|og
suttcodctcd tc |t as suc|, aod|tscjtc |avchccodcl|vctcd up ahc|og~this
prcrocativc to cxist harbors initscllthc nccd to rcquirc thc undcrstandinc ol
cinc.
]hc human bcinc could not bc thc throvn bcinc as a scll il in ccncral it
cculd not lct thc bcinc as such hc

|
n ordcr to allov thc bcinc to bc vhat
and as it is, hovcvcr, thc cxistinc bcinc

must alrcady havc pro|cctcd that
it is a bcinc on thc strcncth ol vhat has bccn cncountcrcd. Lxistcncc mcans
dcpcndcncy upon thc bcinc as such n thc submittancc to thc bcnc as such
vhich is dcpcndcnt in this vay
As a modc ol cinc, cxistcncc is in itscll hnitudc,

and as such it is only

possiblc on thc basis ol thc undcrstandinc ol cinc. ]hcrc is and must bc
somcthinc likc cincvhcrc hnitudc has comc to cxist. ]hus thc undcrstand-
inc ol cinc vhich thorouchly dominatcs human cxistcncc, althouch un-
knovn inits brcadth, constancy, indctcrminacy, and indisputability, manilcsts
itscllasthcinncrmostcround olhuman hnitudc. Comparcdvithmany othcr
human pcculiaritics, thc undcrstandinc ol cinc docs not havc thc harmlcss
univcrsality ol othcrs vhich lrcqucntly occur. ts univcrsality" is thc orici-
nalty ol thc inncrmost cround ol thc hnitudc ol Oascin. Cnly bccausc thc
undcrstandinc ol cinc is thc most hnitudc in vhat ishnitc, can it also makc
possiblc thc so-callcd crcativc" capacitics ol thc hnitc human crcaturc. And
onlybccausc it occurs vithin thc cround olhnitudc, docs ithavc thc brcadth
and constancy but also thc conccalcdncss, prcviously charactcrizcd.
Cnthccroundsolthcundcrstandincolcinc,manisthcthcrc dasla| ,

|
vith thc cinc olvhich occurs thc opcninc irruption into thc bcinc so that
it can shov itscllassuch lor a scll.

|
Mctcct|g|oalt|aomao|st|co|tudcc]
t|clasc|o|o||m.
]hc vorkinc-out ol thc basic qucstion ol Mctap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s, thc T T
V, has bccn throvn back upon thc morc oricinal idca conccrnincthc inncr
csscncc ol thc undcrstandinc ol cinc, vhich hrst and lorcmost sustains,
drivcs, and dirccts thc cxplicit qucstioninc conccrninc thc conccpt ol cinc.
b. Mothinvncss o| thc Norhiuy lNichtiy|citJc: Nichtcu:
C. and thus as thc csscucc o| this "1uituJc"
d. ck -sIs tcnt
h1I . |22-2J0I ! !
Vc strovc |or thc morc orIcInal apprchcnsIon o| thc basIc problcm o| mcta-
physIcs,hovcvcrvIth thc IntcntIono|makIncvsIblcthcconncctIonbctvccn
thc problcm o| cround-layInc and thc qucstIon conccmInc thc hnItudc In
human bcIncs. Mov It appcars. vc do not cvcn nccd hrst to ask about a
rclatIonshIp bctvccn thc undcrstandInc o| cInc and thc hnItudc In human
bcIncs, that It Itscl||s thc Inncost csscncc o|hnItudc. VIth that, hovcvcr,
vc havc attaIncd thc vcry conccpt o| hnItudc vhIch Is takcn as thc basIs |or
a problcmatIc o| thc layInc o| thc cround |or mctaphysIcs. | thIs cround-
layInc Is bascd on thc qucstIon o|vhat thc human bcInc should bc thcn thc
qucstIonablc naturc o|thIs qucstIon at a hrst lcvcl Isnov rcmovcd, I . c. , |rom
nov on thc qucstIon conccrnInc thc human bcInc has attaIncd dctcrmInacy
|man Is onlyman co||cgrcaodsc]||cDasc|o|o||m, thcn In prIncIplc thc
qucstIon as to vhat Is morc orIcInal than man cannot bc anthropolocIcal. ^ll
anthropoloccvcn IhIlosophIcal^nthropolocy hasalrcadyassumcdthatman
Is man.
]hc problcm o| thc laylnc o| thc cround |or mctaphysIcs Is rootcd In thc
qucstIonconccrnIncthc OascInInman, I. c. , conccmInchIsInncostcround
conccrnInc thc undcrstandInc o| cInc as csscntIally cxIstcnt hnItudc. ]hIs
qucstIon about OascIn asks vhat thc csscncc o| thc bcIn dctcIncd In thIs
vay Is. nso|ar as Its csscncc lIcs In cxIstcncc, thc qucstIon conccmInc thc
csscncc o| OascIn Is thc cxIstcntIal qucstIon. Lvcry qucstIon conccmInc thc
cInc o|a bcInc hovcvcr and cvcn thc qucstIon conccrnInc thc cInco|that
bcIncto thc constItutIono|vhosccInchnItudc as thcundcrstandInco|cInc
bcloncs, Is mctaphysIcs.
Hcncc thc layInc o| thc cround |or mctaphysIcs Is croundcd In a mcta-
phsIcs o| OascIn. s It astonIshInc, thcn, that a laync o| thc cround |or
mctaphysIcs at thc vcry lcast must Itscl|bc mctaphysIcs, and Indccd a prccm
Incnt onc`
Kant InvhoscphIlosophIzIncthcproblcmo|thc possIbIlItyo|mctaphysIcs
vas avakc to a dccrcc |ound In nonc bc|orc ora|tcr hIm must havc undcr-
stood alltoo lIttlc o|hIsInncrmostIntcntIonI|thIsconncctIondId notappcar
to hIm. Hc dIdspcak outIn thc brlchtncss andtranquIlItyvhIch thc complc-
tIon o|thc Cr|||aacc] ParcPcascoImmcdIatclybcstovcd on hIm. n ! 7B ! , hc
vrotc to hIs |rIcnd and dIscIplc Markus Hcr about thIs vork ]hIs kInd o|
InvcstIcatIon vIll alvays rcmaIn dI|hcult |or It IscquIvalcnt tothc Mctaphy-
sIcs o|MctaphysIcs . . . .
"VI
]hIsrcmark dccIsIvclyputs to rcst anyattcmpt to scarch, cvcn partIally, |or
a thcory o| knovlcdcc" In thc Cr|||aac c] Parc Pcasco. ^t thc samc tImc,
hovcvcr, It also oblIccsanyrctrIcval o|a layInc o|thc cround|ormctaphysIcs
29! . Wcrkc,vo. IX, p. !9B.
c. Da-scin, no| bclnv ln |hc ontic scnsc
!2 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 2J0-2J2l
to makc up its mind about this Mctaphysics ol Mctaphysics" to thc cxtcnt
that it is ablc to pacc itscll on soid lootinc, salccuardinc a possibc cousc
lor thc happcninc ol thc croundlayinc.
C. 1HE ME1AFHYSICS I DASEIN
AS IINDAMEN1AI N1ICY
Moanthropolocyvhichundcrstandsits ovnparticuarqucstionincandthc
prcsuppositions thcrcol can cvcn claim to dcvclop thc problcm ola layinc ol
thc croundlormctaphysics, lctalonccarryit out. ]hc ncccssaqucstionlor
a layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics, namcly, that ol vhat man is, is takcn
ovcr by thc mctaphysics olOascin.
]hccxprcssionisambicuousinapositivcscnsc. ]hcMctaphysicsolOscin
L not |ust mctaphysics about Oascin, but is thc mctaphysics vhich occurs
ncccssariy as lasc|o ut lor that rcason it can ncvcr bccomc mctaphysics
about" Oascin, as lor cxamplc zoolocy is about animals. ]hc Mctaphysics
Oascin is no hxcd and rcady-lorusc orcanon" at all. It must alvays bc built
up ancv amid thc translormation olits idca in thc vorkincout ol thc possi-
bility olmctaphysics.
Itslatc rcmainsboundtothcconccalincoccurrincolmctaphysicsinOascin
itscll, by virtuc ol vhich man hrst numbcrs or lorccts thc days and hours,
ycars and ccnturics hc has dcvotcd to his cndcavors.
]hc rcquircmcnts intrinsic to a MctaphysicsolOascin and thc dilhculty ol
its dctcrmination havc bccn sulhcicntly dcmonstratcd by thc Kantian cllort.
Its most authcntic, corrcctly undcrstood outcomc, hovcvcr, lics prcciscly in
thc unvcilinc ol thc conncctcdncssvhichcxistsbctvccn thc qucstion conccr-
ninc thc possibility ol ontolocical synthcsis and that ol thc unvcilinc ol thc
hnitudc in human bcincs, i c. , inthc dcmand lor a rc|cction conccrnnchov
a Mctaphysics ol Oascin is to bc concrctcly rcalizcd.
h1Z. Thc Idca o| a FundamcntaI DntoIog
In thc posinc olits task, in thc point oldcparturc, coursc, and coal olthc
carryincthrouch ol this task, thc layinc olthc cround lor mctaphysics must
havc bccn cuidcd solcly and vith constant intcnsity by thc lundamcntal
qucstion ol thc layinc ol thc cround lor mctaphysics.' ]his lundamcntal
qucstion is thc problcm olthcinncr possibility olthc undcrstandinc olcinc,
h12. |2J2-2JJI !J
lrom out olvhich all cxplicit qucstions conccrninc cinc should bcablc to
crov. 1hc Mctaphysics ol Oascin, cuidcd by thc qucstion ol cround-layinc,
should unvcil thc constitution olthc cinc ol ' lasc|o| insucha vay that this
bccomcs visiblc as thc inncr makincpossiblc ol thc undcrstandinc olcinc.
1hcunvcilincolthcconstitutionolthc cincolOascinis Cntoocy Insolar
asthc croundlorthcpossibilityolmctaphysics is lound thcrcin-thc hnitudc
olOascinas its lundamcnt it iscallcd Iundamcntal Cntolocy ockcd upin
thccontcnt olthis titc is thc problcm olhnitudc inhumanbcincs,vhichis
dccisivc lor purposcs ol makinc thc undcrstandinc olcincpossibc.
Iundamcnta Cntolocy, hovcvcr, is only thc hrst lcvcl olthc Mctaphysics
olOascin. Vhat bcloncs to this | Mctaphysics olOascin as a vhoc, and hov
lromtimctotimcitisrootcdhistoricallyinlacticalOascincannotbcdiscusscd
hcrc. ovthc onytask is to carily thc idca olIundamcntal Cntolocy vhich
cuidcd thc abovc intcrprctation ol thc Ct|||aac c] Patc Pcasco. Iurthcrmorc,
thc charactcrization ol Iundamcntal Cntolocy should bc civcn only in its
distinctivc lcaturcs, lnordcr to shov oncc morc thc simplc scqucncc olstcps
byvhicha prcvious attcmpt at thc carryinc-throuch olthis idca movcd.
1hcconstitution olthccincolcvcrybcinc, and thatolOascin in aspccial
scnsc, onybccomcsacccssiblcto thc undcrstandinc insolar as it |thc undcr
standinc has thc charactcrolprocction 'Lo|wa| ccausc thc undcrstand-
inc-and Iundamcnta Cntoocy shovs us prcciscly this-is not|ust a typc
ol knovinc, but on thc contrary is primarlly a basic momcnt ol cxistinc in
ccncral,thcnthccxpicitcxccutionolthcprocctinc,andcvcnvhatiscraspcd
in thc ontolocical, must ncccssariy bc construction.
ut construction hcrc docs not mcan lrcc-lloatinc thinkinc-out ol somc
thinc. It is instcad a procctinc invhich thc prciminary cuidancc as vcll as
thc takinc-oll ol thc pro|cction 'dctAhsptaogdcs Lo|wat]s| must bc prcdc-
tcrmincd and protcctcd. Oascinshould bc construcd in its hnitudc, namc
vth a vicv tovard thc intrinsic makinc-possibc ol thc undcrstandinc ol
cinc. ^ny lundamcnta-ontolocical construction asscrts its truth in vhat its
procction allovs to bc sccn, i . c. , in hov it brincs Oascin to its manilcstncss
and cts its inncr mctaphysics bc-thcrc 'da-sc|o|
1hc lundamcntal-ontolocica construction is distincuishcd by thc lact that
it should cxposc thc inncr possibiity olsomcthinc vhich, prcciscly as vhat
is bcst knovn, thorouchly mastcrs all Oascin, but vhich, ncvcrthccss, is
indctcrminatc and cvcn much too scllcvidcnt. 1his construction canbc un-
dcrstood as Oascins assault upon thc primal mctaphysical lactum in it, an
assaut vhich ariscs lrom vithin Oascinitscll.1hislactum consistsinthc lact
that vhat ismost hnitc in its hnitudc is indccd knovn, butncvcrthclcss has
not bccn craspcd.
1hc hnitudc olOascin-thc undcrstandincolcinc-l|cs|o]ctgcjalocss

292.Scc 8cinynJ imc.
! Kant and thc FrobIcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2JJ-2Jl
]his lorcctluncss| isnothincaccidcntalandtcmporabutonthccontrary
is ncccssariy and constanty lormcd. ^ll lundamcntalontolocical construc-
tions vhich takc aim at thc unvcilinc ol thc inncr possibility olthc undcr
standincolcinc must, in pro|cctinc, vrcst thc lorcctlulncssavay lrom vhat
is apprchcndcd in thc pro|cction.
]hc basic lundamcntal-ontolocical act olthc Mctaphysics ol Oascin as
thc layinc olthc croundlormctaphysics ishcncc a rcmcmbcrinc acain.
]ruc rcmcmbcrinc, hovcvcr, must atall timcs intcrioric vhat isrcmcm
bcrcd, i . c. , ctitacain comc closcr and closcr initsinncrmost possibilityVith
rccard to thc carryinc-throuch ol a Iundamcntal Cntolocy, this mcans. it
placcs its main cllort on thc uniquc and constant cuidancc ol thc ucstion
ol cinc, vhich isallovcd to bccomc morc cllcctivc vithout bcinc impaircd,
in ordcr to kccp thc cxistcntial anaytic olOascin, vhichvas dclivcrcdupby
it, on thc richt path.
h1J. Thc Inccpton and thc Coursc o[ FundamcntaI DntoIog''
]hc Oascininman dctcrmincs himasthatbcincvhich cincin thc midst
l bcincs, comports itscll to thcm as such. Iurthcr, as this comportinc to
bcincs, man is dctcrmincd in his ovn cinc as csscntially othcr than all
rcmaininc bcincs vhich arc manilcst in Oascin.
ov, lrom thc bccinninc, an analytic ol Oascin must scc to it that thc
Oascin in manishrstmadc visiblcprccisclyvithin thatmodc olhumancinc
vhich it cstablishcd, accordinc to its csscncc, to supprcss Oascin and thc
undcrstandinc olcinc vhich pcrtains to it i. c. , oricinal hnitudc) in lorcct-
lulncss. ]his dccisivc modc ol thc cinc ol Oascin-sccn solcy lrom thc
standpoint ol Iundamcntal Cntolocy-vc call cvcrydayncss. ^t thc samc
timc, thc analytic olcvcrydayncss has thc mcthodoocical intcntion lrom thc
hrst olnot allovincthc intcrprctaion olthc Oascinin human bcincs to cntcr
thc rcalm ol an anthropolocical-psycholocica dcscription ol mans cxpcri-
cnccs" and lacultics."^nthropolocical-psycholocical knovlcdccis not thcrc-
by dcclarcd to bc lasc. " It is ncccssary to shov, hovcvcr, that vith al its
corrcctncss it is not sulhcicnt to hold in vicv lrom thc start and constantly
thc problcm olOascinscxistcncc-andthatmcansits hnitudcas dcmandcd
by thc cuidinc problcmatic olthc ucstion olcinc.
]hc cxistcntial analytic olcvcrydayncssdocs not vant to dcscribchovvc
29J or a concrctc undcrstandlnv o| thls and thc |oowinv paravraphs a study o| 8cing and
!mc lmpcratlvc. Vc rc|raln hcrc |rom taklnv a posltlon rcvardinv thc critlclsms that havc
surIaccd to datc. 1hat ls to bc rcscncd-lnso|ar as thc rca hodvcpodvc o| objcctlons movc ln
ycncr8 wlthln thc dlmcnson o| thc probcm|or a spcla publcatlon.
h1J. |2JJ-2JcI !J
usc a kni|c and |ork. Itshoud shov that and hova associationvithbcincs,
cvcn vhcrc it appcars as i| thcrc vcrc just bcincs, arcady prcsupposcs thc
transccndcncc o| Oascin-namcy, cinc-inthcvord. Vith it, thc pm)cct|co
o|thccinco|thcbcincinccncra,athouchconccacd and |orthc mostpart
indctcrminatc, ta|csplaccso that indccd thc cinco|thisbcinchrst o|aand
|or thc most part is undividcd and yct is mani|cstcd undcrstandaby in thc
totaity cvcrthccss, thc dj]crcoccbctvccn cinc and bcincs assuc|rcmains
conccacd.' ` 1hc man himsc|cmcrccs as a bcinc amonc othcr bcincs.
cinc-in-thc-vord, hovcvcr, is not hrst and |orcmost thc rcationship bc-
tvccn subjcct and objcct, but is instcad that vhich has arcady madc such a
rcationship possibc in advancc inso|ar as transccndcncc carrics out thc pro-
jcction o| thc cinco|thc bcinc. ov this projcctinc |undcrstandinc) is hrst
o|a madc visibc in thc cxistcntia anaytic ony vithin thc conhncs cstab-
ishcd by its cmpoymcnt. It is not so much a mattcr o|dirccty pursuinc an
undcrstandinco|thc inncrmost composition o|transccndcncc asitis a mattcr
o|cucidatinc its csscntia unity vith thc disposition and throvnncss o|Oa-
scin.

^ projcction-and conscqucnty cvcn a o| man crcativc" activityis

t|mwoi.c. , itisdctcrmincdbythc dcpcndcncyo|Oascinonthcbcincarcady
in thc totaity, a dcpcndcncy ovcr vhich Oascin itsc|docs not havc contro.
]hc throvnncss, hovcvcr, is not rcstrictcd to thc conccacd occurrinc o|thc
cominc-to-Oascin. Rathcr, it thorouchy mastcrs prcciscy thc cinc-thcrc as
such. ]hiscxprcsscs itsc|in thc happcnincvhichhasbccomc promincnt as
|ainc ' \cr]allco| ]hisdocs not rc|cr to thc possiby nccativc occurrcnccs in
human i|c, thc cutura importancc o| vhich can bc cstimatcd, but to a
charactcristic o| thc inncrmost transccndcnta hnitudc o| Oascin vhich is
unihcd viththc throvn projcction.
]hc procrcss o|thc cxistcntia ontoocy vhich bccins vith thc anaysis o|
cvcrydayncss, hovcvcr, takcsaimsocyatthcvorkinc-out o|thcunityin thc
transccndcnta prima structurc o|thc hnitudc o|Oascin inhumanbcincs. In
transccndcncc, Oascin shovs itsc|as in nccd o| thc undcrstandinc o|cinc.
]hrouch this transccndcnta nccdincss, propcry spcakinc, carc has bccn
takcn" to scc that in ccncra somcthinc ikc cincthcrc can bc. It is thc
inncrmost hnitudc thatsustains Oascin.
1hcunityo|thc transccndcntastructurc o|thc inncrmost nccdincss o|thc
OascininhumanbcincshasbccncivcnthcdcsicnationCarc" | 5crgc| ]hcrc
isnothincat a |o|conscqucncc in thc vord itsc|, instcad, cvcrythinc is t
bc |ound in an undcrstandinc o|vhat thc anaytic o|Oascinsccks to brinc
out vith it. ut i| onc thcn takcs thc cxprcssion Carc"-contrary to and in
spitc o| thc sti cxpicit, prcviousy civcn dircctivc that it has nothinc to do
vith an ontic charactcrization o| man-in thc scnsc o| an cstimation o|
humani|c"vhichrc|ccts its vord-vicvand cthics, instcad o|as anindica-
tion o| thc structural uo|t, o| thc transccndcncc o| Oascin vhich is hnitc in
! Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2J-2JBl
Itscl, thcn cvcrythInc bccomcs conluscd. rom thIs, thc probcmatIc whIch
alonc cuIdcs thc anaytIc ol OascIn thcn bccomcs complctcly InvIsIblc.
]o bc surc, It rcmaIns to bc consIdcrcd that prccIscy thc workInc-out ol
thc Inncrmost csscncc ol hnItudc, whIch was dcmandcd lor thc Intcndcd
croundInc olmctaphysIcs, must Itsclawaysbc lundamcntally hnItc and can
ncvcr bccomc absolutc. Irom that, howcvcr, ony thIs lolows thc rcncwcd
consIdcratIon olhnItudc cannot succccdby mcans ola rccIprocal playInc-out
and cqualIzInc ol standpoInts whIch mcdIatcs thcm In ordcr, hnaly and yct
ncvcrthclcss, to attaIn absolutc knowlcdcc ol hnItudc, sccrctly put lorth,
whIch Is truc In Itscll." Rathcr, thcrc rcmaIns only thc workInc-out ol thc
problcmatI ol hnItudc as such InItudc bccomcs manIlcst accordInc to Its
ownmost csscncc Il It Is madc acccssIbc throuch unswcrvInc appIIcatIon.
accompanIcd In turn by thcorIcInaycraspcd, basIc qucstIon olmctaphysIcs
whIch, to bc surc, can ocvctbc claImcd as thc col, onc possIblc.
rom thIs It has alrcady bccomc clcar that thc MctaphysIcs ol OascIn, as
thc layInc ol thc cround lor mctaphysIcs, has Its own truth whIch so lar Is
csscntIally stIl much too vcIlcd. Mo world-vIcw-orIcntcd posItIon, I. c. , onc
whIch Is aways ontIcally popular, and cspccIally no thcolocIcal posItIon
whIchwantstoapprovc orrc|cct comcsassuchI nanyway Into thc dImcn-
sIon ol thc problcm ola MctaphysIcs olOascIn. ^s Kant says, thc crItIquc ol
rcason can ncvcr bccomc popular, but It also has no nccd to bc. "
Hcncc, Ila crItIquc wants to cncacc In thc transccndcntal IntcrprctatIon ol
Carc" as thc transccndcnta unIty ol hnItudc-and who wants to dcny thIs
possIbIlIty and ncccssIty` thcn, hrst, Itmust show that thc transccndcncc ol
OascIn, and, conscqucnty thc undcrstandInc olcInc, Is not thc Inncrmost
hnItudc In thc human bcInc. Sccond, It thcn must show that thc croundInc
olmctaphysIcsdocsnot havc thIs Inncrmost rclcrcncc tothc hnItudc olOascIn
at all, and, hnall It must show that thc basIc qucstIon ol thc layInc ol thc
cround lor mctaphysIcs docs not lIc cncloscd In thc probcm ol thc Inncr
possIbIlIty ol thc udcrstandInc ol cInc.
ImmcdIatclyprIorto thcIntccralIntcrprctatIon oltransccndcncc as Carc,"
thc lundamcntal-onotoocIcal analytIc olOascIn IntcntIonally sccks to work
out anxIcty" as a dccIsIvc basIc dIsposItIon, " In ordcr In thIs way to cIvc a
concrctc rclcrcncc to thc lact that thc cxIstcntIal analytIc was constantly
cuIdcd by thc qucstIon olthc possIbIIty ol thc undcrstandInc olcInc lrom
whIch It arIscs. It Is not wIth thc IntcntIon ol |ollcrInc| somc world-vIcw
dcrvcd proclamatIon ola concrctc Idcal ol cxIstcncc that anxIcty Is supposcd
to bc thc dccIsIvc basIc statc ol attuncmcnt. Rathcr, It dcrIvcs Its dccIsIvc
charactcr sclcl, co ||chas|sc] ||cccos|dcta||coc] ||cptchlcmc] 8c|ogas suc|.
^nxIcty Is that basIc dIsposItIon whIch placcs us bclorc thc MothInc. 1hc
21. i
h11. |2J8-2JI !7
cinc olthc bcinc. hovcvcr. i si nccncral only undcrstandablc-and hcrcin
ics thcproloundcst hnitudc oltransccndcncc-ilinthccroundolits csscncc
Oascin holds itscll into thc Mothinc.
'
1his holdinc-itscllinto-thc-Mothinc
is no arbitrary and occasionally attcmptcd thinkinc" olthc Mothinc but is
rathcrancvcntvhichundcricsallinstanccsolhndinconcscll inthc midst
olbcincs vhich alrcady arc and this cvcnt is onc vhich must bc clucidatcd
accordinc to its inncr possibility in a lundamcntalontolocical analytic ol
Oascin.
^nxicty" thus undcrstood. i. c. accordinc to lundamcntal ontolocy com-
pctcly rcmovcs thc harmlcssncss ol a catccorica structurc lrom Carc. " It
civcs it thc pccuiar prccision ncccssary lor a lundamcntal cxistcntia 'Cod
cx|stcoz|al | , and so it dctcrmincs thchnitudcin Oascinnotasa qualityvhich
is at hand. but rathcr as thc constant athouch mostly conccalcd shimmcrinc
olall that cxists.
Hovcvcr thc vorkincout olCarc asthc transccndcntal constitution olthc
cround olOascin is only thc hrst stacc ol undamcnta Cntolocy or lurthcr
procrcss tovard thccoal. thc dctcrminativc cuidancc vc rcccivc lrom thcsidc
olthc Cucstion olcinc must makc itsclllctvith incrcasincincxorability
h11. Thc Cou| o[ Fundumcnru| Onro|og
1hcncxt,dccisivcstcp in thccxistcntialanalyticisthc concrctcclucidation
ol Carc as tcmporaity ccausc thc problcmatic ol thc ayinc ol thc cround
lor mctaphysics has an inncr rclation to thc hnitudc in man. it micht appcar
as il thc vorkinc out ol tcmporaity" stands in thc scrvicc ol a concrctc
dctcrmination olman's hnitudc as a tcmpora" crcaturc. Indccd. thc tcmpo-
ral commonly passcslorthc hnitc.
ut thc lact that vc alrcady apprchcnd any hnitc bcincnot |ust human
bcincsas tcmporal" in thc scnsc ol thc common dctcrmination ol timc a
lccitimatc dctcrmination vithinits imits. must thcrcupon lcadtothc lact that
thc intcrprctation ol Oascin as tcmporality cannot movc vithin thc hcld ol
thc common cxpcricncc olvhat is tcmporal.
Mor has thc intcrprctation olOascin as tcmporality alrcady happcncd|ust
bccausc contcmporary philosophy crcson Oithc Simmcl) has soucht to
apprchcnd lilc" in its alivcncss 'Lchcod|g|c|t morc thorouchly-in a morc
livcy" '`chcod|gct manncr-bccauscthcydctcrmincditstcmporal charactcr.
a. thc nhlatlnv comportmcnt |Ju: NichrcuJc vcrhu|rcu , but ths s vroundcd n Cc|u::cuhcir
l1hc tcrm "Cc|u::cuhcir, so mportant n Hcdcvvcrs latcr works, mcans camncss or compo-
surc, but spcchcally thc camncss rcqulrcd to |rcc Oascln |or thlnklnv and qucstlonnv, partic-
ulary |or thc sort ol qucstoninv and thlnklnv assoclatcd wlth thc qucstlon o| clnv-tr.
!B Kaht ahd t Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2J9-20I
Rathcr, i|thc intcrprctation o|ascin as tcmporaIity isthc eoaI o| Iunda
mcntaI CntoIoey, thcn it must bc motivatcd soIcIy by thc probIcm o|cine
as such. Vith that , howcvcr, thc |undamcntaI-ontoIoeicaI scnsc-i . c. . thccnl,
euidine scnsc in 8c|ng and -o| thc aucst|cn conccrnine timc is hrst
opcncd up.
Thc |undamcntaI-ontoIoeicaI Iayine o|thceround |ormctaphysics in8c|ng
and !mc must bc undcrstood as rctricvaI ' w|cdcr|clung| Thc passaec |rom
FIatos5cp||stwhich opcns thc study

scrvcs not asa dccoration. butrathcr

as an indication o| thc |act that in ancicnt mctaphysics thc eieantomachy

ovcrthc cineo|bcineshad brokcnout. lnthisbattIc. thcwayinwhich8c|ng
as suc| comcs to bc undcrstood-howcvcr ecncraIIy and ambieuousIy thc
Cucstion o| cine may havc bccn poscd thcrc -must aIrcady bc visibIc.
Inso|arasthc Cucstion o|cineassuchisbcine|oueht|orin this eieantoma-
ch howcvcr. and is nct,ct workcd out inthc dcsienatcd wayas thc probIcm
o| thc inncr possibiIity o| thc undcrstandine o| cine. thcn ncithcr thc intcr
prctation o|cineassuchnorcvcnthc horizon |orthc intcrprctation as such,
which is ncccssary to it . cancxpIicitIy comc to Iieht. Vith thc rctricvaIo|thc
probIcm. it bccomcs aII thc morc impcrativc to Iistcn in to thc way in which
thc phiIosophizine in this hrst war about cine. so to spcak, was spontanc
ousIy cxprcsscd in this rceard.
To bc surc. thc prcscnt invcstieation can eivc no thcmatic prcscntation.
much Icss an intcrprctation. o|thc basic movcmcnts o|this eieantomachy ^n
aIIusion to thc obvious must su|hcc.
Vhatisthcsienihcancc o|thc|actthat ancicntmctaphysicsdctcrmincd thc
thcbcine that isbcineinawaythat onIyabcinecanbcbcine

as ! Thc cine o| bcines obviousIy is undcrstood hcrc as pcrmancncc

and constancy '8cstand|g|c|t und5tand|g|c|t| Vhat pro|cction is to bc |ound
in this undcrstandine o| cine! Thc pro|cction upon timc, |or cvcn ctcrnity, "
pcrhaps takcn as thc `nunc stans, is onIy. thorouehIy eraspabIc as thc pcr-
mancnt" now" on thc basis o|timc.
Vhat is thc sienihcancc o| thc |act that thc authcntic bcine comcs to bc
undcrstoodasOuoO. xOpouoO in ascnscwhichbasicaIIymcans thc cstatc"
' Anwcscn|

thc immcdiatc and aIways prcscnt 'gcgcnwatt|gcn posscssion.

thc propcrty"!
This pro|cction bctrays thc |act that. cine mcans pcrmancncc |nprcscncc
'Anwcscn|c|t
In this way. namcIy, in thc spontancous undcrstandine o| cine. do not
dctcrminations o| timc accumuIatc! ls not thc immcdiatc undcrstandine o|
cine thorouehIy dcvcIopcd in an orieinaI. but aIso scI|-cvidcnt prc)cct|cn c]
8c|ngupcn t|mc
ocs not aII war ovcr cine. thcn. movc in advancc within thc horizono|
timc!
Is it thcn surprisine i| thc ontoIoeicaI intcrprctation o| thc what-cine o|
h11. |210-212I !9
thc bcine is cxprcsscd in thc 1 1 nv cvot` Is thcrc not containcd in this
what aIways aIrcady was," and now, what is morc, cvcn in thc naturc o|
prcviousncss. thc momcnt o|constant prcscncc!
ut is it thcn su|hcicnt simpIy to cxpIain thc a priori." which in thc
tradition o| ontooey passcs as thc naturc o| thc dctcrmination o| cine, by
simpy sayine that this caricr" naturaIy" has nothine to do with timc"!
CcrtainIy not with thc timc that thc common undcrstandine o|timc knows.
ut is ths carIicr" positivcIy dctcrmincd thcrcby and is thc troubIcsomc
charactcro|timc thus rcmovcd ocs itnot rccur as an intcnsihcd probcm!
^nd is it thcn onIy a morc or Icss |ortunatc habit which orieinatcs somc
whcrc and at somc timc that, with thc cIassihcation o|bcines, i c. , with thc
distinction o|a bcine with rceard to its cine, wc dctcminc it by itsc|" as
tcmporaI. nontcmpora, orsupratcmpora!
utwhcrcisthcgtcaod|orthisspontancousandscI|cvidcntundcrstandine
o|cineonthc basiso|timc! HavcwcIikcwisconIyattcmptcd to-in thc
scnsc o| a probIcm which has altcad, hcco wct|cd -why that is so and
whyit must cvcn occur!
Thc csscnc o| timc as hrst put |orward by ^ristotc in thc way that has
provcndccisivc |orthc subscqucnt history o|mctaphysicseivcs ocanswcr to
this. Cn thc contrary. it canbc shownthatprcciscIythisanaIysiso|timcwas
euidcd by an undcrstandine o| cine that-conccaIine itscI| in its action
-undcrstands cine as pcrmancnt prcscncc
|/1l
and that accordineIy dctcr-
mincs thc cine" o| timc |rom thc now." i. c. , on thc basis o| thc charactcr
o| timc which is aIways and constanty prcscncine 'aowcscod| , i .c. , which
strictIy spcakine |s in thc ancicnt scnsc.
lowtobcsurc,|or^ristotcaswcItimcpasscs|orsomcthinewhich occurs
inthc souI,"in thc mind. " Howcvcr. thc dctcrmination o|thc csscncc o|thc
souI. thc mind spirit , human consciousncss. was ncithcr dircctcd primary
anddccisivcIyby thc probIcmatic o|thcIayineo|thc eround |ormctaphysics.
nor was timc intcrprctcd in thc prcvicw o|this probIcmatic, nor. hnaIIy, was
thc intcrprctation o|thc basic transccndcntaI structurc o|ascin as tcmpora-
ity eraspcd and carricd throueh in thc scnsc o|a probcm.
Cnthcbasiso|thcphiosophizinercmcmbrancc"o|thc conccaIinepro|cc-
tion o|cineupontimcas thc inncrmost happcnine in thc undcrstandine o|
cine |or ancicnt andsubscqucnt mctaphysics, a task arscs |or a rctricvaI o|
thc eroundine qucstion o|mctaphysics. to carry out thceoine-back into thc
hnitudc in human bcines which was dcmandcd by this probcmatic so that
in thc lac|o as such, tcmporaIity as transccndcnta primaI structurc, bc-
comcs visibIc.
Cn thc way to this eoaI o| IundamcntaI CntoIoey i . c. , toecthcr in thc
scrvicc o|thc workineout o|human hnitudc, thc cxistcntiaI ntcrprctation o|
conscicncc, euiIt. and dcath bccomcs ncccssary Thc transccndcntaI intcr-
prctation o|historicaity on thc erounds o| tcmporaity shoud at thc samc
!70 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 22-2J|
timc eivc a prcconccption o| thc modc o| cine o| that happcnine which
happcns in thc rctricva o| thc Cucstion o|cine. Mctaphysics is not somc-
thine which was |ust crcatcd" by human bcines in systcms and doctrincs.
Rathcr, thcundcrstandineo|cine. itspro|cction and its rc|cction. |appcosin
ascin as such. Mctaphysics" is thc basic happcnine |or thc incursion into
thc bcine which occurs with thc |actica cxistcncc o|somcthine ikc man in
ecncra.
Thc mctaphysics o|ascin,whichistobc cutivatcd inIundamcnta Cnto-
oey. is not caimcd to bc a ncw discipinc within thc |ramcwork o| thosc
which arc arcady at hand. Rathcr, in it is dcmonstratcd thc wi to thc
awakcnine o|thc insieht that phiosophizine occurs as thc cxpicit transccn
dcncc o|ascin.
I|thc probcmatic o|thc Mctaphysics o|ascin comcs to bc dcsienatcd as
that o| 8c|og aod !mc, it now bccomcs ccar |rom thc carihcation o| thc
idca o| a Iundamcnta Cntooey that thc and" in this titc conccas within
itsc| thc ccntra probcm. lcithcr cine nor timc" nccds to eivc up its
prcvious mcanine, but it is truc that a morc orieina intcrprctation o| thcir
|ustihcation and thcir imits must bc cstabishcd.
h1. Thc Idca o[ Fundamcntal Dntolog and thc Lritiquc ol Furc Kcason
Kant ayine o| thc eround |or mctaphysics, as unprcccdcntcd. rcsoutc
qucstionine about thc inncr possibiity o| thc mani|cstncss o| thc cine o|
bcines. must comc up aeainst timc as thc basic dctcrmination o|hnitc tran-
sccndcncc, i|in |actthc undcrstandine o|cine in ascinpro|cctscine |rom
itsc| upon timc. so to spcak. ut at thc samc timc, his ayine o| thc eround
|or mctaphysics must aso havc bccn drivcn back past thc common conccpt
o| timc to thc transccndcnta undcrstandine o|it as purc sc|a||cction. This
sc|-a||cction is csscntiay unihcd with purc appcrccption. and in this unity
thc totaity o| a purc scnsibc rcason is madc possibc.
lt isnot bccausc timc |unctions as |orm o|intuition" and was intcrprctcd
as such at thc pont o|cntry into thc Ctiaucc] PucPcasco, but bccausc thc
undcrstandine o|cine must bc pro|cctcd upon timc |rom out o|thc eround
o| thc hnitudc o| thc ascin in man,

that timc, in csscntia unity with thc

transccndcnta powcr o| imaeination. attaincd thc ccntra mctaphysica |unc-
tion in thc C|t|aucc] Puc Pcasco
This 'C|t|auc c] Puc Pcasco| itsc|thus rattcs thc mastcry o| rcason and
a. what docs thls mcan`
b. How was thc qucstion o| spacc incudcd hcrc` "Spatalty o| Du-scin |cinyunJ Timc).
h1J. |21J-21JI IJI
thc undcrstandine. Loeic" is dcprivcd o| its prccmincncc in mctaphysics,
whichwas buit up |romancicnt timcs. Its idca has bccomc qucstionabIc.
I|thc csscncc o|transccndcncciseroundcdin thc purc powcr o|imaeina-
tion, or morc orieinaIIy in tcmporaIity, thcn prcciscy thc idca o|thc Tran-
sccndcntaI Loeic" is somcthine inconccivabIc, cspcciaIIy i|, contrary to Kant's
orieinaI intcntion, it is autonomous and is takcn absoIutcIy
Kant must havc anticipatcd somcthine o| this coIIapsc o| thc mastcry o|
Loeic inmctaphysics i|hccouId say o|thc eroundine charactcr o|cine, o|
possibiIity" |what-cine) andactuality" |which Kant callcd ascin"). Fos-
sibility, cxistcncc 'Dasc|o , and ncccssity can bc cxpIaincd in no othcr way
savc throueh obvious tautoIoey i|wc intcnd to eathcr thcir dchnitions solcly
|m thc purc undcrstandine."

^ndyct, in thcsccondcditiono|thc Ct|t|aucc]Putc Pcasco, did Kant not

eivc mastcry back to thc undcrstandine! ^nd is itnot a conscqucncc o|this
that with HcecI mctaphysics bccamc Loeic" morc radicallythan cvcr bc|orc!
Vhat docs thc strueeIc aeainst thc thine in itscI|," which startcd with
Ccrman IdcaIism, mcan, othcr than thc erowine |orecttine o| what Kant
strueeIcd |or. that thc inncr possibility and ncccssity o| mctaphysics, i . c , its
csscncc, arc atbottombroueht |orth and prcscrvcd throueh thc morcorieinaI
workineout and incrcascd prcscrvation o| thc probIcm o|hnitudc!
Vhat has thc outcomc o|thc Kantian c||ort bccn i|HcecI cxpIains mcta-
physicsas oeic thusIy. Loeic isconscqucntIy to bc eraspcd asthc systcm o|
purc rcason,asthc rcalm o|purc thoueht. This rcaImistruth,asitiswithout
a vciI, in and |or itscI|. Cc can thcrc|orc cxprcss it thus. that this contcnt is
thcprcscntation o|Cod as Hc is in HisctcrnaIcsscncc bc|orc thc crcation o|
naturc anda hnitc spirit ."
Can thcrc bc morc compcIIine proo||or how littlc thc mctaphysics which
bcIones to human naturc, and hcncc how Iittlc human naturc" itscl|, is
scI|-cvidcnt!
o wc want to undcrstand thc prcscnt |undamcntal-ontoloeical intrprcta
tion o| thc Ct|t|auc c] Putc Pcasco in such a way that, by posscssine it, wc
ourscvcs sccm morc ccvcr than our ercat prcdcccssors! Cr in thc cnd, is
thcrc not also to bc |ound in our own cndcavor, i|in ecncraI wc nccd to
comparc it, a conccaIcd cvadine in thc |acc o| somcthine which wc-and
indccdnotby accidcnt-no lonecr scc!
Fcrhaps throueh thc intcrprctation o|thc Ct|t|aucc]PutcPcascowhich is
29J ^ 2, J02.
29. Wisscnschu1t JcrLoyi,Lin|ciruny, lprcsumaby Hcvcs Ocsumruusyubco| ! dJ2 || , vo
, p. JJ lL!hcr cdi!lons. Philosochischc ib|iorhc |Hamburv. cix Mcincr, !9J2, rcprln!cd,
!97J), vo , p. J ! , Ocsummc|rc Wcrc, cd. rlcdrlch Hovcmann and Va!cr ]acschkc |Hamburv.
cllx Mclncr, !97d), p. 2! lncs ! 7-2! , Hcyc|' ciccc o1 Loyic, !r. ^Uod Mlcr |Mcw York.
Humanl!lcs, ! 97), p. J0.|
!72 Kant and thc Froblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 2J-2I
oricntcd to Fundamcnta Cntooey, thcprobcmatic o|a ayine o|thc eround
|or mctaphysics was madc morc prccisc, cvcn thoueh it stops short o|what
dccisivc. So thcrc rcmains but onc thine to do to hod thc invcstieation
opcn by mcans o| qucstions.
y cxtcnsion, |oowine thc Transccndcnta ^naytic, to thc intcrprctation
o| which our invcstieation was rcstrictcd, is thcrc not a Transccndcnta
iacctic! I| at hrst thisaso can onybcthc critica appication o|thc insieht
into thc csscncc o|Mc|ap|,s|caCcnctal|swhichwasattaincdwiththcrccction
o|thc traditiona Mc|ap|,s|ca5pcc|al|s, thcn is thcrc not aso a positivc prob-
cmatic to bc |ound in this charactcrization o| thc Transccndcnta iacctic,
which appcars tobc ony nceativc!
^ndwhati|this |positivcprobcmatic| isconccntratcdin thcsamc qucstion
which, athoueh conccacd and not workcd out, has arcady euidcd a thc
prcvious probcmatics o|mctaphysics, namcy thc probcm o|thc hnitudc o|
ascin!
Kantsaysthctransccndcntaappcarancc,"towhichtraditionamctaphysics
owcs its possibiity, wasmorcncccssary. Must not this transccndcnta untruth,
with rceard to its orieina unity with transccndcnta truth, comc to bc posi
tivcy eroundcd on thc basis o| thc inncrmost csscncc o| thc hnitudc in
ascin! ocs thc noncsscncc ' Unwcscn o| that appcarancc bcone to this
csscncc o| hnitudc!
ut thcn, docs thc probcm o|thc transccndcnta appcarancc" not rcqirc
a ibcration |rom that architcctonic into which Kant |orccd it-in accordancc
with his oricntation to traditiona oeic-cspcciay i|, throueh thc Kantian
eround-ayine, oeic in ecncra as possibc eroundand euidc |orthc probcm
atic o| mctaphysics has bccn shakcn!
Vhat is thc transccndcnta csscncc o| truth i ecncra! How, particuary
on thc erounds o| thc hnitudc o| ascin, arc this |csscncc o| truth and thc
noncsscncc o| untruth, which wcrc orieinay unihcd with man's basic nccd-
incss as a bcinewho hasbccnthrownintobcines. tobc compccdtoundcr-
stand somcthineikc cine!
ocs it makc scnsc, and is thcrc a ustihcation |or eraspine man on thc
erounds o| his inncrmost hnitudcthat hc rcquircs "Cntooey," i. c. , undcr
standine o|cineas "crcativc" and conscqucnty as "inhnitc, "whcrc indccd
thcrc is nothine which cvcn thc idca o| an inhnitc crcaturc rccois |rom 3
radicay as it docs |m an ontooey!
^t thc samc timc, howcvcr, is it pcrmissibc to dcvcop thc hnitudc in
ascin ony as a probcm, without a prcsupposcd" inhnitudc! Vhat in ecn-
cra is thc naturc o| this "prcsupposine" in ascin! Vhat docs thc inhnitudc
which is so "composcd" mcan!
Vi thc ucstion o| cine, in a its ccmcntarywcieht and brcadth, |rcc
itsc| aeain |rom a this qucstionabcncss! Cr havc wc arcady bccomc so
much thc |oos o| thc oreanization, o| thc hustc and bustc, that wc arc no
h1J. |21cI !7J
onecablc to bc|ricnd thc csscntiaI. thc smpIc, and thc constant! It s nths
|ricndship |p||l|a) aonc that thc turnine to thc bcines as such takcs pIacc,
|rom whch thc qucstion conccrnne thc conccpt o| cine |scp||a) ~
eroundine qucstion o|phiIosophy-aiscs.
Cr do wc aIso hst nccd cmcmbrancc |o this!
So^ristotIc o||crcd thcsayne
Koon xo 1 m/oI 1s xo vuv xo Cnio svov xo xoposvov,
1 1 V. . . .
|Mctap|,s|csZ , , h. )'

AFFENDIX I
lotcs on thc Kantbook
I . Do||cKao|hcc|
ltwas takcn | I ) as a onc-sidcd intcrprctation olKant, |2) asa lorcrunncrlor
cine and Timc" both wcrc cco]uscdwa,sc] |||o||og.
iscovcrineKantinhimscIl"istobcIclttoKantphiIooey IvcnilitshouId
cmcrec that it has actuaIIy Icarncd somcthine lrom thc vioIcnt Hcidceecrian
intcrprctation.
utthcqucstionis. thcPmhlcmc]Mc|ap|,s|cs,andthatmcaos ~||c0ucs||co
c] 8c|og
To bc surc, by itscIl as ||s|c|cal 'gcsc||c||l|c|c intoduction" to cine
and Timc" in a morc Iimitcd scnsc-not historioIoeicaI" ' ||s|c|sc|| ,
rathcr-qucstionine dcbatc" ' Ausc|oaodcsc|zuog
2 . Kao|hcc|
an attcmpt to qucstion what has not bccn said, instcad olwritinein a hxcd
way about what Kant said. Vhat has bccn said is insulhcicnt , what has not
bccnsaid is hIIcd with richcs.
J.
Thc distinction bctwccn aoal,||c and s,o||c||c|udemcnts and thcsc ways ol
udeine aways cxhibitd lor thcmscIvcs as charactcristics olhnitudc.
F|o||c|||o||ogis a tautoIoey, altcrthc lashion ola und circIc. Vhat docs
itmcan that thinkine iso||c
. C|||auc c]]udgmco|
Acs||c||cs
Cnyconsidcrcdlarcnoueh to bc abc toscc that it is not contradictcd.
ut now thc hiehcst corroboration olthc intcrprctation, scc D-, p. 2DB
|cmard transIation. p. !-B-tr. | . ikcwisc p. 2JB crnard transIation,
! 7
! 7 Kant and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 2J0-2J ! l
p. ! B -tr. l thc intclIieibIc whcrcrupon tastc |rc|cction-imaeination) ooks
out |into itscI|).
D.
Scc Kant skctch o| a Scicncc o| Dntclc as Immancnt ]hinkine. " Lcttcr to
Sie. cck. 20. . -2 |V Cassircrl , p. I I D ||. ).
. Kanthccl
maeiatio and cmpoaity
a
|
n !crmc t|c m|hcl, c t|c cncctc Pccct|cn. tc csscta oriein o
tcsc conccpts
7.
]hc |ourth scction is transatcd into Frcnch i n0ucst-ccaucl amtap|,s|auc`
by H. Corbin. I -JB ' at|sMctap|,s|cs` tr. . KrcII. ln. Mart|n Hc|dcgcr
8as|c wr|t|ngs |lcwYork. Harpcr G Row, I -77), pp. -D I I 2-tr. l .
Lcctcn5arttiscruciaI,|romthcrccineandTimc"is hrsttobcundcrstood.
scc my Frcnch Forward to this transIation.
D Cct. D
B. Conccpts o|Rc|Icction
Scc JI ||. isputation with cibniz-oeicaI doematism
Scc Conccptinecncra,cmpiricaI Conccpt, purcconccto|thcundcrstand
ine |Catceory) , purc conccpt o|rcason |ldca).
Appcnix I |2JI -2J2I !77
undcrwhichsub|cctivcconditions . . . canwc arrivc at conccpts"!83Io
I|wc askinthisway, wcstand inthc tclcx|c|rc|lcction 'hct-lcgaog ), not
in thc simpc" apprchcndine |cxposition) o|ch)ccts, inordcr to obtain Con-
ccpts |rom thcm |scttine|orth thc |undamcnta di||crcncc bctwccn scnsibiity
and undcrstandine, scc 832/)
Rccctine,wcpayattcntiontothcrcationshipo|eivcnrcprcscntations,i . c. ,
Conccpts i nthis casc, to our various sourccs o|knowcdec" |scc Mcdal|t,' )
|5cos|h|l|t, and Uodctstaod|og83 I o|Imaeination! Rcason!)).
Cnybymcans o|thcsc rcllcctivc eanccsbacktothcpowcrs o|knowcdec
can thc rcationship o|thc rcprcscntations undcr onc anothcr bc dctcrmincd
corrccty" |rcationship o|thc Conccpts, i . c. , |udemcnt and its truth |83 /)).
i . c. , ony so as to makc out in w||c|pcwcts thcy bcone toecthcr to which
|powcrs| thcy owc hcir spccihc unity |what kind o|synthcsis).
Thc tclc7|cconscqucnty. qucstion conccminethc unity o|thc mani|od
o| eivcn rcprcscntations |conccpts), morc prcciscy. ccctd|og tc t|c]ctam
hc]ctcwhich thcywoudbc `ccmpatcd. woud bccombincd"~d|scatsas ' and
that mcans at thc samc timc accordine to thc a proriuni|yineinstancc
To whichpowcro|thc undcrstandine docs a eivcn conccpt bcone!
Thccomparison o|rcprcscntations in ecncrawlawaysbc cmpoycd ina
powcro|thc Lndcrstandine. l canony hod toecthcr" this comparsonwith
thc powcr o|Knowcdec, and disccrn, distineuish, whcthcr bymcans o|this
comparison thc rcprcscntations wcrc thoueht as bconeine to purc Lndcr-
standineor to Scnsuousncss-JtaosccodcotalPclcct|co~|cw|ot|cccmpat|-
sco, t|cccmpat|og|ogcoctal |s t|cag|t ~w|ct|ctcot|c~ctcotclg|calwhcthcr
bconeine to Scnsuousncss or to thc purc Lndcrstandine, 832+, throueh
which what s rcprcscntcd in it, its obcct" 8325, i . c. , thc dctcrmination o|
thc `ttaosccodcotalplacc | Dttcs| |ibid). Thcrc|orc 83I 9|scc 3I 8) ]ransccn-
dcnta Rc|lcction" bcars on thc ob|ccts thcmscvcs" |is not mcrcy oeica
comparison 'Kcmpatat|co , i . c. , straieht comparine 'vctglc|c|co o|thc rcprc-
scntations as such), rathcr, as transccndcnta rcllcction it is thc Cround |or
thc possibiity o|ob|cctivc comparison 'ch)c|t|vcoKcmpatat|co 83I 9
^nswcr to thc qucstion. |or which powcr o| Knowcdec sha thc rcprc-
scntcd ob|cct bc! Vithout this transccndcnta rcllcction, amphiboy" crccps
in. con|usine thc ob|cct o|purc undcrstandine with appcarancc 32o.
8ymcanso|Catceorics, what constitutcsthcconccpto|anob|cct"|8325),
what bcones to an ob|cct assuch,isprcscntcd. "
y mcans o|thc |our titcs" |or thc conccpts o|rcllcction, ony thc ccm
pat|sco '\ctglc|c|aog| o| thc rcprcscntations, which prcccdc thc conccpts o|
thines" havc bccn prcscntcd.
Morc prcciscy-thc |orma ontooeica |') possibiitics |or thc comparine
\ctglc|c|cos arc in ecncra not important to thc transccndcnta pacc o| thc
rcprcscntations.
This probcm is important |or Kant bccausc thc doematic mctaphysics o|
7B Kant and thc FmbIcm o| MctaphysIcs | 22-2
|ormal loeic inthcwidcstscnschasbccnsurrcndcrcd up |scc J2conccm-
ineLc|ho|z' ), i. c. , thc manncr o| thinkinewhich a priori would|udec thines,
scc J!-.
-. MattcrIorm |scc J22||.)
!)takcnaspurcly|ormalizcd-and|romthcConccpto|whatisundcrstood
3 w|at|sdctco|oat|vc,dctctm|oaos ~.. aswhat a|hrms or nceatcs, crcatcd
ptcd|cat|vc, |aumeartcn) and at thc samc timc ttaosccodcotall, i.c. , in con-
ncction with thc possibility o|thc knowlcdec o|ob|cctsin ecncral. Ixprcsscd
hcrc as. thc dctcrminativc-thc dctcrminablc.
utthisi sonly possiblc onthc eroundso|thc intcntionality-transccndcncc
o| cxistcncc 'Dasc|os . It is hcrc that thc condition |or thc possibility and
|ormal ncccssity o| this corrclation is |ound.
I maynot,howcvcr, |ormallyand univcrsally crcatc this out o|thin air.
Ior Kant thc answcr can alrcady bc |ound hcrc. bccausc Iormal Loeic
which is not eroundcd in |undamcntal ontoloey, but is only in itscl|-is thc
most ccrtain.
Scc JD "appcrccption. and with it thoueht, prcccdcs all possiblc dctcr-
minativc ordcrine o|rcprcscntations. " Hcrc thc prcsupposition. which Kant
alonewithcscartcs and Lcibniz adhcrcd tothc mostorieinala prioriis |or
thcm thc I think," and it is in this that thc priority o| Loeic is eroundcd
]hat cscartcs's prcsupposition is still activc in this way |or Kant in a
complctcly di||crcnt prblcmatic prcvcnts |or thc most part its orieinal cm-
bcddine, and thcrc|orc onc can at thc lcast ovcrlook this prcsupposition. or
simply strikc it out.
It is synonymous with thc misundcrstandine o|thc problcm o|transccn-
dcncc.
2) but at thc samc timc, thc prcdominancc o| this scparation must bc
dcstroycd. and itmust lcad back to thc ontic-ontoloeical corrclatc.
]his is motivatcd by thc ancicnt ontoloeical di||crcncc 1W-OOc, nd
|rom this thc ptcduct|vc|ct|zco ' Hctstclluos|ctzcot comcs |orth. i. c. , |rm
thc complctclydctcrminc absolutizineo|thc ccoccptc]8c|o. cines as what
is at hand, and knowlcdec * dctcrminativc pcrccption o| thcsc bcines .
J) ]hc dominancc o| thc |ormalization must bc brokcn by mcans o|thc
cvidcncc that whilc cvcrythine is indccd intcrprctablc. at thc samc timc cv-
crythineisalsoconstraincdbya Schcma,whichdivcrtsit|romthc ontoloeical
problcmatic. dcrivcd |romthcorieinal, aswcllas |rom thcloeicalproblcmatic.
]hc purc. takcn ttaosccodcotall,, is matcrial to what is primary. c-
tcrminineprcsupposcswhatisdctcrminablc. ]husitappcarsrcmarkablc.with
Spacc and]imc, tosctthc Iormaswhatisprimaryahcad o|thcMattcr,which
makcs thcsc dctcrminablc, i. c. , lcs thcm bc cncountcrcd, in thc hrst placc,
Appcno l |2J1I I 79
J2. ut onc may not|udec hcrc in a purcy intccctua manncr accordine
to mcrc conccpts olthines thcmscvcs. Rathcr, lrom appcaranccs onc can scc
that Spacc and Timc prcccdc a data. Scc J222J conccmine thc usc ol
conccpts olmattcr.
Mattcr-mctaphysicay cxpaincd-purcy acccssibc, not throueh prcdi-
catcsthatapproachitas Cb|cct 'D|c|t , ob| cct" | Ccecnstand" nanothcr
scnsc, ob|cctolpcrccption |Ccecnstand dcrImpndune , thc authcnticay
cmpirca in scnsuous intuition, " Mctap|,s|cal Pt|oc|plcs c] Natutal 5c|cocc
Irkrune I, ^nmcrkune 2.
AFFLNDIX II
Imst Cassircr FhiIosophy o|SymboIic Iorms.
Fart ]wo. MythicaI ]houeht. crIin, I -2D
]his sccond voIumc o|Cassircr's ma or work i sdcdicatcd tothc mcmory
o| FauI latorp. ]hc titIc, MythicaI ]houeht,"couIdbc misIcadine, howcvcr,
in sueecstine that thc dominant thcmc o| thc invcstieation is to bc |ound in
a scparation o| thc mythicaI thoueht proccss |rom thc purcIy IoeicaI. lnstcad,
prcciscIy thc insu|hcicncyo|mythicaIthinkine"asa proccsso|undcrstand-
ine" is tobc broueht toIiehtbydcmonstratinethat itis eroundcdina spccihc
|orm o|Ii|c" in unity with an accompanyine |orm o|intuition. " ]houeht"
hcrc mcans nothine Icss than an attcndine and intcndine" ' 5|nncn und
!tac|tcn which, howcvcr, is stiII its own |orm o|thoueht" |its own way o|
intcrprctine and dctcrminine) . ]hc intcnt o| thc invcstieation is accordineIy
topursucthc uncovcrineo|myth" asanorieinaI possibiIity o|humanascin,
whichhasitsownpropcrtruth.Viththiswayo|posinethcqucstion,Cassircr
cxpIicitIy takcs up SchcIIine's insieht, that namcIy cvcrythine in it |in
mythoIoey') is to bc undcrstood in thc way that it is said, and not as |
somcthine cIsc is bcine thoueht, or somcthine cIsc is bcine said" |L|nlc|tung
|nd|cP||lcscp||cdcrM,t|clcg|c S. N 2. ^bt. l , I -D). Myth, thc dcstiny o|a
pcopIc" |SchcIIine) , is an Cbcctivc proccss," to which ascin itscI| rcmains
subordinatcd, and in opposition to which it can bccomc |rcc, but ncvcr in
such a way that it rcccts this proccss. I |Cassircr docs indccd hoId to this
basic insieht o| SchcIIine, and sccs in myth not a cakncss o| spirit," not a
mcrc appcarancc, but rathcrapropcr|ormativc |orcc,"hcncvcrthcIcsserasps
thc task o| a p||lcscp|, o| myth in a way that di||crs |rom SchcIIine's spccu-
Iativc mctaphysics. ^n cmpiricaI psychoIoeicaI cxpIanation" o|myth is ccr
tainIyncvcr capabIc o|attaininea p||lcscp||cal undcrstandine. ^ccordineIy, in
hoIdine to thc Cbcctivity" o| myth and in rccctine thc psychoIoeicaI intcr-
prctation, Cassircr attcmpts a phcnomcnoIoey o| mythicaI consciousncss. "
]his prcscnts itscI|asancxtcnsion o|thc transccndcntaI probIcmatic i nthc
nco-Kantianscnsc toconccivc o|thc unity o|cuIturc,"andnotonIynaturc,"
as thc Iaw|uIncss o| spirit. ]hc Cbcctivity" o| myth Iics in its propcrIy
undcrstoodsubcctivity" , myth isitsown spirituaI crcativc principIc o|worId
|ormation" |p. I-) ' !|cP||lcscp|, c]5,mhcl|cFcrms Fart 2. M,t||cal !|cug|t,
tr. R. Mannhcim |lcw Havcn YaIc Lnivcrsity Frcss, I-DD). p. I. Hcrca|tcr
citcd as 5,mhcl|Fcs tr. | .
ln accord with this startine point that is outIincd in thc lntroduction |pp.
^ppcndlx IIwas transatcd byFctcr Vamck.
! B0
Appcno H |2J-2J/ ! B!
! -J) ' 5,mhcl|c Fctms, pp. ! -2l . Cassircr intcrprcts myth as a |orm o|
thoueht" |Scction I , pp. J--!) '5,mhcl|c Fctms, pp. 27-70l , as a |orm o|
intuition" |Scction II, pp. -D ! BB) ' 5,mhcl|cctms , pp. 7 ! - ! D !

as a |orm
o|Ii|c" |Scction l, pp. ! -! -2BD) '5,mhcl|cFctms, pp. ! DJ-2J! l . Hc brines
cvcrythine to a closc by o||crine an account o| thc diaIcctic o| mythical
consciousncss" |Scction I pp. 2B--J20) ' 5,mhcl|cFctms, pp. 2JJ-2! l .
Thc anaIysis o|thc mythicaI]ctm c] t|cug|t bceins with a ecncral charac-
tcriation o| thc manncr in which obccts comc to stand in opposition to
mythicaI consciousncss. Thc consciousncss o| thc ob| ccts o| mathcmaticaI
physics as it is conccivcd in Cohcn's Kant intcrprctation scrvcs to euidc this
charactcrization. thcactivc|ormationo|apassivcIyeivcnchaoso|scnsations"
into a cosmos. "^basic |caturc o|thc mythicaI consciousncss o|Cbccts Iics
in thc |act that a dcmarcatcd boundary is lac|ogbctwccn what is drcamt o|
and what is cxpcricnccd whiIc awakc, bctwccnwhat is mcrcIy imaeincd and
whatis pcrccivcd, bctwccnimaec and thc obcctthatis |ormcd in thc imaec,
bctwccn word |mcanine) and thine, bctwccn what is mcrcIy wishcd |or and
what is actuaIIy posscsscd, and bctwccn what is Iivine and what is dcad.
Ivcrythinercmains incocuni|ormIcvcIo|cinethatis immcdiatclyprcscnt,
bywhich mythical ascin is dacd. This consciousncss o|obccts is cntitIcd
to its own pccuIiar and su|hcicnt cxplanation" and undcrstandine." Thc
co-prcscncc o| somcthine with somcthine cIsc eivcs" thc cxpIanation. thc
swallow produccs thc summcr. This brineine-with-itscI| ' M|ts|c|htogco| has
thc charactcr o|maeicaI powcr|scc bclow). Vhat |unctionshcrc as produccr
'M|thtogct| is not simply random, it is dctcrmincd |rom out o| thc basic
conncctcdncss thatoricntsthc maeicaIcxpcricncc. ^sarbitrary as thcsc mae-
icaI actuaI conncctions" may appcar, |or cxamplc, to a thcorctical considcr-
ationo|naturc, thcyncvcrthclcsshavcthcirowntruth. Mythicalthouehtdocs
not know thc anaIyticaI division o| thc actual into causaI scqucnccs. Thc
intcrwcavine o| thc maeicaIIy rcaI bccomcs cIcarIycvidcnt in thc conccption
o| thc rcIationship bctwccn whoIc and part. Thc part is" thc whoIc itscI|,
which mcans it has thc undiminishcd maeical powcr o| thc whoIc. Iach
thine"bcasinitscl|itsbcIoneinetoothcrthineswithinthcwholco|maeicaI
|orccs. In mythicaI thinkine what hoIds is thc Iaw o| thc concrcsccncc and
coincidcncc o|thc rcIationaI parts" |p. BJ) '5,mhcl|cFctms, p. .
Inthc sccond scction Cassircrshows thc c||cctthis |orm o|thouehthas on
thcundcrstandineo|spacc, timc and numbcr. ^ chaptcr prcccdcsthis myth-
ical doctinc o||orms" that iscntitIcd. J|c8as|cDppcs|t|co 'Ctuodgcgcosatz|
|pp. -D- !0) '5,mhcl|cFctms, pp. 7J-B2 . Thc charactcrization o|thc myth-
ical consciousncss o| obccts aIrcady showcd how mythicaI ascin is capti-
vatcd by what is prcscnt, dazcd and ovcrwhcImcd. Frcscncc mcans thc ovcr-
powcrine. Hcrcin Iics thc charactcr o| what is cxtraordinary, incomparablc
ovcr andaeainstthc cvcryda ut this is not a o|||locgat|vum Ithas indccd
itsowncharactcr o|cine, namclythat o| thc common," within thc horion
!B2 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2J7-2J9l
o|thc ovcrwhcmineIy uncommon. This basic divisio" bctwccn thc sacrcd
and thc pro|anc is thc basic articuIation o| thc actua, to which mythica
ascin comports" itscI|, whatcvcr that bcine in its constitution may bc. This
charactcr o| thc cine o| thc mythicaI word" and mythica ascin itsc| is
thc mcanine o|thc mana-tcptcscntat|cnwhich hascontinucd ovcr thc Iast |cw
ccnturics to stand out morc ccarIy in mythoIoeicaI rcscarch as onc, i| not
cvcn t|c basic caceory o| mythicaI thinkine. " Mana docs not dcsienatc a
dctcrminatc circIc o|Cb|ccts. Itaso cannotbc attributcd to ccrtain spiritua"
powcrs. Thc mana is thc mostecncraI charactcr o|cine, thc how" whcrcby
what is actuaI suddcnIy comcs ovcr thc cntircty o| human ascin. Thc cx
prcssions mana, "wakanda," orcnda," manitu" arc intccctions within thc
immcdiacy o| bcineovcrtakcn by thrcatcnine by bcines |p. -B||. , !-D|. 22B)
'5,mhcl|cFctms,p. 7| , ! DB|. , ! BDl SccasoI. Cassircr, 5ptac|cundM,t|cs.
5tud|cndct8|hl|ct|c| wathutg, ! -2D, p. D2||. ' anguagcandM,t|, tr. Susannc
Lanecr |lcwYork ovcr c Harpcr, I -) l . Hcrc thcrc is a stiII morc trans-
parcnt intcrprctation o|thcmana-rcprcscntationinthc contcxt o|thc probcm
o|Ianeuaec.
In thc orieinaI bcinedazcdbywhat is actua as thc mana, mythica ascin
carrics out thc articuIation o|thc dimcnsions inwhich ascin as suchaIways
arcady movcs thc intcrprctation and dctcrmination" o| spacc, timc, and
numbcr. Thc spccihcaIIy mythicaI modaIization o| thcsc rcprcscntations" L
aIso charactcrizcd bythc author in constant contrast to thc conccptuaI intcr
prctation that thcsc phcnomcna havc undcreonc in modcrn mathcmatica
physica knowIcdec.
Thc basic |ccIineo|thc sacrcd" and thc basic division" that iseivcnaIone
with it prcheurc both thc tota comprchcnsion o| spacc as wc as thc way in
which individua boundaics arc positcd within it. Thc orieinaI partitionine
o| spacc, in which it is hrst o| aII uncovcrcd as such, distineuishcs two
rceions" a sacrcd, " cxtraordinary, appropriatcIy prcscrvcd and protcctcd
rceion, and a common" rceion that is at a timcs acccssibIc to cvcryonc.
Spacc is, howcvcr, ncvcr eivcn prior to this in itscI|," in such a way that it
can thcn bc mythicaIIy intcrprctcd." Rathcr, mythica ascin hrst o| aI dis
covcrs spaccas suchinthis manncr.ThcmythicaI spatia oricntationisthcrcby
euidcd cvcrywhcrc by thc opposition bctwccn day and nieht, which |or its
part announccs itsc| primariIy mythicaIIy, that is, in thc spccihc mana-Iikc
powcr that |orccsa ascin into itsbindinespcI Tothc cxtcnt thatspatiaIity,
thus uncovcrcd, codctcrmincs in ecncra a possibIc habitat |or ascin, spacc
and its corrcspondine |acticaI division can bccomc a schcma |or thc most
mani|oId traits o|ascin |considcr, |or cxampc, thccompIicatcdcassihcation
o|thc totcmisticpcrccptuasphcrc). Mythica ascin procurcs |or itscI|in this
way a uni|orm ovcraII oricntation that can bc casiIy mastcrcd.
!mc is sti morc orieinaIIy constitutivc |or mythica ascin than spacc.
Cassircreroundsthccharactcrizationo|thcscconncctionsinthcvuIearconccpt
Appcno H l2J-2c0I !BJ
o|timc and undcrstands bythc tcmporaI" charactcr o| myth bcine-within
timc"-|or cxamplc, o|thc eods. Thc sacrcdncss" o| thc mythicaIIy actual is
dctcrmincd by its oriein. Thc past as such shows itscI|as thc ecnuinc and last
why'o|allbcines. lnthcpcriodicityo|thcscasons, inthcrhythm o|thc phascs
o|li|c and aec, thc powcr o| timc is madc cvidcnt. Thc individuaI scctions o|
timc arc sacrcd timcs. " Thccomportmcnttoward thcm, |ar |rombcineamcrc
caIcuIation, is rceuIatcd by particuIar cuIts and ritcs ||or cxampIc, initiation
ritcs). Thc ordcr o|timc, as an ordcr o| dcstiny, is a cosmic powcr and thus
makcsmani|cst in its rceularity a bindine obIieation that pcrvadcs aII human
practicc. CaIcndricaIrceuIation and cthicaIobIieationarc wcIdcd to thc powcr
o|timc. ThcbasicmythicaI-rcIieiousrcIationtotimc can thcncspcciaIIyacccn
tuatcanindividuaItimc oricntation. Thc individuaImodihcationso|thc di||cr
cnt |ccIines o|timc and thc conccptions o| timc that arc prcheurcd in thcsc
makcup onc o|thc most pro|ound dicrcnccs in thc charactcro|individuaI
rclieions."Cassircrshows|p. I D0||.) '5,mhcl|cFctms,p. I I-|. inbroadstrokcs
thc typicaI imaecs o timc that arc |ound in thc Hcbrcws, thc Fcrsians, thc
Indians, in Chincsc and Ieyptian rclieion, and in Crcck philosophy
Numhct|og and thc rcIations o| numbcr arc aIso undcrstood in mythical
ascin |rom out o|thc charactcr o|thc alI o|cvcrythinewhich is, |rom out
o|thcpowcr. Iachnumbcrhasits individual phsioenomy" itsown maeical
powcr. Vhat is cquaIIy numbcrcd prcscnts itscI| as onc and thc samc cs-
scnccwithout rceard to whcthcr thcrc is ncvcrthclcss a |undamcntal dicr
cncc-accordine to thc principIc o| concrcsccncc. aII maeic is |or thc most
partnumbcrmaeic" |p. I 7B) '5,mhcl|c Fctms , p. ! . lumbcrcd dctcrmi
natcncss docs not mcan ordcrine in a scqucncc, but rathcr bcIoneine to a
dctcrminatc domain o| thc uncommon. Thc numbcr is thc mcdiator that
connccts thc whoIc o| mythicaI actuaIity to thc unity o| a powcr|uII worId
ordcr. / mani|oId as thc |orms o|thc mythicaI doctrinc o|numbcrs maybc,
and asdi||crcnt as thc ways o|mythicaIIy cmphasizinethcdistinctivcncss o|
individuaI numbcrs ||or cxampIc, thrcc or scvcn) may bc, ccrtain orieinaI
prcheurations |or thc makine sacrcd o|individual numbcrs can ncvcrthclcss
bc indicatcd on thc basis o| thc particuIar kind o| mythical spatiaIity and
tcmporaIity. thc numbcr |our bccomcs sacrcd, |or cxampIc, bccausc o| thc
rceionso|thcsky Furthcrmorc,thcsacrcdncsso|thcnumbcrscvcneocsback
to thc powcr o| timc, which is madc cvidcnt in thc phascs o| thc moon,
thoueh a division by |our o|thc twcntyciehtday month that prcscntsitscl|
onits own to intuition, as itwcrc. In thc distinctivc cmphasis placcd mythi-
calIy upon thc numbcr thrcc, onc sccs, on thc othcr hand, thc orieinally
pcrsonal rcIation bctwccn |athcr, mothcr, and child comine throueh, ust as
thc dual and trinaI |orms in Ianeuaec rc|cr ack to thc rclationbctwccn I .
you, and hc. indine thcsc orieinaIIy pcwct]ul rcIations t onumbcrs i ssomc-
thinethat rcmains itscl|uttcrIy bound to havine thc charactcr o|thc mythi-
cally c|hcacious.
!B Kant and thc FmbIcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 20-22|
Irom thc analysis olthcmythical Cbjcctword anditsway olbcinc dis-
covcrcd and dctcrmincd, thc inquiry thcn tus toward su|)cct|vcactual|t,
and its unvcilincinmyth. Cassircrbccinsthisdiscussionwitha lundamcntal
and bitinc crltiquc ol animism," which sti dominatcs in thc most divcrsc
ways thcinvcsticationsolcthnoocicarcscarch. ]hcworld olmythicalOascin
cannot simpybcintcrprctcd onthcbasis olthc prcvaiincconccptionsolthc
soul, lor thcn thc subjcct" as such sti rcmains vcicd. ]o thc cxtcnt that
mythical Oascin is lamiiar with itscll at a, it docs not intcrprct itscl solcy
in rcation toa word thatiscraspcd purcyin tcrms olthincs. Cbjcct 'D|)c|t|
and subjcct and thc rcation bctwccn thcm isundcrstoodby mythica Oascin
within thc horizon olwhat makcs itscl cvidcnt as thc thc ccncral charactcr
olthc actual, that is, itisundcrstood intcrmsolmana. Vhathas tobcshown
hcrc isprcciscyhow mythicalOascin, which in its indctcrminatc ilc-lccinc"
rcmains bound to al bcincs, cnacts a conlrontation" bctwccn word and !
that ispropcrto it, rootcd in itsown spccihc wayolbcinc, i . c. , inits doinc."
]hcsphcrc olthcactual that is prlmarlly discovcrcd anddcimitcd in doinc,
in a pcculiar rclcctinc back upon doinc itscl, makcs doinc visiblc in its
dillcrcnt capabilitics."Vithin thc horlzon olmacica powcr onc own doinc
is a macical act. ]hc hrst lorcc 'Kta]t| by mcans olwhich thc human placcs
himscl as somcthinc propcr and indcpcndcnt ovcr and acainst thincs is thc
lorcc olw|s| ' wuosc|| |p. I -) '5,m|cl|cFctms, p. I D7| . ]hc abundancc ol
divlnc lorms that thc human crcatcs lor himscll not only sccs to cuidc it
hrouch thc sphcrc olobjcctivc bcinc and cvcnts but rathcr abovc allthrouch
hc sphcrc ol its own will and accomplishmcnt and illuminatcs this sphcrc
lrom wlthin" |p. 2D! ) '5,m|cl|c Fctms, p. 20J . ]hc lurthcr proccss ol thc
unvciinc ol subjcctivlty" and its ways ol comportmcnt is carricd out in thc
transition lrom naturcmyths to culturc-myths, unti hnay, in thc morc or
css maciclrcc manipulation ol tools, thc cinc-conncctcd bctwccn thincs
bccomcsmanilcst on its own tcrms asindcpcndcnt. ]hc human thcrcby lrccs
itscll lrom bcinc macicay bound to thincs and in a tcttcat]tom thc world
lcts that world bc cncountcrcd Cbjcctivcly"
ustas thc subjcct docsnot discovcr itscl in thccmcrccncc andrcturn ol
thincsthatstandpurcyovcrandacainstit, ncithcrisit thc casc thatadividcd
I-ou rcationship, or any such lorm olcommunity, is prlmarily constitutivc
lorthcunvcilincolsubjcctivity ]otcmism,whichisimpropcrlypositcd as thc
croundinc phcnomcnon ol mythica Oascin, cannot bc cxplaincd sociooci
cally Instcad, a social divisions and thc individuas that arc civcn aloncwlth
thcm, rcquirc, likc totcmism itscll, a croundinc" dcvclopcd lrom out olthc
oricinal way ol cinc ol mythica Oascin and thc mana-rcprcscntation that
dominatcs it. ]hc propcr probcm ol totcmism ics in thc lact that not only
thc human as such stands in a ccrtain incxtricablc rclation to thc anima or
thc plant,butthatcachpatt|culatcroup hasitsown particuar totcmic anima.
Iarmcrs, hcrdsmcn, and huntcrs cach discovcr thcmsclvcs in rclcrcncc to
Appcno H |2c2-2cJ !BJ
pIants and animaIs i n a way that i s pccuIiar t o cach and that makcs itscI|
cvidcnt immcdiatcIy as a maeicaIa|hIiation. ^t thc samc timc, howcvcr, this
rc|crcncc makcs it possibIc, in a rccctine back, |or thc pcrtincnt human Ii|c
sphcrcstobccomc cxpIicitas such. Totcmismisnot causcdbyparticuIarkinds
o|pIants and animaIs but rathcr cmcrecs |rom out o| thc cIcmcnta ascin-
rcIationso|thc human to its worId.
CnIywhcnthinesarc eroundcdin thc mana-rcprcscntation docsitthcnaIso
bccomc possibIc to conccivc how individuaI scccosc|casocss takcs shapc and
howthc conccpt" o|thc scal comcs to bc articuIatcd. Vhat is Iatcr conccptu
aIIy distineuishcd as body and souI, or Ii|c and dcath, is indccd aIso aIways
aIrcadyactuaI |or mythicaI ascinbut in thc modc o|maeicaI powcr, accordine
towhichwhatisdcadaIso , and a |orcc o|thc souI makcs itscI|known cvcn
whcn tc human mct with is not cncountcrcd bodiI CnIy in thc unity o|
maeicaI c|hcacycanthc individuaI |orccs o|thcsouI or thcindividuaI souIs"
appcar as spIit apart and dwcII aIone sidc onc anothcr. CorrcspondineIy thc
"dcvcIopmcnt"o|individuaIascinL aIsodistributcdamonedi||crcntsubccts,
bctwccn which dctcrminatc transitions takc pIacc. Inits bcine thrcatcncd by
maeicaI powcrs, mythicaI ascin's own" souI stands asan aIicn" powcrovcr
and aeainst it. Ivcnwhcrcthcrcprcscntationo|protcctivc spiritsisawakcncd,
onc own scI| is stiII a powcr, as it wcrc, which protcctivcIy takcs up thc
individuaI I. CnIy hrst at hiehcr IcvcIs docs thc maeicaI dacmon bccomc
da|mco|coandecnius,insuchawaythatascininthccndcomcstodctcrminc
itscI| not as an aIicn powcr but rathcr |rom out o|that |or which it is |rccIy
capahlc,|rom itscI| and |or itscI|as an cthicaI subcct.
I|thc powcr and uncommonncss o| thc divinc primariIy and thorouehIy
dominatcsmythicaIascin, thcnthcbasic comportmcnttoactuaIitycanncvcr
bc a mcrc intuition but is rathcr in Iikc manncr an actuaIizine that takcs on
thc |orm o| cult and r|tc ^II mythicaI narration is aIways onIy a dcrivativc
rcporto|sacrcddcaIines. InthcscsacrcddcaIines incontrast mythicaIascin
prcscntsitscI|immcdiatcIy Thc carIicr thc cuIt takcsshapc, thcmorcsacr|]cc
assumcs accntraIposition. Sacrihccis indccd arcnunciation, butatthc samc
timc it is stiII a dcaIinethat is coactcdh, cocscjwhichprcparcs thc way |or
accrtainrcIcasc|rom thccxcIusivcpowcro|maeicaI|orccs.Thcrcin,howcvcr,
thc |rcc powcr o| ascin is cxposcd and at thc samc timc thc cIc|t bctwccn
thchumanandthcdivincwidcns, soastodcmand atahiehcrIcvcI arcncwcd
ovcrcomine.
Inthisway,myth bccomcs visibIcasaunihcdautonomous|ormativcpowcr.
Mythic shapcs dispIay an inncr diaIcctic in which carIicr |orms arc cxpandcd
and trans|ormcd but notsimpIy rccctcd. Thc mythicaI proccss" carrics itscI|
out in ascinitscI|withoutrccction. Vhcn thisproccsshasrunthrouehits
possibiIitics, it itscI|comcs up aeainst its o ovcrcomine. Cassircrsccks to
showthisdiaIccticinthcdi||crcntpositionsthatmythassumcstowarditsown
worId-imaec |p. 2-0) '5,mhcl|cFcrms, p 2JD .
IB Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 2J-2JI
]his briclaccount has tolorcco cvcn a slicht trcatmcnt olthc rich cthno-
locical and rclicious historical matcrial that crounds Cassircrs intcrprctation
olmyth and thathcvorks into thc individual analyscsvithhis uniquc talcnt
lor pcrspicacious and apt prcscntation. In makinc availablc to thc author its
ctcnsivc and rarc collcctions, as vcll as and cspccially thc usc ol its cntirc
lacilitics, thcVarburcbraryinHamburc providcd cccptional assistancc in
thcvork|orcvord, p iii) |5,mhcl|cFcrms, p viii ^monc thc analyscs ol
mythical phcnomcna cspccially notcvorthyarc thosc dcalinc vith thc lunc
tion ol thc tool in thc unvcilinc ol Cbjcctvorld, and thosc dcalinc vith
sacrihcc |p. ll. ) |5,mhcl|cFcrms p. l .
Cur approach to thc philosophy o l myth outlincd hcrc must pursuc thrcc
points irst, it must bc askcd. Vhat docs this intcrprctation achicvc lor thc
croundinc and cuidinc ol thc positivc scicnccs ol mythical Oascin |cthnolocy
and thc history olrclicion)` ]hcn it bccomcs ncccssary to caminc thc loun-
dations and mcthodolocical principlcs that support thc philosophical analysis
ol thc csscncc ol myth. ^nd hnally thc basic qucstion ariscs conccinc thc
constitutivclunctionolmythinhuman Oascin andinthc allolbcincsassuch.
Vithrccardtothc hrstqucstion, Cassircrsvorkprovcsitsclltobc alruitlul
succcss It brincs thc problcmatic ol thc positivc rcscarch into myth to a
lundamcntally hichcr lcvcl by carryinc out in a varicty ol vays thc dcmon-
stration thatmythcanncvcrbccplaincd" byhavincrccoursc todctcrminatc
sphcrcs olCbjccts vithin thc mythical vorld ]hc critiquc that is dircctcd in
this vay acainst thc naturalistic, totcmistic, animistic, and sociolocical at-
tcmpts at cplanation is thorouchly unambicuous and dcvastatinc. ]his cri-
tiquc, lor its part, is croundcd in thc anticipatory dctcrmination ol myth 3
onc lunctional lorm |Fuo|t|cos]crm| ol spirit, havinc its ovn lavs. Il this
conccption ol myth can prcvail in cmpirical rcscarch, thcn sccurc cuidancc
has bccn caincd both lor thc initial appropriation and intcrprctation olncvly
discovcrcd matcrial as vcll as lor thc claboration and cploration ol alrcady
cstablishcd rcsults.
ct ilthis intcrprctation ol myth is to bc udccd not only vith rccard to
vhat it achicvcs as a cuidc in thc positivc scicnccs but also vithrccard to its
cop||lcscp||cal contcnt, thcn thc lollovinc qucstionsarisc is thc prcdctcr-
mination ol myth as a lunctional lorm olcrcativc consciousncss adcquatcly
croundcdonitsovn tcrms`Vhcrcarcthcloundationslorsuchanadmittcdly
unavoidablc croundinc to bc lound` ^rc thc loundations thcmsclvcs
sulhcicntly sccurcd and claboratcd` Cassircrs gmuod|ogolhis cuidinc prcdc-
tcrmination ol myth as a crcativc lorcc |h|ldcodcr Kra]t| ol spirit |symbolic
lorm") is csscntially an appcal to Kants Copcrnican rcvolution," accordincto
vhich all actuality" is to bc considcrcd as a lormation ol productivc con-
sciousncss.
]obccin vith, thcrc arc cood rcasons to doubt vhcthcr thc intcrprctation
carricd out by Cassircr and, in ccncral, by nco-Kantian cpistcmolocy olvhat
Appcno H |2cJ-2ccI !B7
Kant mcansbythc "Copcrnicanrcvoution"ectsat thc kcrnc o|thc transccn
dcnta probcmatic as an ontooeica probcmatic in its csscntia possibiitics.
ut cavine that asidc. can thc critiquc o|purc rcason simpy bc "cxtcndcd"
to a "critiquc o|cuturc"! Is it in |act so ccrtain oris itnot rathcr compctcy
inqucstionastowhcthcrinthc hrstpacc thc |oundations|orKant'sownmost
transccndcnta intcrprctation ol "naturc" havc bccn cxpicity caboratcd and
eroundcd! Howdo thinesstand with rceard to thc ovcra unavoidabc onto
oeica caboration o| thc constitution and way o| cine o| what is namcd,
vaeucy cnoueh, somctimcs "consciousncss," somctimcs "i|c," somctimcs
"spirit," somctimc"rcason"! To bc surc, hc]ctc itbccomcs a qucstion o|thc
possibc usc o|Kant in thc scnsc o|"cxtcndine" his probcm, it is hrst o|a
ncccssary to cari|y thc basic and probcmatic dcmands harborcd in thc as-
sumptionthat myth is a |unctiona |orm o| "spirit. " Cny|romhcrc can it bc
dccidcd whcthcr and to what cxtcnt an appropriation o| thc qucstions or
schcmata poscdbyKantis intrinsicay possibc andustihcd.
Thcintcrprctation o|thc csscncc o|mythasa possibiity o|humanascin
rcmainsrandomanddircctioncssasoneasitcannotbceroundcdinaradica
ontooey o| ascin in ieht o| thc probcm o| cine in ecncra. Thc basic
probcms that arisc hcrc cannot bc discusscd in this contcxt. Lct it su|hcc i|
wc canbrinetoieht, throuehanimmancntcritiquco|Cassircrsintcrprctation
o|myth, scvcra o|thc main probcms in thcir unavoidabiity, so as thcrcby
to providc a p||lcscp||cal rchncmcnt and carihcation o| thc task poscd by
Cassircr. Cassircrhimsc|strcsscd |Forcword, p. xiii)thathisinvcstieationwas
to bc"mcrcy a hrst bceinnine. "
Thc prcoccupation with thc ncoKantian probcm o| consciousncss is o|
suchittchcpthatitactuayprcvcntseainineaerasponthcccntraprobcm.
This is arcadycvidcnt in thc arranecmcnt o|thc work. Instcad o|takineup
thc intcrprctation o|mythica ascinintcrmso|a ccntracharactcrization o|
thc constitution o|thc cineo|thisbcine, Cassircrbceinswithananaysis o|
thc mythica consciousncss o|obccts, thc |orm o|its thoueht and thc |orm
o|its intuition. Cassircr docs indccd scc ccaIy that thc|orms o| thouehtand
intuition mustbc traccd back tothc mythica "|orm o|i|c"as thc "spirituay
primordia" |p. B-||.) '5,mhcl|cFctms, p. -||. . ut thc cxpl|c|taods,stcmat|c
cucidationo|thcorieino|thc|ormso|thouehtand intuition|romouto|thc
"|ormo|i|c" is ncvcrthccss not carricd throueh. That thcscorieinaconncc-
tions do not comc to ieht, and that indccd thc pbcmitsc|o|thc possibc
inncrink bctwccn thc |orms o|i|c, o|thoueht, and o| intuition isnot cvcn
poscd, dcmonstratcs thc indchnitcncss o|thc systcmatic pacc o|maoatcptc-
sco|at|co to which Cassircr incvitaby rcturns in his trcatmcnt o| a csscntia
mythica phcnomcna. Thc mana-rcprcscntation is not dcat with amone thc
|ormso|thoueht , and yct itisaso not dcvcopcd as a |orm o|intuition. Itis
thcmaticay discusscd in thc transition |rom thc |ormo|thoueht to thc |orm
o|intuition undcr thc titc hc asic Cpposition. "Thisismorcan cxprcssion
!BB Kant ahd thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2-2BI
o|a prcdicamcnt than itisthcprcscntation o|thc structuraI dctcrminationo|
this rcprcscntation" |rom out o| thc whoIc structurc o|mythicaI ascin as
such. ^t thc samc timc, howcvcr, thc mana-rcprcscntation is rcpcatcdIy dcs
ienatcd as thc |undamcntaI |orm o|thoueht. "^nd Cassircr's anaIysis o|thc
mana-rcprcscntation docs indccd havc a ccrtain importancc ovcr and aeainst
thc convcntionaI intcrprctation, tothccxtcntthathcdocsnoteraspthc mana
as a bcineamone othcrbcines but instcad sccs in it thc how" o|cvcrythine
that is mythicaIIy actuaI, namcIy, thc cine o| thcsc bcines. CnIy thcn, how-
cvcr, docs thc ccntraI probIcm cmcrec, inso|ar as it must bc askcd. is this
ndamcntaI rcprcscntation" smpIy prcscnt at hand in mythicaI ascin or
docs it bcIone to thc ontoIoeicaI constitution o|mythicaI ascin! ^nd i|this
Iattcr, aswhat! ln thc mana-rcprcscntation, what bccomcs cvidcnt isnothine
othcr than thc aodctstaod|og c] 8c|og that bcIones to cvcry ascin as such.
This undcreocs spccihc trans|ormations accordine to cach basic way o|
ascin cine-in this casc, thc mythicaI -and it iIIuminatcs in advancc
thoueht and intuition. This insieht, howcvcr, Icads to thc |urthcr qucstion.
w|ic| is thc basic way o| cine o| mythicaI Ii|c, "such that within this Ii|c
prcciscIythcmana-rcprcscntationcan|unctionasthcIcadineandiIIuminatine
undcrstandine o|cine! Thc possibIc answcrtothisqucstion prcsupposcs, to
bc surc, an anticipatory cIaboration o| thc basic ontoIoeicaI constitution o|
ascin as such. l| this basic constitution Iics in thc carc" that is to bc
undcrstood cotc lcg|call, |. 5c|o aod Zc|t.]a|r|.] P||lcs a. p|aocmcoclcg
Fcrsc|aogvoI. Vlll | ! -27) , pp. I B0-2J0 , thcn it bccomcs cIcar that mythicaI
ascinis primariIy dctcrmincdthrouehthrownncss. " Vc caneivc hcrc onIy
a prcIiminary indication o| thc manncr in which a eroundcd articuIation
movcs |rom thrownncss" to thc ontoIoeicaI structurc o|mythicaI ascin.
ln thrownncss" thcrc is a bcinedcIivcrcd-ovcr o|ascin to thc worId, so
that this bcine-inthc-worId is ovcrwhcImcd by that to which it is dcIivcrcd
ovcr. Cvcrpowcrinencss as suchis capabIc on thc whoIc o|announcineitscI|
onIy]cra bcine that is dcIivcrcd ovcr to somcthine. ln thisbcine rc|crrcd to
thc ovcrpowcrine, ascinisdazcd |, itand iscapabIc thcrc|orc o|cxpcricnc-
ineitscI|onIyasbcIoneinetoanda|hIiatcdwiththis actuaIityitscI|. lnthrown-
ncss any and aII uncovcrcd bcines havc, accordineIy, thc cinecharactcr o|
ovcrpowcrinencss |mana) . l| thc ontoIoeicaI intcrprctation wcrc to push |or-
ward to thc spccihc tcmporaIity" that erounds thrownncss, thcn it couId bc
madc onoIoeicaIIyundcrstandabIcw|,and|cwwhatisactuaIasmanaaIways
makcs itscI| cvidcnt in a spccihc instantancousncss. " ln thrownncss thcrc is
a propcrbcine drivcn hcrc and thcrc that is opcn |rom out o| itscI||or what
is aIways in cach casc thc suddcnIycxtraordinary Thc spccihc catceorics" o|
mythicaI thoueht must thcnbc dcduccd" by|oIIowine thc euidine thrcad o|
thc manarcprcscntation.
^nothcr phcnomcnon in this indissociabIc eroup cmcrecs |rom out o| thc
qucstion conccrnine mythicaI ascin's basic comportmcnt and its comport-
Appcno H |2c8-2cI !B9
mcnt to itscI|. Thc "hrst |orcc"|powcr) inwhich myhicaI ascin own cine
bccomcsmani|cst to it, accordine to Cassircr is thc |orcc o|thc w|s| |p. I9+)
'5,mhcl|cFctms, p. I 5/| ut w|, is it thc hrst! Vc must makc visibIc how
this wishine is aIso rootcd in thrownncss and dcmonstratc how thc |mcrc)
wish, on thc basis o| a pccuIiar non-survcy 'N|c|thctsc|auco o| its many
possibiIitics, can havc thc |orcc o| this c|hcacy CnIy whcn wishine itscI| is
undcrstood in advancc as bound to mana can it makc itscI|cvidcnt as such
an"c||cctine. "utwhcnwishineis supposcd to constitutcthc"con|rontation"
bctwccn worId and I, thcn itmustbc notcd thatthcsckinds o|comportmcnt
o|mythicaIascinarc aIways onIywaysaccordinetowhichthc ttaosccodcocc
o|ascin toward itsworId isuovc|lcdbut not hrst produccd. ]hc "con|ronta
tion" is gtcuodcd in thc transccndcncc o| ascin. ^nd mythicaI ascin can
thcrcbyidcnti|y|tscjw|t| Cbccts onIy bccausc it comports itscI|toits worId
asabcine-inthc-worId. ut howthis propcrIy undcrstoodtransccndcncc can
bcIonetoascin has tobcshown. ceinninewitha chaoso|"scnsations"that
arc "|ormcd" is not onIy insu|hcicnt |or thc phiIosophicaI probIcm o| tran-
sccndcnccbutaIrcadycovcrsovcrthcorieinaIphcnomcnon o|transccndcncc
asthccondition |orthc possibiIity o|any "passivity" Hcncc, abasic con|usion
aIso ariscs in Cassircr's taIk o| "imprcssions". somctimcs what is mcant is thc
purc scnsationIikc a||cction. somctimcs, howcvcr, thc bcine dazcd by thc
actuaIitscI|. undcrstood asbound tomana. Tobc surc, thc manaisoctgtaspcd
as awa, c] 8c|ogin mythicaI ascin itscI|, but rathcr it is eraspcd as what is
itscI|bound to mana, that is, it is rcprcscntcd as a bcine. Ior this rcason thc
ontic intcrprctations o|mana arc aIso not compIctcIy un|ustihcd.
Cassircr. in charactcrizine thc |ormativc powcr o| myth, o|tcn spcaks o|
mythicaI p|aotas, ut this |undamcntaI capabiIity rcmains compIctcIy un-
cIari|cd. Is it a |orm o| thoueht or a |orm o| intuition! Cr both! Cr cvcn
ncithcr o| thc two! Hcrc an oricntation eidcd by thc phcnomcnon o| thc
transccndcntaI powcr o| imaeination, and its ontoIoeicaI |unction within thc
Ct|t|aucc]Putccascoand thc Ct|t|aucc]]udgmcot,an orcntationthatadmit-
tcdIywouIdIic|ar|romnco-Kantianism.couIdhavcatIcast madcitcIcarthat
anintcrprctation o|thc mythicaI undcrstandine o|cine is much morc Iaby-
rinthinc andabysmaI than is sueecstcd by Cassircr`s prcscntation.
IinaIIy, wc muststiII indicatc thc mct|cdclg|calmaximswhich scrvc as thc
euidcIincs in Cassircr`s attcmpt at intcrprctinethcphcnomcna o|ascin. "]hc
basic ruIc which eovcrns aII dcvcIopmcnt, namcIy that spirt achicvcs truc
andcompIctcinwardncssonIyincxprcssineitscI" |p. 2+2, scc I93, 229, 2+o,
2o/) '5,mhcl|cFctms, p. I9o,sccpp. I5o, I85, I 992, 2 I / ^eroundine
is aIso nccdcd hcrc that wouId account |orwhy this basic ruIc prcvaiIs. ^nd
thcrcisnccd|oran answcrto thcbasic qucstion. which is thc constitution o|
thc cine o|human ascin as such, such that it comcs to its own scI|onIy
byway o|this dctour throueh thc worId! Vhat do scIlhood 5clhst|c|t and
indcpcndcncc '5clhstod|g|c|t mcan!
!90 Kaht and thc Fmblcm ol MctaphysIcs | 29-270
^nd yct, in aII this thc |undamcntaI phiIosophicaI probIcm o|myth is not
yct rcachcd in what way docs myth in ecncraI bcIone to ascin as such! ln
what rcspcct is myth an csscntiaI phcnomcnonwithina univcrsaI intcrprcta
tion o| cine as such and its modihcations! Vhcthcr a phiIosophy o|sym-
boIic |orms" attains a soIution. or onIy thc cIaboration o|thcsc qucstions, is
somcthinethathcrccan bcIc|tundcvcIopcd. ^cccss to thcsc qucstionsisrst
acquircd not onIy whcn all symboIic |orms" arc prcscntcd,but rathcr abovc
aII whcn aIso thc basic conccpts o|this systcm arc thorouehIycIaboratcdand
broueht back to thcir uItimatc |oundations. Scc now thc admittcdIy stiII
ecncraI and too |rcc-|Ioatinediscussions by Cassircrin hisIccturc, Thc Frob
Icm o|SymboI and lts FIacc in a Systcm o|FhiIosophy"Zc|tsc|t|]t]atst|ct||
uodallgcmc|oc Kuostw|sscosc|a]tco, l | I-27). pp. 2-D||.
Thc criticaI qucstions that havc bccn raiscdhcrc cannot dctract |rom thc
importancc o|Cassircr's work. which Iics prcciscIy in its havine pIaccd myth
as a systcmatic probIcm, |or thc hrst timc sincc SchcIIine, oncc aeain wthin
thc sphcrc o|phiIosophicaIinquiy. Thc inquirywiIIrcmainavaIuabIc startine
point |or a rcncwcd phiIosophy o| myth, cvcn i|itis not|oincd to a phiIos-
ophy o|symboIic |orms. "To bc surc, it wiII havc this vaIuc onIy i|wc erasp
in a manncr that is morc rcsoIutc than hcrcto|orc that cvcn such a rich
prcscntation o|thc phcnomcna o|spirit, runnine as it docs aeainst thc dom-
inant consciousncss. is ncvcr at aII phiIosophy itscI|, whosc nccd hrst crupts
whcn its |cw cIcmcntary and basic probIcms, havine rcmaincd unconqucrcd
sincc antiquity. arc ncwIy takcn up.
AFFENDIX III
avos Lccturcs
K^lT'S CPl!l0L DFPPLDN^l THI T^SK CF ^
L^YIlC CF THI CRCLl FCR MIT^FHYSICS
Thcsc Iccturcs arc to dcmonstratc thc thcsis. Kant Cr|t|aucc] PurcPcasco
is a, or rathcr thc hrst, cxprcss eround-Iayine |or mctaphysics.
|lceativcIy, and in opposition to thc traditionaI intcrprctation o| nco-
Kantianism, that mcans it is no thcory o| mathcmaticaI, naturaI-scicntihc
knowIcdec -it is not a thcory o|knowIcdec at aII.)
Throueh thc cIucidation o| this Iayine o|thc eund |or mctaphysics, it
shouIdbccomcIcaratthcsamctimcthatandhowthcqucstiono|thccsscncc
o|humanbcines is csscntiaIIywithin a mctaphysics o|mctaphysics. "
Thc main cmphasis o| thc cxpIanations thus Iics in provine thc intrinsic
thrust o| thc probIcmatic o| thc eround-Iayine, thc maor stcps, and thcir
ncccssity.
^ccordineIy. thc division o|thc whoIc is thrcc|oId
! . Thc Iayine o|thceround |or mctaphysics in thc point o|dcparturc,
2. Thc Iayine o|thceround |rmctaphysicsin thc carryine-throueh,
J. Thc Iayine o|thc eround |or mctaphysics inits orieinaIity
/ to ! . Kant'spointo|dcparturc in traditionaI mctaphysics dctcrmincsthc
|ormo|thc probIcm. I|Mctap|,sca5pccalsconstitutcs thc knowIcdec o|thc
supcrscnsibIc |thc totaIity o| worId, souI immortaIity Cod),

thc propcr
mctaphysics" |Kant), thcn thc qucstion o| its possibiIity ecncraIIy runs as
|oIIows. How is knowIcdec o| bcines in ecncraI possibIc! I| thc prcvious
undcrstandine o|thc constitution o| thc cine o|bcines bcIones to thc pos-
sibiIity o|thc knowIcdec o|bcines, thcn thc qucstion conccmine thc possi-
biIity o|ontic knowIcdec isthwnback onto thc qucstion o|thc possibiIity
o| cotclcgcal |knowIcdec , i. c. , thc Iayine o| thc eound |or Mctap|,s|a
pc|al|s is |ocuscd on thc Iayine o| thc eround |or Mctap|,s|a Ccocral|s
|ontoIoey).
It is thcn shown how this qucstion conccrnine thc possibiIity o| ontoIoey
assumcs thc |orm o|thc probIcm o|a Critiquc o|Furc Rcason. "
^s to . To undcrstand thc carryine-throueh o| thc eround-Iayine, it is
cruciaI tomakc cIcarthat and howthc purcIy |umao, i. c. , ]o|tcrcason, aIonc
dcIimits thc sphcrc o|thc probIcmatic in advancc. Tothis cnd, it isncccssary
! 9!
!92 Kant and thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 272-27JI
tocmphasic thc csscncc o|hnitc knowIcdec inecncra and thc basic char-
actcr o| hnitudc as such. Irom this, thc insieht into thc mctaphysica-not
thc psychoIoeica and scnsuaistic-conccpt o| scnsibiity as hnitc intuition
ariscs |or thc hrst timc. ccausc thc intuition o| human bcines is hnitc, it
rcquircs thinkine, which as such is hnitc throueh and throueh. |Thc idca o|
an inhnitc thinkine is an absurdity)
Finitc knowIcdec consists o| two basic sourccs o| thc mind" |scnsibiIity
and undcrstandine) or o| two stcms" which pcrhaps" sprine |orth |rom a
comon but to us unknown. ot. "
Thc cucidation o| thc possibiity o| ontooeicaI knowcdec |synthctic a
priori knowIcdec) bccomcs thc qucstion o| thc csscncc o| a purc"
|cxpcricncc-|rcc) synthcsis o|purc intuition and purc thoueht.
Thc ma|or staecs o| thc canine-throueh o| thc eround-Iayine, thcrc|orc
arc thc |oIIowine.
a. Thc cmphasiine o|th clcmcots o|thc csscncc o|purc knowcdec. i.c. .
o|purc intuition |spacc, timc) and purc thinkine |TransccndcntaI ^cs-
thctic and ^naytic o|thc Conccpts) .
b. Charactcriation o|thc csscot|al uo|t, o|thcsc ccmcnts in purcsynthcsis
| o| thc 2d cd. ) .
c. IIucidation o| thc |ooct pcss|h|l|t, o| this csscntiaI unit, i . c. , o| purc
synthcsis |TransccndcntaI cduction) .
d. nvciIine o| thcgcuods |or thc possibiity o|thc csscncc o|ontoIoeicaI
knowIcdec |chaptcr on Schcmatism) .
^s to J. Thc eroundIayine in its orieinaity
Cutcomc o|thc |ormcr. thc eround |or thc possibiity o|a priori synthctic
knowIcdec is thc transccndcnta powcr o| imaeination. In thc coursc o|thc
eround-Iayine Kant introduccd a t|itd basic sourcc o|thc mind. contrary to
thc opcrativc point o|dcparturc.
This docs not Iic bctwccn" both o|thc prcviousIy citcd stcms, but rathcr
is thcir root.
This |root is indicatcd by thc |act that purc scnsibiIity and purc undcr-
standinecadbacktothcpowcro|imaeination-notonIy this, buttothcorcti-
caI and practicaI rcason in thcir scparatcncss and thcir unity
Thc point o|dcparturc in rcason has thusbccn brokcn asundcr.
Vith that Kant himsc|. throueh his radicaIism. was broueht to thc brink
o|a position |rom which hc had to shrink back.
It impIics. dcstruction o|thc |ormcr |oundation o| Vcstcrn mctaphysics
|spirit lcgcs, rcason).
It dcmands a radicaI, rcncwcd unvciineo|thc erounds |or thc possibiIity
o| mctaphysics as naturaI disposition o| human bcines, i. c. . a mctaphysics o|
ascin dircctcd at thc possibiity o| mctaphysics as such, which must posc
thc qucstion conccrninethc csscncc o|human bcines in awaywhich ispt|ct
tc aI phiosophicaI anthropooey and cutura phiosophy
AFFENDIX lV
^VCS ISFT^TICl ITVIIl IRlST C^SSlRIR
^l M^RTIl HIlICCIR
Cass|tctVhatdocsHcidceecrundcrstand by nco-Kantianism! Vhoisthc
opponcnt to whom Hcidceecr has addrcsscd himscI|! l bcIicvc that thcrc is
hardIy a sineIc conccpt which has bccn paraphrascd with so IittIc cIariy as
that o|nco-Kantianism. Vha docsHcidceecrhavc inmindwhcn hc cmpIoys
his own phcnomcnoIoeicaI critiquc in pIacc o| thc nco-Kantian onc! lco-
Kantianism is thc whippine boy o|thcncwcrphiIosophyTo mc, thcrc is an
abscncc o| cxistine nco-Kantians. l wouId bc thank|uI |or somc cIarihcation
as towhcrcitishcrc thatthcdi||crcnccpropcrIyIics. lbcIicvc that absoIutcIy
nocsscntiaIdi||crcncc ariscs. Thc tcrm nco-Kantianism" mustbcdctcrmincd
|unctionaIIy rathcr thansubstantiaIIy Itisnot a mattcr o|thc kind o|phiIos-
ophy as doematic doctrinaI systcm, rathcr. it is a mattcr o|a dircction takcn
in qucstion-posine. ^s I had not cxpcctcd to hnd it in him, l must con|css
that l havc |ound a nco-Kantian hcrc in Hcidceecr.
Hc|dcgcr Ior thc prcscnt, i| l shouId namc namcs, thcn l say Cohcn,
indcIband, Rickcrt, Irdmann, RichI. Vccan onIyundcrstand what iscom-
mon to nco-Kantianism on thc basis o|its oriein. Thc ecncsis |o|nco-Kant-
ianism Iicsinthcprcdicamcnt o|phiIosophyconccrninethc qucstiono|what
propcrIy rcmains o|it in thc whoIc o|knowIcdec. Sincc about !BD0 it has
bccn thc casc that both thc human and thc naturaI scicnccs havc takcn
posscssiono|thc totaIityo|whatisknowabIc,sothatthc qucstion ariscs what
stiII rcmains o| FhiIosophy i|thc totaIity o|bcines has bccn dividcd up undcr
thc scicnccs! lt rcmains ust knowIcdec o| scicncc, not o|bcines. ^nd it is
|rom this pcrspcctivc that thcrctroercssion toKantisthcndctcrmincd. Con-
scqucntIy, Kantwassccn asa thcorcticiano|thcmathcmatico-physicaI thcory
o| knowIcdec. Thcory o| knowIcdec is thc aspcct accordine to which Kant
camc to bc sccn. In a ccrtain scnsc, HusscrI himscI| |cII into thc cItchcs o|
nco-Kantianism bctwccn ! -00and I -I 0.
I undcrstand by nco-Kantianism that conccption o| thc Ct|||auc c] Putc
Pcasco which cxpIains with rc|crcncc to naturaI scicncc, thc part o| purc
rcason that Icads up to thc TransccndcntaI iaIcctic as thcory o| knowIcdec.
!9J
! 9 Kaht ahd thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 27J-27I
ormc,vhatmattcrsistoshovthatvhatcamctobccxtractcdhcrcasthcory
ol scicncc vas noncsscntia lor Kant. Kant did not vant to civc any sort ol
thcory olnatura scicncc, but rathcr vantcd to point out thcprobcmatic ol
mctaphysics,vhichis to say, thc probcmaticolontoocyVhatmattcrs to mc
is to vork this corc contcnt ol thc positivc ccmcnt ol thc Cr|t|auc c] Purc
Pcasco into ontoocy in a positivc vay Cn thc crounds ol my intcrprctation
ol thc Oiacctic as ontoo I bcicvc I am abc to shov that thc probcm ol
appcarancc in thc ]ransccndcnta ocic, vhich lor Kant is ony nccativc in
thc lorm in vhich it hrst appcars thcrc, is actuay| a positivc probcm, and
that thc loovincis in qucstion is appcaranccust a mattcr ol lact vhich vc
statc, or must thc cntirc probcm ol rcason bc apprchcndcd in such a vay
that vc crasp lrom thc bccinninc hov appcarancc ncccssariy bconcs to thc
naturc ol human bcincs.
Cass|rcr Cnc ony undcrstands Cohcn corrccty il onc undcrstands him
historicay, not mcrcy as cpistcmoocist.'' I do not conccivc ol my o
dcvcopmcnt asa dclcction lrom Cohcn. Matura in thc coursc olmy vork
much csc has cmcrccd, and, indccd, abovc a I rccocnizcd thc position ol
mathcmaticanatura scicncc. Hovcvcr, thiscan onyscrvc asa paradicm and
not as thc vhoc ol thc probcm. ^nd thc samc cocs lor Matorp. Mov to
cidccccrs basic systcmatic probcm.
Cn onc point vc acrcc, in that lor mc as vc thc productivc povcr ol
imacinationappcars in lact to havc a ccntra mcaninc lorKant. romthcrc I
vas cd throuch my vork on thc symboic. Cnc cannot unravc this |thc
symboic| vithoutrclcrrincit tothc lacutyolthcproductivcpovcrolimaci-
nation. ]hc povcr ol imacination is thc conncction ol a thoucht to thc
intuition. Kant cas thc povcr olimacination 5,ot|csis5pccicsa SynthcsIs L
thc basic povcr ' Caod|ra]tl ol purc thinkinc. or Kant, hovcvcr, it |purc
thinkinc| docsnot dcpcnd simpyonsynthcsis,butdcpcndsinstcadprimariy
upon thc synthcsis vhich scrvcs thc spccics. ut this probcm olthc spccics
cads into thc corc olthc conccpt olimacc, thc conccpt olsymbo.
Ilvc kccpthcvhocolKants vorkin vicv, scvcrc probcms surlacc. Cnc
olthcsc isthc probcm ollrccdom or mc, thatvas avays rcay Kantsmain
probcm. Hovislrccdompossibc` Kantsaysthatthis qucstion docsnotaov
bcinc conccivcd in this vay Vc conccivc ony ol thc inconccivabiity ol
lrccdom. In opposition to this, thcn, I micht nov sct thc Kantian cthics
'Lt||| thc Catccorica Impcrativcmustcxistinsuch a condition that thc av
sctupisnotvaidbychanccjust lorhumanbcincs,butlorarationacntitics
'\cuo]twcsco in ccncra. Hcrc suddcny is this rcmarkabc transition. ]hc
rcstrictcdncss to a dctcrminatc sphcrc suddcny las avay ]hc cthica |das
5ittl|c|c as such cads bcyond thc vord ol appcaranccs ct this is so dcci-
sivcy mctaphysica that a brcakthrouch nov loovs. It is a mattcr ol thc
transition to thc muodus|otclligi|ilis. ]hat hods lorthc cthica 'Lt||sc|c| , and
Auumo lV |2/c-2/8I IV9
inthc cthicaI a pointisrcachcd whichisnoIonecr rclativc tothc hnitudc o|
thc knowine crcaturc. Rathcr, an^bsoIutc has now bccn sct inplacc. This
cannot bc iIluminatcd historicaII Cnc couId spcak o|a stcp that Kant had
notalIowcdtobcconsummatcd, butwccannotdcnythc|actthatthcproblcm
o| |rccdom has bccn poscd in this way, that it brokc throueh thc orieinaI
sphcrc.
^nd this tics in with Hcidceecr's areumcnts. Thccxtraordinarysienihcancc
o|thc Schcmatism cannot bc ovcrcstimatcd. Thc ercatcst misundcrstandines
in thc intcrprctation o| Kant crccp in at this point. In thc cthical 'Lt||sc|co
howcvcr, hc |orbids thc Schcmatism. Thcrc hcsays. ourconccptso | |rccdom,
ctc.arcinsiehts|notbitso|knowlcdec) whichnoIonecrpcrmitschcmatizine
Thcrc is a Schcmatism o|thcorctical knowlcdec, but not o|practicaI rcason.
ThcrcispcrhapssomcthinecIsc, namcIy, what KantcaIIsthc Typico|FracticaI
Rcason, and hc makcs a distinction bctwccn Schcmatism and Typic. It is
ncccssary to undcrstand that onc cannot pcnctratc this i|onc docs not eivc
up thc Schcmatismhcrc. Ior Kant, thc Schcmatism is also thc tctm|ousaauc
but not thc tctm|ousadaucm. lcwprobIcmsariscin thc Ct|t|aucc] Ptact|cal
Pcasco and Kant indccd aIways adhcrcs to this point o| dcparturc in thc
Schcmatism, but it is also cxpandcd upon. Kant |lcd |rom Hcidcecrs prob-
Icm, but hc cxpandcd upon this sphcrc.
Summary.Thiscxpansionwasthcrc|orc ncccssarybccauscthcrc isaprobIcm
atitscorc. Hcidceecrhascmphasizcdthat ourpowcr o|knowlcdecis hnitc. It
isrcIativc and itis hxcd. ut thcn thc qucstion ariscs. how docs such a hnitc
crcaturc in ecncraI comc to havc knowIcdec, to havc rcason, to havc truth!
^nd now to thc pcrtincnt qucstion. ^t onc point Hcidceecr poscs thc
problcm o|truthandsays thcrc canbcnotruthsin thcmscIvcs, norcanthcrc
bc any cxtcrnal truths at aII. Rathcr, inso|ar as thcy occur in ecncral , truths
arc rcIativc to ascin. ^nd now it |ollows. ^ hnitc crcaturc cannot in ecncral
posscss ctcrnaI truths. Ior human bcines thcrc arc no ctcmaI and ncccssary
truths, and hcrc thc wholc poblcm aeain crupts. Ior Kant, thc probIcm was
prcciscly Vithout prcudicc to thc hnitudc which Kant himscl| cxhibitcd,
how, ncvcrthclcss, can thcrc bc ncccssary and univcrsaI truths! How arc
synthctic,aprioriudemcntspossibIc-udemcntswhicharcnotsimpIyhnitc
in thcir contcnt, but which arc ncccssariIy univcrsaI! It is thcrc|orc bccausc
o|this probIcm that Kant cxcmplihcs mathcmatics. Iinitc knowlcdec placcs
itscl|in a rclationship to truthwhich docsnot dcvclop ancw an "onl" Hci-
dccr said that Kant eavc no pro| |or thc possibility o| mathcmatics. I
bclicvc that thc qucstion waswcII poscd inthc Plcgcmcoa,but it is not and
it cannot bc thc only qucstion. ut this purc thcorctical qucstion must hrst
bc cIarihcd. Howdocs this hnitc crcaturc comc to a dctcrmination o|obccts
which as sucharc notboundto hnitudc!
low my qucstion is thc |oIlowine ocs Hcidceecrwant to rcnouncc this
cntirc Cbcctivity, this |orm o| absolutcncss which Kant advocatcd in thc
!9 Kaht and thc FmbIcm ol MctaphysIcs | 27B-279
cthicaandthc thcorctica , aswcasinthct|t|aucc]]udgmcot`ocshcwant
to withdraw compctcy to thc hnitc crcaturc or. i| not. whcrc |or him is thc
brcakthroueh to this sphcrc! I ask this qucstion bccausc I rcay do not yct
kno. Thc hxine o| thc point o| transit, thcn. ics hrst wth Hcidceecr. I
bclicvc. howcvcr. that Hcidceecr cannot bc capabc o|abidineby it. nor can
hc want to. Hc must hrst posc thcsc qucstions himsc|, and thcn, I bcicvc,
whoc ncw probcms cmcrec.
Hc|dcgct Firsto|a. to thc qucstion o|thc mathcmatica natura scicnccs.
Cnc cansay that laturc. asa rceiono|bcines. was|orKantnot|ustanysuch
rceion. For Kant. naturc ncvcr sienihcs. ob|cct o| mathcmatica natura sci
cncc. Rathcr. thc bcine o| laturc is a bcine in thc scnsc o| what is at hand.
In thc octrnc o|Frincipcs. what Kant rcally wantcd to eivc is not a catc
eorica,structuradoctrinco|thcobccto|mathcmaticanaturascicncc.Vhat
hc wantcd was a thcory o|bcines in ecncra. |Hcidceecr vcrihcd this. ) Kant
soueht a thcory o| cine in ecncra, wthout assumine Cb|ccts which wcrc
eivcn. without assumine a dctcrminatc rceion o| bcines |cithcr psychic or
physica). Hc soueht a ecncra ontooey which cxists prior to an Cntooey o|
laturc as ob|cct o| latura Scicncc and prior to an Cntooey o| laturc as
ob|cct o|Fsychooey. Vhat I want to point outis that thc ^naytic isnot|ust
an Cntooey o| laturc as ob|cct o|natural scicncc, but is rathcr a ecncra
Cntooey, a critica. wc-cstabishcd Mc|ap|,s|caCcoctal|s Kant himsc|says.
thc probcmatic o| thc Pclcgcmcoa, whcrc hc conscqucnty iustratcs how
natura scicncc is possibc. ctc. , isnot thc ccntra motivc. Rathcr. thc ccntra
motivc is thc qucstion conccmine thc possibiity o|Mc|ap|,s|ca Ccoctal|s,or
rathcr thc carryne-out o|samc.
ut now to thc othcr probcm. that o|thc powcr o| imaeination. Cassircr
wantsto showthathnitudcbccomcstransccndcntinthc cthicawrtines. -In
thc Catceorca Impcrativc wc havc somcthine which eocs bcyond thc hnitc
crcaturc. ut prcciscy thc conccpt o|thc Impcrativc as such shows thc inncr
rc|crcncc to a hnitc crcaturc. ^so. this eoine-bcyond to somcthine hiehcr is
aways |ust a eoine-bcyond to thc hnitc crcaturc. to onc which is crcatcd
|anec) . This transccndcncc too stil rcmains within thc |sphcrc o|| crcaturc
incss 'Ccsc|cpl|c||c|t and hnitudc. Thisinncrrcation. whichicswithinthc
Impcrativ itsc|. and thc hnitudc o|cthics. cmcrecs |rom a passaec inwhich
Kant spcaks o|human rcasonassc|-supportine. i. c. , o|arcasonwhichstands
purcyonitsownandwhichcannot cscapc intosomcthinectcrnaorabsoutc.
but which aso cannot cscapc into thc word o| thines. This cine-amone
thcm is thc csscncc o| Fractica Rcason. I bcicvc that wc procccd mistakcny
in thc intcrprctation o| Kantian cthics i|wc hrst oricnt ourscvcs to that to
which cthica actioncon|orms and i|wc scc too ittc o|thc inncr |unction o|
thcawitsc||or ascin. Vc cannotdiscuss thc probcmo|thchnitudc o|thc
cthica crcaturc i|wc donotposc thc qucstion. whatdocs awmcan hcrc. and
AuucnJo lV |2/-28II !97
how i sthc Iaw|uIncss itscI|constitutivc |or ascin and |or thc pcrsonaIity! It
i snot tobc dcnicd that somcthine which eocs bcyond scnsibility Iics bc|orc
thc la ut thc qucstion is. How is thc inncr structurc o|ascin itscI|, is it
hnitcor inhnitc!
ln this qucstion o| thc eoinebcyond o|hnitudc, wc hnd a whoIIy ccntral
probIcm. I havc said that it is a scparatc qucstion to ask about thc possibiIity
o|hnitudc in ecncral, |or onc can |ormaIIyareuc simply. / soon as l mac
asscrtions about thc hnitc and as soon as l want to dctcrminc thc hnitc as
hnitc, I must aIrcady havc an idca o| inhnitudc. Ior thc momcnt this docs
not say muchand yct it says cnoueh |or a ccntraI probIcm to cxist hcrc.
Irom thc |act that now this charactcr o|inhnitudc comcs to lieht prcciscIy in
what wc havc cmphasizcd as thc constitucnt o| hnitudc, I want to makc it
clcarthat l wouId say. Kant dcscribcs thc powcro|imaeination o|thc chc
matism as cx||h|tccg|oaa ut this orieinaIity is an cx||h|tc, an cx||h|tc o|
thc prcscntation o| thc |rcc scl|-eivine in which lics a dcpcndcncy upon a
takine-instridc. Soinaccrtainscnsc thisorieinaIityisindccdthcrcas crcativc
|acuIty. ^s a hnitc crcaturc, thc human bcine has a ccrtain inhnitudc in thc
ontoloeicaI. ut thc humanbcineisncvcr inhnitc and absoIutc inthc crcatin
o|thc bcine itscI|, rathcr, it is inhnitc in thc scnsc o| thc undcrstandine o|
cine. ut as Kant says, providcd that thc ontoloeicalundcrstandineo|cin
is only possiblc within thc inncr cxpcricncc o|bcines, this inhnitudc o| thc
ontoIoeicaI is bound csscntiaIIy to ontic cxpcricncc so that wc must say thc
rcvcrsc. this inhnitudc which brcaks out in thc powcr o| imaeination is prc
ciscIythc stronecst areumcnt |or hnitudc, |or ontoloey isan indcx o|hnitudc.
Cod docs not havc it. ^nd thc |act that thc human bcine has thc cx||h|tc is
thc stronecst areumcnt |or its hnitudc, |or ontoloy rcquircs only a hnitc
crcaturc.
Thcn Cassircr's countcr-qucstion with rc|crcncc to thc conccpt o|truth is
clcvatcd in importancc. IorKant, ontoIoeicaIknowIcdeciswhatisunivcrsally
ncccssary, what aIl |acticaI cxpcricnccs anticipatc, and in conncctionwith this
Imiehtpointoutthatin othcrpassaecsKantsays thatwhatmakcs cxpcricncc
possibIc, thc inncr possibility o|ontoIoeicaI knowIcdec, isaccidcntal.Truth
itscl|is unihcd with thcstructurco|transccndcncconthc most intimatc lcvcl
inordcr|orascin to bc a bcine opcn to othcrs and to itscI|. Vc arc a bcine
which holds itscl| in thc unconccalcdncss o|bcines. To hold oncscI| in this
way in thc opcnncss o|bcines L what I dcscribc as cine-in-truth, and I eo
|urthcrandsay Cnthceroundso|thc hnitudc o|thccine-in-trutho|human
bcines, thcrc cxists at thc samc timc a cineinuntruth. Lntruth bcIones to
thc inncrmostcorco|thcstructurco|ascin. ^nd lbcIicvc hcrc to havc|ound
|or thc hrst timc thc root upon which Kants mctaphysicaI appcarancc" is
mctaphysicaIIy eroundcd.
low to Cassircrs qucstionconccrnineunivcrsaIly vaIid ctcrnal truths. l|l
say. truth is rclativc to ascin, this isno ontic asscrtion o| thc sortin which
!9B Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics | 2B! -2BJ|
I say. thc trucisawaysonywhatthcindividuahumanbcinethinks. Rathcr,
this statcmcnt is a mctaphysica onc. in ecncra, truth can ony bc as truth,
and as truth it ony has a scnsc in ecncra i| ascin cxists. I| ascin docs
not cxist, thcrc is no truth, and thcn thcrc is nothine at a. ut with thc
cxistcncc o|somcthine ikc ascin, truth hrst comcs in ascin itsc|. low,
howcvcr, isthc qucstion. How docs it stand with thc vaidity o|thc ctcrnaity
o|truth! Vith rcspcct to thc probcm o|vaidity, this qucstionawaysoricnts
us toward thc prcviousy cxprcsscd statcmcnt, and |rom thcrc wc hrst comc
backtowhat iso|vauc. ^nd |romthcrc, wc hndworthorthc ikc. Ibcicvc
that thc probcm must bc unravccd in anothcr wa ruth is rcativc to
ascin. That is not to say that thcrc woudbcno possibiity |orcvcryonc to
makc thc bcinecvidcnt as it is. ut I woudsay that this transsubcctivityo|
truth, this brcakineout o| thc truth conccrnine thc particuars thcmscvcs,
as cine-in-truth, arcady mcans to bc at thc mcrcy o|thc bcine itsc|, tobc
paccd into possibiity to shapc itsc|. Vhat is rcdccmabc hcrc as obcctivc
knowcdec has, accordine to thc rcspcctivc. |actica, individua cxistcncc, a
truth-contcnt which, as contcnt, says somcthine about thc bcine. Thc pccu
iarvaidity o|which hc spokc is pooryintcrprctcd i|wc say. Incontrast to
thc ow o| cxpcricncc thcrc is a pcrmancncc, thc ctcma, thc scnsc, and
conccpt. I posc thc countcr-qucstion. Vhat, thcn, docs thc ctcrna actuay
mcan hcrc! From whcrc, thcn, dowc know o|this ctcmity! Is this ctcrnity
not ust pcrmancncc in thc scnsc o| thc D o| timc! Is this ctcrnaity not
ust that which is possibc on thc erounds o|an inncr transccndcncc o| timc
itsc My whoc intcrprctation o|tcmporaityhas thcmctaphysica intcntion
o|askine ^rc a thcsc hcadines |rom transccndcnta mctaphysics, namcy a
priori, D\ v,

-arc thcy accidcnta, or |rom whcrc do thcy comc!

I|thcy spcak o|thc ctcma, how arc thcy to bc undcrstood! Thcy arc ony
to bc undcrstood and arc ony possibc owine to thc |act that an inncr
transccndcncc ics within thc csscncc o| timc, that timc is not ust what
makcs transccndcncc possibc, but that timc itsc| has in itsc| a horizona
charactcr that in |uturc, rccocctcd bchavior I aways havc at thc samc timc
a horizon with rcspcct to thc prcscnt, turity, and pastncss inecncra that
a transccndcnta, ontooeica dctcrmination o| timc is |ound hcrc, within
which somcthineikc thc crmancncc o|thc substanccisconstitutcd |or thc
rst timc.-My whoc intcrprctation o| tcmporaity is to bc undcrstood
|rom this point o|vic ^nd in ordcr to cmphasizc this inncr structurc o|
tcmporaity and in ordcr to show that timc is not |ust a scttine in which
cxpcricnccs pay thcmscvcs out to makc mani|cst this inncrmost charactcr
o|tcmporaity inascin itsc|, thcc||ort madcinmy bookis rcqircd. Ivcry
paec in this book was writtcn socy with a vicw to thc |act that sincc
antiquity thc probcm o| cine was intcrprctcd on thc basis o| timc in a
whoyincomprchcnsibc scnsc and that timc aways announccd thc subcct.
Vith a vicw to thc conncction o|this qucstion to timc, with a vicw to thc
AuucnJo lV |28J-281I !99
qucstion conccrnine cine i necncraI. i ti s hrst a mattcr o|brineine out thc
tcmporaIityo|ascin, notinthcscnscthatisnowworkcdouwithanythcory.
but rathcrin thc scnsc that. in awhoIIydctcrmincdprobIcmatic. thc qucstion
conccrnine human ascin wiII bc poscd. -This whoIc probIcmatic in 8c|og
aod J|mc, which trcats ascin in man, is no phiIosophicaI anthropoIoey. Ior
that it is much too narrow, much too prcIiminary l bcIicvc that thcrc is a
probcm hcrc o|a kind which hithcrto has not bccn broueht up as such, a
probIcm which has bccn dctcrmincd by mcans o| thc qucstion. l| thc possi-
biity o|thc undcrstandine o| cine is itscI| to bc possibIc, and with it thc
possibiIity o| thc transccndcncc o| man, and with it thc possibiIity o| thc
|ormativc comportine toward bcines and o| thc historica happcnine in thc
worId history o| man, and i| this possibiityhas bccn eroundcd inanundcr-
standine o|cine. and i|thisontoIoeicaIundcrstandinehas bccn oricntcd in
somcscnscwith rcspccttotimc.thcnthctaskis. To brineoutthctcmporaIity
o|ascinwithrc|crcncc to thc possibiIity o|thcundcrstandineo|cine.^nd
it is with rcspcct to this that aII probIcms arc oricntcd. In onc dircction, thc
anaIysiso|dcathhasthc|unctiono|brineineoutthcradicaI|uturityo|ascin,
but not o|producinean aItoecthcr hnaI andmctaphysicaIthcsis conccrnine
thc csscncc o|dcath. Thc anaysis o|anxictydocs not havc as itssoIc |unction
thc makine-visibc o| a ccntraI phcnomcnon in man. but instcad it has thc
|unctiono|prcparine|orthc qucstion. Cn thceroundso|whichmctaphysica
scnsc o|ascin itscI|isit possibc that thc human bcine inecncraI can havc
bccn pIaccd bc|orc somcthine Iikc thc lothine! In answcr to this qucstion
thc anaIysis o|anxictywas providcd so that thc possibiIity o|somcthineIikc
thc lothine is thoueht o|onIy as an idca which has aso bccn eroundcd in
this dctcrmination o|thc disposition o|anxicty It is onIy possibIc |or mc to
undcrstand cine i|I undcrstand thc lothine or anxicty cine is incomprc-
hcnsibIc i| thc lothine is incomprchcnsibIc. ^nd onIy in thc unity o| thc
undcrstandine o| cine and lothine docs thc qucstion o| thc oriein
' Utsptuog| sprineup 'spt|ogt. au |romthc why Vhy can man ask about
thcwhy. andwhymusthcask!Thcsc ccntraIprobIcmso|cine, thc lothine,
and thc why arc thc most ccmcntary and thc most concrctc o| probIcms.
Thcyarc thosc towhich thc whoIc anaytic o|ascin has bccn oricntcd. ^nd
I bcIicvc that |rom this initiaI eraspine wc havc arcady sccn that thc whoIc
supposition undcr which thc critiquc o| 8c|og aod J|mc stands, thc propcr
kcrncI o|intcnt, has not bccn cncountcrcd. Cn thc othcr hand, as wc havc
aso aIrcady sccn, I can vcry wcII conccdc that i| in somc mcasurc wc takc
this anaytic o|ascin in 8c|ogaodJ|mccoIcctivcIyasan invcstieation o|thc
human bcine and thcn posc thc qucstion o| how, on thc erounds o| this
undcrstandine o| man. thc undcrstandine o| a |ormation o| cuIturc and a
cuItura sphcrc is to bc possibc-that i| wc posc this qucstion in this way,
thcn it is an absoIutc impossibiIity to say somcthine about what is undcr
considcration hcrc. ^II thcsc qucstions arc inadcquatc with rcspcct to my
200 Kant and thc Froblcm o| Mctaphysics ' 2B-2Bl
ccntraI probIcm. ^tthcsamc timc,l posc a |urthcr mcthodooeicaI qucstion.
How, thcn, must such a mctaphysics o|ascin, which has thc eround |orits
dctcnnination in thc probcm o| winnine thc |oundation |or thc probIcm o|
thc possibiIity o| mctaphysics, bc put |orth! Is a dctcrminatc word-vicw not
takcn as a basis |or it! I wouId misundcrstand myscI| i| l said that I eavc a
phiIosophy |rcc o| points o|vic ^nd hcrc a probIcm is cxprcsscd. that o|
thc rcIationship bctwccn phiIosophy and worId-vicw. FhiIosophy docs not
havc thc task o|eivineword-vicw,aIthoueh, aeain, wordvicwis thcprcsup-
position o|phiIosophizine. ^nd thc worId-vicw which thc phiIosophcr eivcs
L not a dircct onc in thc scnsc o|a doctrinc orin thc scnsc o|aninucncine.
Rathcr, thc worIdvicw which thc phiIosophcr eivcs rcsts in thc |act that in
thc phiIosophizine, it succccds in makine thc transccndcncc o| ascin itsc|
radicaI, i . c. , it succccds inmakine thc inncr possibiIity o|this hnitc crcaturc
comport itscI| with rcspcct to bcines as a whoc. To turn it anothcr way.
Cassircr says. Vc do not erasp |rccdom, but ony thc uneraspabiIity o| |rcc-
dom. Frccdom docs not aIIow itsc| to bc eraspcd. Thc qucstion How L
|rccdom possibIc! is absurd. From this, howcvcr, t docs not |oIow that to a
ccrtain cxtcnt a probIcm o|thc irrationaI rcmains hcrc. Rathcr. bccausc |rcc-
dom is not an obcct o| thcorcticaI apprchcndine but is instcad an obcct o|
phiIosophizine, this canmcan nothine othcr than thc |act that |rccdom ony
is and can ony bc in thc scttine|rcc. Thc soc, adcquatc rcIation to |rccdom
in man is thc sc|-|rccine o||rccdom in man.
Inordcr to ectintothisdimcnsiono|phiIosophizine,whichisnotamattcr
|or a Icarncd discussion but is rathcr a mattcr about which thc individua
phiosophcrknows nothine, andwhichisataskto whichthc phiIosophcrhas
submittcd himscI|-this scttine-|rcc o| thc ascin in man must bc thc soc
and ccntraI | thine which phiosophy as phiIosophizine can pcr|onn. ^nd in
this scnsc, I woud bcicvc that |or Cassircr thcrc is a whoIy othcr tctm|oas
ad aacm in thc scnsc o| a cuIturaI phiosophy Furthcr. l bcIicvc that |or
Cassircr this qucstion o|cuItura phiIosophy hrst ects its mctaphsicaI |unc-
tion in thc happcnine o| thc history o|humankind, i|it is not to rcmain and
to bc a mcrc prcscntation o| thc various rceions. Rathcr, at thc samc timc
within its inncr dynamic, it is so dccpIy rootcd that it bccomcsvisibIc in thc
mctaphysics o| ascin itscI|as basic happcnine, and so dccpy rootcd that it
docs so cxprcssIy and |rom thc hrst, not a|tcr thc |act.
Cucstions |or Cassircr.
I . Vhat path docs man havc to inhnituc! ^nd what is thc manncr in
which man can participatc in inhnity!
2. ls inhnitudc to bc attaincd as privativc dctcrmination o| hnitudc, or is
inhnitudc a rceion in its own rieht!
J. Towhat cxtcnt docs phiIosophyhavc as itstasktobcaIIowcd to bccomc
|rcc |romanicty! Crdocs itnot havc as its taskto surrcndcr man, cvcn
radicaIIy to anxicty!
Auucno I\ |28c-28/ 20!
Cass|tct/ |or thc hrst. I nnowayothcrthanthrouehthcmcdiumo||orm.
Thisis thc |unction o||orm.thatwhic man chanecs thc |orm o|his ascin,
i. c. , whic hcnowmusttransposc cvcrythineinhimwhichisivcdcxpcricncc
intosomc ob|cctivc shapc in which hc is ob|cctihcd in suchaway, to bc surc.
thathc docs not thcrcbybccomc radicay |rcc |romthc hnitudc o| thc point
o|dcparturc||orthisissticonncctcdtohisparticuarhnitudc).Rathcr,whic
it ariscs |rom hnitudc, it cads hnitudc out into somcthinencw. ^nd that is
immancntinhnitudc. Mancannotmakc thc cap |romhisown propcrhnitudc
into a rcaistic inhnitudc. Hc can and must havc, howcvcr, thc mctabasis
which cads him |mthc immcdiacy o|his cxistcncc into thc rceion o|purc
|orm.^nd hcposscsscshisinhnitysocyinthis|orm. Fromouto|thcchaicc
o| this spiritua rcam, inhnity lows to him." Thc spiritua rcam is not a
mctaphysicaspiritua rcam, thc truc spiritua rcamis|ust thc spirituaword
crcatcd |rom himsc|. That hc coud crcatc it is thc sca o|his inhnitudc.
/ to thc sccond. It is notust a privativc dctcrmination. but is instcad a
stranecr sphcrc, athoueh it is not onc obtaincd in a purcy nceativc way in
addition to thc hnitc. In inhnitudc, it is not |ust an opposition to hnitudc
whichisconstitutcdbut, inaccrtainscnsc, itis|ust thctotaity, thc |uhmcnt
o|hnitudcitsc|. ut this |uhmcnt o|hnitudccxactyconstitutcsinhnitudc.
Cocthc. "I| you want to stcp into inhnitudc, ust eo in a dircctions into thc
hnitc. "^s hnitudc is |uhcd, i. c. , asiteocs in a dircctions, it stcps out into
inhnitudc. This is thc oppositc o| privation, it is thc pcr|cct hine-out o|
nitudc itsc|.
^s to thc third. That is quitc a radica qucstion, to which onc can answcr
ony with a kind o| con|cssion. Fhiosophy had to aow man to bccomc
su|hcicnty |rcc. to thc cxtcnt that man can|ust bccomc |rcc. Vhilc it docs
that, I bcicvc. it |rccs manto bc surc, in a ccrtain radica scnsc|rom
anxicty as mcrc disposition. I bcicvc, cvcn accordine to Hcidceecr`s cxpana-
tions caricr today, that |rccdom can propcry bc |ound ony aone thc path
o| proercssivc |rccine, which indccd is aso an inhnitc proccss |or him. I
bcicvc thathccanaercc withthisintcrprctation. Crantcd, I scc that thc most
di|hcut probcm is |ound hcrc. I woud ikc thc scnsc, thc eoa, in |act thc
|rccine, tobc takcninthis scnsc. ^nxicty throws thc carthy |rom you. "That
is thc position o| idcaism with which I havc aways bccn acquaintcd.
0s' '' Fhiooeicarcmark. othmcnspcakacompctcydi||crcntaneuaec.
For us, it is a mattcr o|cxtractine somcthine common |rom thcsc two an-
euaecs. ^n attcmpt at transation was arcadymadc by Cassircrin his Spacc
|or^ction" ' A|t|cnstaum .Vcmusthcarthcacknowcdemcnt o|thistransa-
tion|romHcidceecr. Thctransationapossibiitycxtcndstothcpointatwhich
somcthine cmcrecs which docs not aow transation. Thosc arc thc tcrms
whichdcmarcatcwhat is charactcristico|onc o|aeroupo|aneuaecs. Inboth
o|thcscaneuaecs, I havcattcmptcdto eathcr scvcra o|thcsc tcrmswhich I
202 Kant and thc Froblcm o| MctaphysIcs | 2B7-2B9|
doubt wouId aIow |or transIation into thc othcr Ianeuaec. I nominatc
Hcidceecrs cxprcssions Dasc|n, cine, thc ontic. Cn thc othcr hand, I nom
inatc assircr's cxprcssions thc |unctionaI inspirit and thc trans|ormation o|
orieina spacc into anothcr onc.' Shoud itbc |ound that thcrc is notransIa
tion |or thcsc tcrms |rom both sidcs, thcn thcsc woud bc thc tcrms with
which to di||crcntiatc thc spirit o| Cassircr's phiosophy |rom Hcidceecr's.
Hc|dcgct In thc hrst Iccturc, Cassircr uscd thc cxprcssions tctm|nasaaac
and tctm|nas ad aacm Cnc couId say that |or Cassircr thc tctm|nas adaacm
is thc whoIc o| a phiIosophy o| cuIturc in thc scnsc o| an cIucidation o|thc
whocncss o| thc |orms o| thc shapine consciousncss. ForCassircr, thc tctm|-
nasaaacis uttcrIy probIcmaticaI. M position is thc rcvcrsc Thc tctm|nasa
aac is my ccntraI probIcmatic, thc onc I dcvcIop. Thc qucstion is. Is thc
tctm|nasad aacm as cIcar |or mc! For mc, this occurs not in thc whoIc o| a
Fhiosophy o|CuIturc, but rathcrin thc qucstion 1 1 v. orrathcr what in
ecncraI iscaIIcd cine! For mc, itwas |romthisqucstion that thc probIcmatic
o|a Mctaphysics o| ascin arosc in ordcr to win a |oundation |or thc basic
probIcm o|mctaphysics. Cr, in ordcr to comc oncc morc to thc corc o| thc
intcrprctation o| Kant My intcntion was not to brine up somcthine ncw in
contrast toan cpistcmooeicaintcrprctation and tobrinehonor to thc powcr
o| imaeination. Rathcr, it shouId bc cIcar that thc inncr probIcmatic o| thc
Ct|t|aacc]PatcPcascn,i. c. , thc qucstion conccmine thc possibiIity o|CntoI-
oey, is rcceatcd to a radicaI burstine-opcn o|thc conccpt in thc traditiona
scnsc, whichwasthc cnd rcsuIt |or Kant. In attcmptine toIay thc eround|or
Mctaphysics, Kant was prcsscd in a way that makcs thc propcr |oundation
into an abyss Ahgtand| .' I| Kant says. Thc thrcc basic qucstions arc aIIowcd
to Icad back to thc |ourth. Vhat isman!, thcn this qucstion in its charactcr
as qucstion has bccomc qucstionablc. I attcmptcd to show that it isnotataI
scI|-cvidcnt to start |roma conccpt o|lcgcs, but instcad that thc qucstion o|
thc possibiIity o| mctaphysics dcmands a mctaphysics o| ascin itscI| as
possibiIity o| thc |undamcnt o| a qucstion o| mctaphysics. In this way, thc
qucstion o| what man is must bc answcrcd not so much in thc scnsc o|an
anthropoIoeicaI systcm. but instcad it must hrst bc propcrIy cIarihcd with
rceard to thc pcrspcctivc |rom within which it wants to bc poscd.
^ndhcrc I comcback to thc conccptstctm|nasaaacandtctm|nasadaacm.
Isthisust a hcuristic qucstionine, or docsitIic inthc csscncc o|FhiIosophy
itscI| that it hasa tctm|nasaaacwhich must bc madc into a probIcm and that
it has a tctm|nas adaacmwhich corcIatcs to thc tctm|nas a aac This prob-
Icmatic docs not yct appcar to mc to havc bccn coincd ccarIy in Cassircrs
phiIosophy up to now. Cassircrs point is to cmphasizc thc various |orms o|
thcshapineinordcr, with avicwtothcscshapines, subscqucntIytopointout
a ccrtain dimcnsion o|thc shapinepowcrs thcmscIvcs. low, onc couId say.
this dimcnsion, thcn, is |undamcntay thc samc as that which I caII ascin.
Auucno lV l28-20I 20J
ut that wouId bc crroncous. Thc di||crcncc is cIcarcst in thc conccpt o|
Frccdom. I spokc o| a |rccine in thc scnsc that thc |rccine o| thc inncr
transccndcncc o|ascinisthc |undamcntaI charactcro|phiIosophizineitscI.
Inso doine, thc authcntic scnsc o|this |rccineis notto bc|ound inbccomine
|rcc to a ccrtain cxtcnt |or thc |ormine imaecs o|consciousncss and |or thc
rcaIm o| |orm. Rathcr, it is to bc |ound in bccomine |rcc |or thc hnitudc o|
ascin.]usttocomcintothcthrownncsso|ascinistocomcintothcconIict
which Iics within thc csscncc o||rccdom. l did not eivc |rccdom to myscI|,
aIthoueh it is throuehcine|rcc that I can hrst bc l myscI|. ut now, not I
myscI|inthc scnsco|anindi||crcnteround|or cxpIanation, butrathcr. ascin
is thc authcntic basic occurrcncc in which thc cxistine o| man, and with it
cvcry problcmatic o|cxistcncc itscI|, bccomcs csscntiaI.
ascd on this, I bcIicvc wc can answcr thc qucstion by Fos conccmine
transIation I bcIicvc thatwhat l dcscribc byascindocs not aIlow transIation
into a conccpt o| Cassircrs. Should onc say consciousncss, that is prcciscly
what l rc|cctcd. Vhat l calI ascin is csscntiaIIy codctcrmincdnot ust
throuehwhatwc dcscribc as spirit, and not|ust throueh what wc caIl livine.
Rathcr, what it dcpcnds on is thc oreinal unity and thc immancnt structurc
o|thc rcIatcdncsso|ahumanbcinewhichto accrtaincxtcnthasbccn|cttcrcd
in a body and which, in thc |cttcrcdncss in thc body, stands in a particuIar
condition o| bcine bound up with bcines. ln thc midst o|this it hnds itsc|,
not in thc scnsc o| a spirit which Iooks down on it , but rathcr in thc scnsc
that ascin, thrown into thc midst o| bcines, as |rcc, carrics out an incursion
into thcbcinewhichisaIwaysspirituaI and, inthc ultimatc scnsc, accidcntal.
|It is| so accidcntal that thc hiehcst |orm o| thc cxistcncc o| ascin is only
alIowcd to Icad back to vcry |cw and rarc elimpscs o| ascin's duraton
bctwccn Iivine and dcath. |lt is so accidcntal that man cxists onIy in vcry
|cw eIimpscs o| thc pinnacIc o|his own possibiIity, but othcrwisc movcs in
thcmidst o|hisbcines.
Thcqucstionconccrninethctypco|cineo|whatissctintohisFhiIosophy
o|SymboIic Form, thc ccntraI qucstion conccrnine thc inncr constitution o|
cine, iswhat thc Mctaphysics o|ascin dctcrmincs-and it docs not dctcr-
minc it with thc intcntion o| a prcviousIy eivcn systcmatic o| thc cuIturaI
|urisdiction and o|thc phiIosophicaI discipIincs. lnthc cntircty o|my phiIo-
sophicaI c||orts, I Ic|tcomplctcIyundccidcd thc traditionaI shapc anddivision
o|thcphiIosophicaIdiscipIincs,bccauscl bcIicvc that thc oricntation to thcsc
is thc ercatcst mis|ortunc in thc scnsc that wc no Ionecr comc back to thc
inncr probIcmatic o|philosophy To an cquaI dcercc, ncithcr FIato nor ^ris
totlc couId havc known o| such a division o| phiIosophy ^ division o| this
sort was thc conccrn o| thc schooIs, i . c. , o| a philosophy that has lost thc
inncr probIcmatic o|itsqucstionine anditrcquircs cxcrtion tobrcakthroueh
thcscdisciplincs. Vhat ismorc, that iswhy i|wc pass throuehthcdiscipIincs
o|acsthctics, ctc. , wc aeain comc back to thc spccihc mctaphsicaI modc o|
20 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' 290-292l
cine o|thc rceion conccrncd. ^rt isnotusta |onn o|consciousncss which
shapcs itscI|, rathcr, art itscI|hasa mctaphysicaI scnsc within thc basic occur-
rcncc o|ascin itscl|.
I havc intcntionaIIy sineIcd out thcsc di||crcnccs. It is not suitabIc to thc
task at hand i|wc comc up aeainst a proccss o|Icvcline. Rathcr, bccausc it is
onIyinand throuehthc rieoro|whathas bccn broueht |orththatthc probIcm
eains clarity, l wouId Iikc oncc morc to pIacc our cntirc discussion in tcnns
o| Kant`s Ctt|auc c] Putc Pcasco and to h oncc morc thc qucstion o| what
man is as thc ccntral qucstion. ^t thc samc timc, howcvcr, |l wouId Iikc to
hx it| as thc qucstion which wc posc not in somc isoIatcd cthical scnsc, but
instcad so that both positions bccomc cIcar on thc basis o|thc probIcmatic,
sothat thc qucstion o|man isonIy csscntiaI |or thc phiIosophcrs inthc way
in which thc phiIosophcrsimpIy disrceards himscI|, so that hc qucstion may
not bc poscd anthropoccntricaIIy Cn thc contrary, it must bc shown that.
ccausc man is thc crcaturc who is transccndcnt, i . c. , who is opcn to bcines
in totaIity and to himscl|, that throueh this ccccntric charactcr man at thc
samc timc aIso stands within thc totality o|bcines in ecncraI-and that only
n this way do thc qucstion and thc idca o| a FhiIosophical ^nthropoIoey
makc scnsc. ]hc qucstion conccrnine thc csscncc o|human bcines is not to
b undcrstood in thc scnsc that wc study human bcines cmpiricaIIy as eivcn
bccts,norisittobcundcrstoodinsuchawaythatl pro|cctananthropoIoey
man. Rathcr, thc qucstion conccrnine thc csscncc o| human bcines only
makcs scnsc and is onIy ustihablc inso|ar as it dcrivcs its motivation |rom
philosophys ccntraI probIcmatic itscI|, which Icads man back bcyond himscl|
and into thc totaIity o| bcines in ordcr to makc mani|cst to him thcrc, with
aII his |rccdom, thc nothinencss o| his ascin. ]his nothinencss is not thc
occasion |or pcssimism and mcIanchoIy lnstcad, it is thc occasion |or undcr-
standine thatauthcnticactivitytakcspIacconIywhcrc thcrc isoppositionand
that philosophy has thc task o| throwine man back. so to spcak, into thc
hardncss o| his |atc |rom thc shaIIow aspcct o| a man who mcrcIy uscs thc
work o| thc spirit.
Cass|tct I, too, am opposcd toIcvcIine.Vhatwc bothwantto,andmust,
strivc|or, andaIsowhatwc canachicvc, isthatanyonc,|oraIIthathc rcmains
with his own position, wouIdscc not onIyhimscI|but thc othcr aswclI. ]hat
this must bc possiblc appcarsto mc to Iic in thc idca o| phiIosophicaI knowI
cdec inecncraI,inanidcawhichHcidceecr too wiII apprcciatc. l do notwant
to makc thc attcmpt to brcak Hcidceecr |rom his position, to |orcc him into
anothcr dircction o| sccine. Instcad, I want only to makc his position undcr-
standabIc to mc.
I bcIicvc that whcrc thc disaerccmcnt Iics has aIrcady bccomc cIcarcr. lt is
not |ruit|ul, howcvcr, to hiehlieht this disaerccmcnt aeain and aeain. Vc
maintain a position whcrc littIc is to bc accompIishcd throueh areumcnts
Appcno lV l22-2JI 20J
which arc mcrcIy IoeicaI. lobodycanbc compcIIcd totakc up this position.
and no such purcIy IoeicaI compuIsion can |orcc somconc to bcein with thc
position which appcars to mc to bc thc csscntiaI onc. Hcncc wc havc bccn
condcmncd hcrcto a rcIativity Vhat onc chooscs|ora phiIosophydcpcnds
upon what sort o|human bcine onc is. " ut wc may not pcrscvcrc in this
rcIativity, which wouId bc ccntraI |or cmpiricaI mcn. ^nd what Hcidceecr
hnaIIysaid was vcry important.
Likc minc, his position cannot bc anthropoccntric. and i|itdocs notwant
to bc such. thcn I askwhcrc thc commoncorc o|ourdisaerccmcntIics. That
itcannot bc in thc cmpiricaI is Icar. Vc must scarch aeain |or thc common
ccntcr. prcciscIy in thc disaerccmcnt. ^nd I say. wc do not nccd to scarch.
Ior wc havc this ccntcr and. what is morc. this is so bccausc thcrc is a
common. obcctivchumanworId inwhichthcdi||crcnccsbctwccn individuaIs
havcin no waynowbccnsupcrscdcd.butwith thc stipuIation thatthcbridec
hcrc |rom individuaI to individuaI has now bccn knockcd down This occurs
rcpcatcdIy|or mc in thc primaI phcnomcnon o|Ianeuaec. Iach o|us spcaks
his own Ianeuaec. and it is unthinkabIc that thc Ianeuaec o| onc o| us is
carricdovcrinto thc Ianeuaec o|thc othcr. ^nd yct. wc undcrstand ourscIvcs
throueh thc mcdium o|Ianeuaec. Hcncc. thcrc issomcthineIikct|cIaneuaec.
^ndhcncc thcrc issomcthineIikca unitywhich ishiehcr than thc inhnitudc
o|thcvariousways o|spcakine.ThcrcinIicswhatis|ormcthcdccisivcpoint.
^nditis |orthatrcasonthat I start|romthcCbcctivityo|thc symboIic |orm.
bccauschcrcthc inconccivabIchas bccndonc. Laneuaec isthccIcarcstcxam-
pIc. Vc asscrthcrc that wc trcad on a common eround. Vc asscrt this hrst
o| aII as a postuIatc. ^nd in spitc o| aII dcccptions. wc wiII not bccomc
con|uscd about this cIaim. This is what I wouId Iikc to caII thc worId o| thc
obcctivc 'ch)c|t|vco| spirit. Irom ascin is spun thc thrcad which. throueh
thc mcdium o|such an obcctivc spirit. aeain tics us toecthcr with anothcr
ascin. ^nd I bcIicvc that thcrc is no othcr way |rom ascin to ascin than
throuehthisworId o||orms. Thcrc isthis|actum. ShouId this notbc so. thcn
I wouId not know how thcrc couId bc somcthine Iikc a scI|-undcrstandine.
Knowine is aIso ust a basic instancc o| this asscrtion. that an obcctivc
statcmcnt can bc |ormuIatcd about a mattcr and that it has thc charactcr o|
ncccssity which no Ionecr takcs noticc o|thc subcctivity o| thc individuaI.
Hcidceecr riehtIy saidthatthcbasicqucstiono|hismctaphysicsisthcsamc
onc which FIato and ^ristotIc dchncd. what is thc bcine!

^nd hc |urthcr
said that Kant had aeain rc|crrcd to this qucstion which is basic to aII mcta-
phsics. This I conccdc without |urthcr ado. ut hcrc an csscntiaI di|crcncc
appcarstomc tocxist.namcIywithrcspccttowhatKantcaIIcdthc Copcrnican
Turn.

Indccd. thc qucstion o|cine appcars to mc in no way tohavc bccn

doncawaywith by this turn. That wouId bc a compIctcIy|aIscintcrprctation.
ut as a rcsuIt o| this turn. thc qucstion o| cine now comcs to havc an
cxtrcmcIycompIicatcd shapc, asithadhadinantiquity Vhcrcindocs thcturn
20 Kant and thc Fmblcm oI MctaphysIcs | 29J-29Jl
occur! FrcviousIyitwasacccptcdthat knowIcdec must con|ormtothc obcct
. . . ut |oroncc, wc nowattcmptthc rcvcrsc qucstion. HowwouId it bc i|it
wcrc notourknowIcdec that mustcon|orm to thc obcct,buti|instcad it wcrc
thc obcct that must con|orm to knowIcdec!" That mcans that this qucstion
rceardine thc dctcrminacy o|thc obcct is prcccdcd by a qucstion conccrnine
thc constitution o| thc cine o| obcctivity in ecncraI. ^nd what is appIicabIc
to this obcctivity in ecncraI now must aIso appIy to cvcry obcct within this
structurc o|cine. Vhat is ncw inthis Copcrnican| turn appcars to mc to Iic
in thc |act that now thcrc is no Ionecr onc sineIc such structurc o|cine, but
that instcad wc havc compIctcIy dilcrcnt oncs. Ivcry ncw structurc o| cine
has its ncw a priori prcsuppositions. Kant shows that hc was bound to thc
conditions |orthcpossibiIityo|cxpcricncc. Kant showshowcvcrykind o|ncw
|orm now aIso rc|crs toa ncw worId o| thc obcctivc, how thc acsthctic obcct
is not bound to thc cmpiricaI obcct, how it has its own a priori catceorics,
how art aIso buiIds up a worId, butaIso how thcsc Iaws arc dilcrcnt|romthc
Iaws o| thc physicaI. For this rcason, a compIctcIy ncwmuItipIicity cntcrs into
thc probIcm o| thc obcct in ecncraI. ^nd |or this rcason, thc ncw Kantian
mctaphysics comcs into bcine prcciscIy |rom out o| ancicnt, doematic mcta
physics. cine in ancicnt mctaphysics was substancc, what |orms a eround.

cine in thc ncw mctaphysics is, in my Ianeuaec, no Ionecr thc cine o| a

ubstancc, butrathcr thc cinewhich starts |roma varicty o||unctionaIdctcr-
minations and mcanines. ^nd thc csscntiaI point which distineuishcs my po-
sition |rom Hcidceecrs appcars to mc to Iic hcrc.
Istandbythc Kantianposineo|thcqucstiono|thctransccndcntaIasCohcn
rcpcatcdIy |ormuIatcd it. Hc saw what is csscntiaI to thc TransccndcntaI
Mcthod in that this mcthod bcean with a |actum, onIy

| |
it had this ecncraI
dchnition. to bceinwith a |actum in ordcr to ask about thc possibiIity o|this
|actum, |urthcr narrowcd down,whiIc mathcmaticaInaturaI scicncc aeainand
aeain makcs it out to bc what is propcrIy qucstionabIc. Kant docs not stand
within this rcduction. ut l ask about thc possibiIity o| thc Ianeuaec o| thc
|actum. How docs it comc about, how is this, about which wc arc abIc to
comc to anundcrstandine, thinkabIc |rom ascin to ascin in this mcdium!
How is it possibIc that now and in ecncraI wc can scc a work o|art as an
obcctivc dctcrmination, as an Cbcctivc bcine, as this sienihcant |thine in
its whoIcncss!
ThisqucstionmustbcscttIcd. Fcrhaps|romhcrcon,notaIIo|thcqucstions
o| FhiIosophy arc to bc scttIcd. Fcrhaps |rom hcrc on wc cannot approach
vast arcas. ut it is ncccssary that wc posc this qucstion inthc hrstpIacc.^nd
I bcIicvc that i| wc havc poscd this qucstion, wc havc madc acccss to thc
qucstion which Hcidceecr poscs |rcc |or thc hrst timc.
Hc|dcgct Cassircr's Iastqucstion in Kant's con|rontation withthc ancicnts
eivcs mc anothcr opportunityto charactcrizc thc totaI work. l say that Flatos
Auucno I\ l2J-2cI 207
qucstion must bc rctricvcd. This cannot mcan that wc rctrcat to thc Crccks'
answcr. It turns out that cine itscI|has bccn dispcrscd in a muItipIicity and
thataccntraIprobIcmcxists thcrcin,namcIy, toattainthc |oundation inordcr
to undcrstand thc inncr muItipIicity o|thc ways o|cine bascd on thc idca
o|cine. Ior my part, I amanxious to cstabIish thisscnsc o|cineinecncraI
as ccntraI.^ccordineIythconIytroubIc |ormyinvcstieationshasbccn|udecd
to bc thc nccd| to attain thc horizon |or thc qucstion conccrnine cine. its
structurc and muItipIicity.
Mcrc mcdiatinewiIIncvcramounttoanythineproductivc. lt is thc csscncc
o|phiIosophyas a hnitc conccrn o|human bcines that it hasbccn conhncd
within thc hnitudc o| human bcines as somcthine which is not a crcativc
human achicvcmcnt. ccausc phiIosophy opcns out onto thc totaIity and
what ishiehcst in man, hnitudc must appcar in phiIosophy in a compItcIy
radicaI way.
Vhat it comcs down to is that you takc onc thinewithyou |romourdcbatc
do not oricnt yourscIvcs to thc varicty o|positions o|phiIosophizine human
cines, and do not occupy yourscIvcs with Cassircr and Hcidceecr. Rathcr.
c point is that you havc comc |ar cnoueh to havc |cIt that wc arc on thc
ay toward oncc aeain ecttine down to busincss with thc ccntraI qucstiono|
mctaphysics. ^ndontopo|that , lwouIdIikc topointouttoyouthatinsmall
mcasurc what you havc sccn hcrc is thc di||crcncc bctwccn phiIosophizine
umanbcinesinthcunityo|thcprobIcmatic,whichonaIarecscaIccxprcsscs
mcthine compIctcIy dil|crcnt, and that it is prcciscIy this |rccine o| itscI|
|rm thc di||crcncc o| positions and standpoints which is csscntiaI in thc
dcbatcwth thc historyo|phiIosophy, that itisthc hrst stcp in thc history o|
phiIosophy, it is csscntaI to scc prcciscIy how thc dilcrcntiaton o| stand-
points is thc root o| thc phiIosophicaI cndcavor.
I|
AFFENDIX V
Cn Cdcbrccht's and Cassircr's Critiqucs o|thc Kantbook
asic Cucstion. Thc Isscncc and Croundine o| thc
F|o|tudc o| Humao Kocwlcdgc t|c Pmhlcm c] F|o|tudc |o Ccoctal
I . !|c F|o|tudc c] Kocw|og
|Cassircr, Cdcbrccht)
|Cn Thcir Critiqucs o|My Kant Intcrprctation)
! ) Vhat oueht wc to hnd, or do wc want to hnd, |romthc comparison o|
our knowine with thc absoIutc! SimpIy to cxpIain what is mcant by thc
hnitudc o| cutknowine, whcrcin its hnitudc can bc sccn.
^bsoIutcknowineismcrcIya constructcd idca |scc p. I 7) , thatis,itcomcs
|rom our knowine, inwhich thc spccihcaIIy hnitc has bccn scparatcd and its
csscncc has bccn |rccd. Thc actuaI knowIcdec o|thc actuaI cine-at-hand o|
absoIutcknowIcdecwhichis tosay, thchc|ogo|Ccd||mscj~not nccdcd
hcrc. Morcovcr, wc havc provcn its]o|tudcinth hrst pIacc prcciscIyby onIy
brineine it to thc construction o| thc Icadine idca.
2) ln absoIutcIy nowayishnitcknowine dcduccd" by mc |rom absoIutc
intuition,as dchtcc|tcIaims 8lattct]atDcutsc|cP||lcscp||c, I , I -JI ) whcn
hcsays thcintuitionaIcharactcro|thinkine |canbcsaid to |oIIowncccssariIy
|rom thc broad conccpt o||otu|tusct|g|oat|us
Furthcrmorc. inabsoIutcIynowaydocs this |oIIow |rom anywhcrc throueh
dcduction, but rathcr it mani|csts itscI| to us in thc |undamcntaI cxpcricncc
o|thc dcpcndcncy upon what is eivcn. Ivcrythine rcmains as it was |or thc
ancicnts, cvcn i| wc conccivc o| dcs|goat|ogthis aso|tcknowine |to bc surc,
thc hnitc must thcn ncccssariIy bc cxpIaincd d ctcotl,, as carthIy"thc
pcrspcctivc and IcvcI o|thisintcrprctation) . Thus it musthavc bccn composcd
and namcd toecthcr with and in rc|crcncc to Kaotdcs|go |scc Fhcnomna
and loumcna Kot aodt|cPtchlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs, p. 2J|. , scc Kaotaodt|c
Pchlcmc]Mctap|,s|cs hnitudc~cluc|datcd,whcrcin it consists with rc|crcncc
to ourknowne, with a vicw toward samc)
!|tcwoocss |Ccwct]co|c|t), thc eround |or thc hnitudc o| knwine |scc
Kot aod t|c Pmhlcm c] Mctap|,s|cs , p !-), at hrst eraspcd as dcpcndcncy
upon bcines othcr than ourscIvcs. Finitudc is primariIy not that o|knowine
20B
Auucno V |28-2I 209
rathcr, thatisbutancsscntiaI conscqucncc olthrownncss. ^nd itisprcciscIy
thcrcin that thc ncccssity ol t||o||og as in scrvicc to intuition is eroundcd,
assumine that |otcrprctat|coaoddctcrm|oac, i sncccssary to thc cxpcricncc ol
bcines |ilitwas shown to bc ncccssary lor]o|tcintuitineauaprimary, hnitc
knowIcdec, thcn at thc samc timc thc appointmcnt 'D|coststclluog and thc
scrvine D|coco arc shown tobcintrinsic to thc undcrstandine |scc Kaotaod
t|cPrchlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs, p. ! -l. )).
Thinkine" isthcindcx olhnitudc, i . c. , dcpcndcncyuponintuition, which
itscIl is dcpcndcncy upon what is eivcn-thrownncss sprines lorth. This
sprineine-lorth, or eroundine, mcans csscntiaI rcIationships. J||o||og |s oct
rcduccdtc|otu|t|og|Cdcbrccht) , hut|sma|ota|ocdasrcprcscot|og,andtoundcr
standthc rcprcscntine lro somcthinein ecncraI. |is toundcrstand| that]cr
|thnitc intuition is ncccssariIy rcquircd ilit is to bc knowIcdec.
Kocw|og|spr|marl, |otu|t|og |Kaot aod t|cPohlcmc] Mctap|,s|cs p. ! D,
scc notcs thcrc) , i . c. , thc gmuod|ogc|aractcr |o |ocw|og|s |otu|t|og. For hnitc
knowine, howcvcr, this charactcr as loundationaI in a primordiaI scnsc is
indccd ncccssary, butprcciscIy bccausc |thc knowine| is hnitcit is oct
su]]c|cot.
Thc lormaI andapophantic-vcritativccsscnccs ol)udgmcot, thcn, arc shown
lrom thc subordinatc charactcr olthinkine.
Thc undcrstandine is csscot|al lor ]o|tc knowine, i. c. , it itscIl surpasscs
intuition, namcIy in its charactcr ol hnitudc.
2. DoCass|rcr Cr|t|auc
^basic qucstion in twc rcspccts. Isscncc olknowIcdec.
!) that knowIcdec L pr|mar|l, |scc tcxt) intuition |not knowIcdec * intu
ition), but inhnitc. onIy" intuition |hnitudc as construction).
FrimariIy" rclcrs to sccondariIy"-and thc Iattcr is not uo|mpcrtaot , but
rathcr is csscntiaIIy|ust as ncccssary, but inthc structurc olthc suhcrd|oaocc
'Dcoststclluog| , that this subordinant | D|cocodc ]o|tcm|sta|csprcciscIy
itscIl,whichstiIIisnoproollorinhnitudc, butrathcrthcrcvcrsc. KanthimscIl
did not dcvcIop t||s Fhcnomcnon.
2)FromaIIolthis,thcn,knowIcdecis a)ncithcrintuitionnorthinkineby
|tsc, b) but aIso not intuition as wcll as thinkine, both toecthcr, but rathcr
c) thc t||rd, but t||sasaIso thc morc orieinary, thc powcr olimaeination and
timc", but with this wc stiII havc a prchlcm
. Cass|rcr
Vhatshoudwcmakcolthctcachineastothcspontancityolthcundcrstand
2! 0 Kant and thc Froblcm ol Mctaphysics ' 299-J00I
ine. whcrc |orc it isprcciscIythcpowcro|thcimaeinationwhichhasbccn
broueht to ccntcr staec.
ut Cassircr says nothine about thc |act that this cmphasis on thc undcr-
standine is indccd ambieuous, that thc Marbure | SchooI| undcrtook somc-
thine uitc di||crcnt-onIy undcrstandine and onIy Ioeic and intuition arc
simpIy a disaerccabIc rcsiduc that s|cald oct hcpatt c] thc inhnitc proccss.
5paccaod J|mcasCcoccptsc] t|c Uodctstaod|og
locvctassctt that thcLndcrstandine simpIy brines outsomcthinea|tcr thc
|actwhich is, as it wcrc, supcr|uous |SchIcpc).
^ndwhat Cassircr wants with thc torchbcarcr is thus onIy an imaec and
says absoIutcIy nothine conccrnine thc csscncc o| thc tclat|co o| thinkine to
intuition, but that is prcciscIywhatisconccaIcdas a probIcm in thc phcnom
cnon o|thc Pcwctc] lmag|oat|co.
. DoCass|tct
Lsscoccc] t|c Uodctstaod|ogaodF|o|tadc
Thc undcrstandine scrvcs as tctc|hcatct, scrvine in any casc, and what docs
hcat|oga tctc| mcan- to iIIuminatc
It is csscntiaIIy not what eivcs thc Iieht 'L|c|t , but rathcrwhat nccds thc
cIcarine ' L|c|taog as undcrstandine, it is simpIy tc dctctm|oc It col
iIIuminatcs as sc|cmat|c Uodctstaod|og |rom itscI|, in |act, it is not cvcn abIc
to sctvc
Cassircrstickstothc Icttcrand ovcrIooks prcciscIythcprobIcmatic o|purc
undcrstandine and Ioeic.
D. F|o|tadc'|Cassircr)
To bc surc-aprobIcm, but thc dccisivc qucstion isin |act. why! and how
To phiIosophizc onIy in this way conccmine hnitudc, bccausc at onc timc
oranothcritcmcrecsinthcmomcntasakindo|haneovcr,butthisisccrtainIy
no p||lcscp||cal motivation.
ItIooksIikcCassircrhadthcccntraIthcmcand yct ccmplctcl,passcd itby
. Cass|tct|LnivcrsaI)
Cassircr adhcrcs to his wondcr|uI principIccompIiancc with lntcntion
|hnitudc"!Ycs and no ). Cucstion o|cineand qucstion conccrnineman. so
that cvcn this bccomcs probIcmaticthus thc whoIc probIcm o| conscious-
ncss is in motion Mathatg '5c|ccl lota|t|coand Thinkine, cvcn t|ct||td
Auucno V |J00-J02I 2
lo lcithcrthis probIcm northc cntirc intcrprctationo|thisqucstionhas
bccnundcrstoodandasscsscd. lnits pIacc. ob|cctions|romvarioussidcsthat
havc awkward or |aIIacious aspccts but that arc aII |opatt corrcct. Cassircr
compIctcIy misundcrstands that what is dccisivc |or intcrprctation is thc
workineout o|a probIcm. and indccd that this probIcm must hrst bc madc
visibIc, and that this comcs about throueh rccoIIcction o|Kant. o t||swa,
an intcrprctation was dcmandcd. This dctcrmincs thc historicaI obcctivity
^ Kaot|o|tscl]~ prcsumabIy docs not conccrn" us, or is indctcrmi-
natc in aII rcspccts |Ibbinehaus) -is a |undamcntaI misundcrstandine.
ut Cassircr aIso workswith thc hiddcn idca o|a corrcct intcrprctation o|
this sort.
7. DoCass|tct
^erccd. not to covcr thc cntirc scopc o|thc probIcmatic | I 7) . ^Iso thc intcn-
tion was ncvcr this. o intcrprct|usta part, but instcad |rom onc |part l , cvcn
|rom thc muod|ogptchlcm, | thc intcntion is to rcvcaI in Kant thc probIcm
o|mctaphysics,"andprciscIyonthcbasis o|thc part,"whichwasprcvcntcd
by its customaryintcrprctation as simpIy thcory o|knowIcdec. "
I n t||s patt, thc pcrspcctivc shouId bc pursucd i n thc dircction o| thc
pmhlcm c] mctap|,s|cs .which cvcn Kaot]uodamcotall,c|aogcd- thc has|s and
Iocation |or this chanec.
B. Do Cass|tct
lntcntion. cIarihcation o|thc common cndcavor
Cucstion Vhycannot Cassircrstick to thceround I pickcd |p. J)!
I)Isthc pmhlcmc] mctap|,s|cs tobc un|oIdcd and eroundcd in a di||crcnt
way!
2) ls Kant not |acticaIIy movine aIone this samc eround!
J) CrisonIyt|ccxtcottcw||c|hccco|cusl,L| pt|mat|l,didthisdcbatabIc!
Vithrcspcctto J), I con|csswithout |urthcr cIaboration, that myintcrprc
tationisvioIcntandcxccssivc, butparticuIarIywithrceardtothc assumptions
|rom I) and 2)
]hc intcntion pcrtains t oKant - thc pmhlcm o|mctaphysics
9
Thc popuIar quotation o|thc wcII-known Icttcr to M. Hcrz indccd rcquircs
that wc hnaIIy|oroncc qucstionits corrcctncss. It is too scIdom noticcd that
2! 2 Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics 'J02-J0JI
a|tcr Kant said hcbclicvcd hc woud bc rcady within about thrcc months,"
in |act hc rcuircd almost tcnycars.
]hcrc must indccd havc bccn somcthine clsc that brokc down in thc
intcrim. In thc cttcr, thc probcm issti a too traditional, athoueh arcady
critically oricntcd toward thc ucstion conccmine thc possibility o| purc
abstract knowcdec, as i| it simpy cxistcd |or-itscl|. ^lthoueh hc noticcd
scnsuality hnitudc was ccrtainy not propcry ccntral.
I 0. Cass|tct
]hc mcrcy anthropoloeical and thc aw o|scnsua contcnt, appcarancc and
thc thine-in-itsc|. Instcad o|cine and ]imc, 8c|ogaodlu|,.
ut. ldca-itsc|5c|cma |analoeuc). |o|t|os|call, tcptcsco|cd.
I I .
8c|og|o||cmcdal||,c]cug||-|c-hc '5cllsc|os
! 2.
Thc practica rcaity o| |rccdom. ]his i s |somcthine| intcieiblc but cvcn
thcorctically it is oc|comprchcnsibc.
Finitc rationa csscnccalcctcdbyscnsuousncss. J||sassuc|isnotmcrcly
anthropoloeica, but is instcad thc w|clc csscocc Frcciscly |||s scpata||co
scnsc-contcnt andthcmcrcy psycholoeical"-is to bc ovcrcomc.
AFFENDIX VI
Cn thc History o|thc FhiIosophicaI Chairsincc I B
Thc timc |ramc o|this account coincidcswiththccstabIishine, strcnethcn-
ine. workineout and rcoreanization o| phiIosophicaI rcscarch at Marbure
Lnivcrsity. which aIrcady has its hxcd and uncquivocaI pIacc in thc history
o|FhiIosophy as thc Ma|ug5c|ccl
y thc middIc o|thc I -th ccntury. thc brcakdown o|thc HcecIian schooI
Icd to a ecncraI dccIinc o|phiIosophy Vithin thc conhncs o|thc contcmpo
rary, towcrnepositivc scicnccs |historyand thcnaturaIscicnccs). phiIosophy
aItoecthcr Iost its prcstiec. Vhcrc it was wcII kcpt up. it took pIacc in thc
midst o| an ienorancc and pcrvcrsion o| its propcr csscncc. lt was abIc to
obtain vaIidity bc|orc thc prcdominant scicntihc consciousncss by mcans o|
anassimiIationo|itscI|. which ran countcr toitscI|.with thc positivc scicnccs
asoatutal-sc|coticphiIosophy"|psychoIoey),that is. as phiIosophicaI ||stc.
Thc upIi|tine rcncwaI o|scicntihc phiIosophy undcrway sincc thc | I B| 0s
undcrtook. cvcn i| in a eropine wa. to win back an undcrstandine o| thc
orieinaI phiIosophicaI probIcmatic. Thc conccrn with thc ob|cct. thc manncr
o|trcatmcntandthcsystcmatic unityo|phiIosophyrcccivcd dccisivc impctus
and madc |undamcntaIadvanccsthroueh thc rcscarch conductcd at Marbure
Lnivcrsity Iirst o|aII. this |rcscarch| souehttosccurc oncc aeainthcsccntihc
csscncc o| FhiIosophy by mcans o| a ncw appropriation o| Kants criticaI"
work. In |act. durine thc 0s, throueh thc work o| Id. cIIcr |Fro|cssor o|
FhiIosophy in Marbure, I B--2), Ctto Licbmann. Hc. HcImhoItzandIr.
^. Lanec |Crdinarius in FhiIosophyatMarbure, ! B7J7D). thccaIIwasIoudIy
soundcd back to Kaot Iirst, in his work Kaot !|ccc] Lxpct|cocc | I B7!) .
H. Cohcnhad pIaccd thc rcappropriationo| Kant thatwas aIrcadyundcrway
upon a scicntihcaIIy dccisivc eround, and in so doine hc in|Iucnccd thc
subscqucnt pIayine-out o|lco-Kantianism"inbotha positivc andanceativc
way urine this samc timc. two works appcarcd. N iIthcys Lc|co 5c|lc|ct-
mac|cs l | ! B70) and Ir. rcntano's Ps,c|clcg|c cm cmp|t|sc|co 5taodpuo|tl
| !B7). in which tcndcncics othcr than a rcncwaI o| Kant wcrc maintaincd.
Thcybccamc. howcvcr thc point o|dcparturc |oriIthcy`s Lc|cosp||lcscp||c
,
which was oricntcd with rcspcct to thc probIcm o| ascin's historicaIity. and
providcdthc impctus|orthcdcvcIopmcnto|p|cocmcoclcg|calrcscarch. which
was eroundcd in |thc work o| I. Husscr In both instanccs. which today
havcsystcmaticaIIybceun to bc |uscd, thcwaywas pavcd |or thc ovcrcomine
2! J
2I Kant and thc Fmblcm o| MctaphysIcs ' J0J-J0l
ol lcoKantianism, indccd to such an cxtcnt that thcy cncouraecd thc
strcnethcnine and rcoreanization ol thc Marbure Schoo. "
I nhis maorphiosophicawork Ccsc||c||cdcsMa|ct|al|smus | I BD). Ir. ^.
Lanec had assiencd a lundamcnta phiosophica mcanine to Kant's critica
idcaism, to thc cxtcnt that in | Kants critica idcaism , Matcriaism as thc
simpcst, tcgula||vcword vicw" mustbc ovcrcomc. Lanec immcdiatcy kncw
thc importancc ol Cohcnswork, bascd on an undcrstandine olKant hc had
aboriousyworkcdoutlorhimscl,andhcdidnothcsitatc toinscrtarcncwcd
cxamination into his own Kant intcrprctation. anec arranecd lor Cohcn's
habiitation in Marbure |lovcmbcr I B7J). ^ltcr Vcicnborns dcath thc lo-
owineycar, Cohcn was thc soc candidatc to bc nominatcd lor Crdinarius.
In lact, hc did not ect this appointmcnt, but as ol Iastcr I B7D hc was
appointcd Ixtraordinarius Frolcssor, and upon Lanec's dcath |lovcmbcr
I B7D) hc assumcd anecs| Frolcssorship, which hc woud hod unti I -I 2.
Foowine his appointmcnt to Imcritus status, Cohcn rcocatcd to crin
whcrc, inadditiontowritineactivcy,hc hcd ccturcsand casscsathc]cwish
thcooeica acadcmy thcrc unti his dcath |^pri ! -I B).
Cohcn ookcd lor thc ccntcr ol thc Kantian probcmatic in thc orieina
sthctic unity ol transccndcnta appcrccption. Hc saw thc probcm ol thc
constitution olrcaity in ecncra as containcd in thc qucstion conccrnine thc
oriein olthc obcctivity olthc obccts olmathcmatico-physica knowcdec in
thc cohcrcnt cxccution olpurc thinkine. Vith thc task ol a transccndcnta
oeicaeroundineolthcscicntihcknowcdecolnaturc undcrstoodinthisway,
phiosophy shoud maintain an orieina compcx ol probcms that is lunda-
mcntay inacccssibc to thc cxact scicnccs. Thc boundarybctwccn thcorctica
knowcdec on thc onc hand, and thc morapractica and artistic-lormativc
conduct olthcsubcctonthc othcr, prcsscs loracorrcspondineylar-rcachine
intcrprctation olKant, which Cohcn prcscntcd in hisworks ao|s8cgtaoduog
dctL|||| | ! B77) and ao|s 8cgtaoduog dcts||c||| | I BB-).
Vithin this thrcclod, transccndcntaayineolthceround lorthcword ol
obccts" ics thc qucstion olthc s,s|cma||c uo||, olthc cntirc transccndcnta
eroundine itscl. In his tcxt las Pt|oz|p dct loo||cs|malmc||cdc uod sc|oc
Ccsc||c||c| ! BBJ), Cohcn dcvcopcdthc hrst and, lorhisluturcwork. dccisivc
discussion olthc idca olsystcm. In thc subtitc, itis dcscribcd as ^ Chaptcr
on thc ayine ol thc Cround lor thc Critiquc olKnowcdec. " Thc chanec ol
thc cxprcssion Critiquc olRcason" to Critiquc olKnowcdec" cxprcsscsonc
olCohcn's principc convictions, which atcr dominatcd his own attcmpts at
constructinea systcm. knowcdec is scicncc, ormorc prcciscy, mathcmatica
natura scicncc. ^ccordiney, critica ldcaism bccomcs scicntihc" hrst and
lorcmost by takine thc lact ' !a|sac|c| ol sc|cocc to bc thc obcct ol thc
transccndcnta eroundine. Inscicncc aonc arc thines eicn and papaby at
hand vct|aodco| lor phiosophica qucstions. " Thc knowine consciousncss
. . . onyhas inthc lact ' !a|sac|c olscicntic knowcdec thatrcaitytowhich
Auucno Vl |J0c-J08I 2 ! J
a phiIosophicaI invcstieation can rc|cr." ^s a conscqucncc o| this narrow
|astcnine toecthcr o| transccndcntaI phiIosophy with thc scicntihc |act
'Fa|tum| , itaIsocamcto passthatcthicaI and acsthctic obccts as s|cotcall,
|ocwo bccamc a probIcm. In |act. Cohcn postulatcd risprudcncc
'Pcc|tsw|sscosc|a]t| as thc aIIcecd scicncc |orcthics,whilcinacsthcticshcwas
oricntcddircctlytowardthcworkso|artand not, asthc idcao|systcmwouId
havcit ,towardthc scicnccc! thc works. Thc systcmatic o|thc basic conccpts
o|Ioeic. cthics, and acsthctics. oricntcd in sucha manncr, ectsworkcd outin
Cohcn's thrcc-part systcm |cg|| dct tc|ocoLt|cooto|s, ! -02, Lt|||dcs tc|oco
wcllcos, ! -0, st|ct|| dcs tc|oco Cc|ls, ! -!2). VhiIc so |ar Cohcn had
dissoIvcd thc phiIosophicaI probIcmo|rcIieion intothato|cthics. inhistcxt
lct8cgtij]dctPcl|g|co|m5,stcmdctP||lcscp||c| ! -! D) hc soueht todctcrminc
thc uniquc mcanine o|thc phcnomcnon o|rcIieion.
^Ithoueh Cohcn ncvcr pubIishcda ercatwork inthchistory o|phiIosophy
othcr than his works o| Kant intcrprctation. noncthcIcss |rom thc bceinnine
hissystcmaticworkwas nourishcd andeuidcd throuehconstantcneaecmcnt
with thc Frc-Socratics, FIato and lichoIas Cusanus, cscartcs and Lcibniz.
Cohcns Ionetimc co-workcr and |ricnd, FauI latorp, carricd out a morc
concrctc. thoroueh. and insieht|ul cxamination o|ancicnt and modcrn phi-
losophy by mcans o| a systcmatic undcrstandine o| thc problcms. ln thc
autumno|!BB ! . latorp habiIitatcd atMarbureLnivcrsity,in ! BBDhcbccamc
a Iccturcrat thc univcrsity, in !B-J. assucccssorto . cremann|scc bcIow),
hc bccamc Crdinarius Fro|cssor o|FhiIosophy In ! -22 hc bccamc Imcritus,
in spitc o|thc |act that hc was stiII activc with lccturcs and cIasscs. latorp
dicd shortIy a|tcr his 70th birthdayin ^ueust !-2. ccausc latorps phiIo-
sophicaI work initially took placc scrupuIousIy in thc samc spirit as Cohcns.
hc couIdlatcrsccthccsscntiaIeaps and onc-sidcdaspcctso|thcsystcmmorc
cIcarIy. andhc couId brineittoamorc rieinaIIyeroundcd,indcpcndcntIcvcI
o|dcvcIopmcnt. latorps carIicstinvcstieationswcrc conccmcd withthcIoos-
cnineup o|ancicnt phiIosophy throueh thc history o| phiIosophicaI| prob-
Icms. Thc work Fctsc|uogcozutCcsc||c|tcdcsLt|cooto|sptchlcms |mAltcttum
| ! BB) had a strone inIucncc on scicncc. Thc work Platcs ldccolc|tc L|oc
L|o]a|tuog|odcoldcal|smus| ! -0J) indccdmctwithhcrccopposition. Rceard-
Icsso|thc tcnabiIity o|individual intcrprctations. itpcr|ormcdthcurecnttask
o|cIar|yine that thc historyo|FhiIosophycannot dispcnsc witha systcmatic
udcrstandine o|thc probIcm asa hcrmcncuticalprcsupposition o|itswork.
In a trcatisc that is too scIdom considcrcd. callcd hctJ|cmauodl|spcs|t|co
dct at|stctcl|sc|co Mctap|,s|| |P||lcs Mcoats|c]tc, voI. l !BBB), latorp
anticipatcdrcsuIts and probIcms inwhich thc prcscnt aec hrst bccamc morc
acccssibIc.
]hc transccndcntaI layine-o|-thc-eround |or IoeicaI, cthicaI and acsthctic
conducthasitshiehcstpoint"in thcsubcct. ]husthceround-Iayineitscl|hrst
comcs to thc eround thoueha thcmatic considcration o|consciousncss in thc
2I Kant and thc Fmblcm o| Mctaphysics ' J0B-J!0l
scnsc o|a noncmpiricaI TransccndcntaI FsychoIoey latorp communicatcd his
hrst cxpcrimcnts in this dircction in his L|olc|tuog |o d|c Ps,c|clcg|c oac|
|r|t|sc|crMct|cdc | I BBB). urine thc |oIIwine two dccadcs, in thc coursc o|
his dcbatc with thc morc spiritcd. wcII-|ormcd, |undamcntaI conccption o|
psychoIoey |iIthcy and HusscrI), thc importancc o| which psychoIoey itscI|
can onIy erasp today latorp pushcd |orward to a radicaI |ormuIation o| thc
probIcm. Thc ncw position was in cvidcncc in thc rccastine o| thc carIicr
L|olc|tuog, which appcarcd in ! -! 2 as Allgcmc|oc Ps,c|clcg|c oac| |r|t|sc|cr
Mct|cdc l ln this work, as was thc casc with aII o| his phiIosophicaI work,
latorp incrcasineIy aimcd |or a s,stcmat|cuo]cld|og o| thc systcmatic unity o|
phiIosophy ln ordcr to ovcrcomc a supcrhciaI and a|tcr-thc-|act condcnsation
o| thc transccndcntaI phiIosophicaI discipIincs, which had aIways |undamcn
taIIy rcmaincd standine |or Cohcn. it was abovc aII a mattcr o|brcakine away
|rom thc IcvcIine, which Cohcn |orccd, o| aII possibIc ways o|comportmcnto|
Spirit to thc scicnccs c] thcsc wayso|comportmcnt. Viththc cIimination o|
thc mcthodicaI priority o|thcscicnccs,thcorcticaI comportmcnt draws aIone-
sidc" thc athcorcticaI" i. c. . thc moraI, thc artstic. and thc rcIieis. Thc dca
o|Ioeic was |rccd |rom thc conhncs o|aIayine o|thc erounds |or thc scicnccs,
that is, |rom a thcorzine." and aIone with thc practicaI and thc poctic." it
was -cIassihcd as univcrsaI doctrinc o|catceorics. Thc |rccr posine o|phiI-
osophicaI qucstions conccine thc orieinaIity o|thc individuaI arcas o|spiri-
tuaI Ii|c, prcparcd |or in this way, rcsuItcd in a morc opcn intcrprctation o|
spirituaI history. ^t thc samc timc, it madc possibIc thc positivc cvaIuation o|
thc |undamcntaI mcanine o| a phcnomcnoIoeicaI catcercaI anaIysis o| sub
|cctivc" and obcctivc" spirit. latorps own \crlcsuogco ahcrra|t|sc|c P||lc
scp||c which wcrc stiII bcine rcadicd |or pubIication and which hrst appcarcd
a|tcr his dcath | I -2D), o||crcd a concrctc eIimpsc into thc ncw and comprc-
hcnsivcIy systcmatic tcndcncics inhis thoueht.
Fom thc FhiIosophicaI Scminar that was cstabIishcd in I -00 a scrics o|
vaIuabIcinvcstieationshavccmcrecdwhich,sincc I -0,havc bccnasscmbIcd
in P||lcscp||sc|cArhc|tco. cditcd by H. Cohcn and latorp.
Thc continuation and rc-castine o|thc Marbure SchooI" is mani|cst today
in thc work o|Irnst Cassircr |Crdinarius Fro|cssor in Hambure) and licoIai
Hartmann |habiIitatcd in Marbure in I -0-, aucrdcotl|c|crFro|cssor I -20,
Crdinarius Fro|cssor as latorps succcssor I -22, sincc ^utumn o| I -2D in
CoIoenc) . VhiIc ^. CrIand |Fro|cssorinHambure) andN KinkcI |Fro|cssor
in Ciccn) |or thc most part hcId to thc position cstabIishcd by Cohcn, |or
ycars Cassircr strovc to Iay out a univcrsaI FhiIosophy o| CuIturc on thc
basis o| lco-Kantian qucstionine. His P||lcscp|, c] 5,mhcl|c Fcrms |Fart ! ,
oguagc, I -2J Fart 2 , M,t||cal !||o||og, I -2D) attcmptcd to Iay out thc
comportmcnt and shapine o|spirit, eidcd by thc idca o|thc cxprcsson o|
a systcmatic intcrprctation. Cassircr convcrecs with latorp`s c||orts in a par-
ticuIarwa whichhasitsimportanccmorcinthcunivcrsaIcatceoriaI|oundine
AuucnJo Vl |JI J-J I II 2! 7
o | thc systcm. and not in thc concrctc intcrprctation o|thc individuaI sym-
boIs" o|spirit.
Hartmanns invcstieations |Cuodzagc c|ocMctap|,s||dcL|cooto|s I -2 I ,
and Lt|||, I -2)movc in thc dircctiono | a |undamcntaI chanec in thc prob-
Icmatic o|thc schoo. "Thc undcrstandine o| thc cotclcg|cal probIcm, which
was ncwyawakcncdand eidcd byphcnomcnoIoeicaI rcscarchand thc thc-
oryo|thc ob|cct ,andwhichsincc^ntiquityhasdctcrmincdthcercattradition
o|scicntihc phiIosophy, Icd Hartmann toattcmpt to twist not onIy cpistcmo
IoeicaIqucstionine,butrathcrphiIosophicaIqucstioninein ecncraIouto|thc
narrow conhncs o|thcidcaIistic-criticaIhorizon. Inso doine hcncvcrthcIcss
hcId |ast to thc traditionaI standine o|thc phiIosophicaI discipIincs and thc
prcvaiIinepcrspcctivcs on probIcms that thcy hcId. ^s a conscqucncc o|this
systcmaticrc|ormationo|thcMarbureSchooIancwundcrstandineisawak-
cncd |or thc history o|univcrsaI and spcciaI ontoIoey Throueh his invcstiea-
tion into thc ontoIoeicaI antcccdcnts o| Kantian phiIosophy H. Hcimsocth
|habiIitatcdin Marbure, I -I 2, sincc autumn o| I -2J Crdinarius Fro|cssor in
Kniesbcre) advanccd in an csscntiaI way thc knowIcdec o|thc dcvcIopmcnt
o|mctaphysics.
Cutsidc o|thc schooI."]uIius cremann, as Crdinariusin FhiIosophy |rom
IB7--J. cxhibitcd an urecncy and indcpcndcncc in his tcachine. / o|Cc-
tobcr I , I B-J. hc rcsiencd and rcIinquishcd thc stipcnd carncd |rom his Icc
turine obIieations, but hc stiII rcmaincd in |uII posscssion o| his riehts as a
|acuItymcmbcr untiI his dcath in I -0. cremannwas a studcnt o|Lotzc and
TrcndcIcnbure. His work in thc arca o| thc Ioeic o| mctaphysics |Allgcmc|oc
cg||, I B7-, 5c|o uod L|cooco, I BB0, |c Ctuodptohlcmc dc cg||, I BB2,
otcsuc|uogcoahcHauptpuo|tcdcP||lcscp||c, I -00) Ic|t an imprcssionust
as unobtrusivc as it was stone. cremann cstabIishcd thc |ournaI P||lcsc
p||sc|co Mcoats|c]tc in I BB, which was thc lcad|og tcchnicaI |oumaI durine
thc hnaI dccadc o|thc Iast ccnturyand whichwasmcrecd with thc `Ac||v]a
Ccsc||c|tcdcP||lcscp|c in I B-.
In I -0B, thoscwhomanaecd to attain Ixtraordinarius in FhiIosophywcrc
Mcnzcr |in Marbursincc I -0, caIIcd to HaIIc in I -0B as Crdinarius) , H.
Schwarz | I -0B-I0. a|tcrbcineCrdinariusinCci|swaId),C. Misch | I- I I - I 7,
a|tcr bcine Crdinarius in Cttinecn), M. Vundt | I -I B-20. a|tcr bcine Crdi-
narius incna), l. Hartmann | I -20-22).
RE!ERENCES FR AFFENDICES
"Bcsprcchunc. Lmst Lassircr, h!oSoUh!c dcr S\m0o!Schcn ormcn. 2. Jcil. Lu5 m\/h!Sthc
Lcncn. Bcrin. Bruno Cassircr Vcrac, !92J | ^ppcndix !I in this voumc-tr. .
^ppcarcd in. Lcu/Schc L/cru/ur2c!/un2 |Bcrin), ncW scrics J |!92), no. 2! . ! 000-
! 0! 2. |1his rcvicW appcarcd prcviousy in Lncish in thc voumc hc !c/\ o1
1h!n!n2 |Boomincton. !ndiana Lnivcrsity rcss. ! 97-tr.|
"Oavoscr Vortracc. Kants r! |l dcr rc!ncn Vcrnun1| und dic ^ucabc cincr rundccunc
dcr Mctaphysik | ^ppcndix III in this voumc-tr. | . ^ppcarcd in Luvo5cr Kcvuc, IV
|! 929). no. 7. pp. ! 9~- !9.
"Zur cschichtc dcs phiosophischcn lchrstuhcs scit ! | ^ppcndix V! in this
voumc -tr. . ^ppcarcd in L!c h!!UUS-n!vcrS!/0/ ZU Nur0ur2 ! Z-! Z|Marburc.
N . LWcrt'schc Vcracsbuchhandunc | . Braun , ! 927), pp. ! -7.
2 !B
EDI1R`S AI1LRVRD
ThisthirdvoIumc o| | Hcidceecrs| CoIcctcdVorkscontainsthctcxt o|thc
cxpandcd |ourth cdition o|thc book Kant and thc Frobcm o|Mctaphysics. "
which was pubIishcdin I-7J. This cxpandcd |ourth cdition was ovcrsccnby
Martin Hcidceecr himscI|and was accomplishcd throueh thc incIusion o|an
^ppcndix. This voIumc, thc appcndix to which has aeain bccn cxpandcd to
now incudc |our additionaI tcxts. appcars simuItancousIy as a scparatc,
auemcntcd h|th cdition.
Thc hrst cdition |rom I -2- was pubIishcd by Iricdrich Cohcn Frcss o|
onn, which had bccn undc thc manaecmcnt o|Vittorio KIostcrmann sincc
I -2B.VhcnthispubIishcrwascIoscd |oIIowinea pcriodo|hnanciaIdi|hculty,
arcprintineo|thc hrst cditionwas pubIishcd by thc Ccrhard SchuItculmkc
Frcss o| Irank|urt am Main. Sincc thc pubIication o| th sccond cdition in
! -D I . thc Kantbook as Hcidceecr himscI| callcd it, has bccn publishcd by
thc Vittorio KIostcrmann Frcss, which in I -2- had ovcrsccn thc pubIishine
o|thc hrst cdition.
Incditinethisvoumc.thccditorconsuItcdthc manuscripto|Kantand thc
FrobIcm o|Mctaphysics. "^ comparison o|thc printcd tcxt o|thc |ourth cdi
tion, which had bccn ncwIy typcscta|tcrthcpubIication o|thc third cdition,
and a comparison o| thc sccond cdition with thc hrst. showcd that with thc
rcscttineo|thcsccondcditionin I -D ! , apart |roma |cw spclineornotational
mistakcs thathadsimpIybccncorrcctcdwithoutcommcnt, |ourscriouscrrors
had bccn aIIowcd to crccp in as wcII. Cn paec 2B thc word vorstclIiecr"
rcplaccs vorstcie" on paec ! D- ScIbst" rcpaccs Scins", on paec I BD thc
omittcd phrasc da dicscs|ctzt anwcscndc Scicndc dasscIbc sci, wic das" has
bccn put back, on paec I-7 ursprnelichcrcn" rcpIaccs ursprnelichcn. "
^s was thc casc with voIumcs I . 2, +, 5, -. and ! 2 o|thc hrst scction |o|
Hcidceecrs CoIIcctcd Vorks| that havc bccn pubIishcd to datc. so too this
volumc J contains Hcidceecrs mareinaia |rom his pcrsonaI copy o| thc hrst
cdition. His pcrsonaI copics o|thc Iatcr cditions do not havc any mareinaIia.
ThcpIaccmcnto|thcmareinaiarcsuIts|romHcidceecr'sownrc|crcnccmarks.
In print, thcy arc dcsienatcd in |ootnotcs with supcrscriptcd smaII Icttcrs. in
ascqucnccthatbceinsaeainwithcachnumbcrcdscction. Thc maorityo|thc
lonecr or shortcr mareinaI notcs wcrc writtcn in ink. with thc rcst donc in
pcnciI. ScvcraIo|thc IonecrmareinaIiawcrcwrittcnby Hcidceecroninscrtcd
slips o|papcr with a paec or scction rc|crcncc. Many o|thc mareinalia datc
|romthc timcwhcn thc rcicws o|thcKantbookbyIrnstCassircr| I -J I) and
Rudol| Cdcbrccht | I-JIJ2) appcarcd. Most o| thcsc mareinaIia havc an
2 I9
220 Li|ors A|crwor
immancnt cxpIanatoy charactcr, onIy a |cw o| thcm makc notc o| thc Iatcr
IcvcI o| considcration pcrtainine to thc history o| cine. ScvcraI cntrics arc
aIso mcrcIy smaII styIistic improvcmcnts.
+
Thc ^ppcndix to thc |ourth cdition o| ! -7J, which containcd two tcxts,
hashcrc bccn cxpandcd to incIudc |our additionaI picccs tnowbceinswith
thc ncw Nc|cs co||c Kao|hccl which Hcidceecr had inscrtcd in hispcrsonaI
copy o| thc hrst cdition. Thc notc which was rcproduccd in |acsimiIc |orm
and transcribcd as part o| thc |orcword to thc |ourth cdition |and which is
|ound on paec xii o| thc Ccsamtauseabc cdition-tr. bcIones to this samc
piccc. ^n anaIysis o| both thc writine and contcnt show it to datc |om thc
! -J0s or ! -0s.
Thc sccondpiccc is Hcidceecr's Pcv|cwc]Lros|Cass|rcrsP||lcscp|,c] 5,m
hcl|cFcrms Fart 2 M,|||cal J||ol|og| ! -2D), which has not appcarcd in print
sincc it was hrst pubIishcd in thc lcu|sc|c L||cra|urzc||uog in !-2B. Thc
pubIishcd tcxt was proo|rcad aeainst thc manuscript |ound in Hcidceecr
survivine papcrs-a carc|uI cIcan copy ^ rcprint o| this piccc is amone thc
inscrtions in Hcidceecr's pcrsonaI copy o|thc Kantbook.
Thc thirdpIaccbcIonestothcsummary, hrstpubIishcdin thc |ourth cdition
and ovcrsccn by Hcidceecr himscI|, o| his !-2- coursc at thc sccond avos
HochschuIc March ! 7 -^priI , ! -2-). This coursc consistcd o|thrcc Iccturcs
on Kao| Cr|||auc c] Purc Pcasco aod ||c Jasl c] a La,|og c] ||c Couod]cr
Mc|ap|,s|csandisrcprintcdancwhcrc. Thcrcisnomanuscipto|thissummary
oro|thc thrcc IccturcsthcmscIvcsinHcidceecr's survivine papcrs. Thcdivision
o| thc thrcc Iccturcs mcntioncd in thc summary shows that it aiscs |romthc
division o|thc hrstthrcc o|thc |ourtotaI scctions o|thc Kantbook. lnthc thrcc
avos Iccturcs, Hcidceecr carricd |oward thc train o| thoueht |rom thc hrst
thrcc scctions o|thc Kantbook, which appcarcd at thc cnd o|that samc ycar.
urine thc proo|rcadine o| thc |ourth cdition o| ! -7J, hc in|ormcd thc cditor
o| thc prcscnt voIumc that |oIIowine his rcturn |rom avos, hc immcdiatcIy
bceanworkineout thc manuscript |orthc Kantbookandthata|tcrthrccwccks
o|unintcrruptcd work hc had sct it down in writine.
Thc ncxt piccc, which appcarcd prcviousIy in thc |ourth cdition, is a sum-
maryo|thc avosIccturcs, thc account o|thc lavcsl|spu|a||cohc|wccoLs|
Cass|rcraodMar||oHc|dcgcr.This disputation occurcd in conncction with a
coursco|Iccturcs hcIdbyHcidceecrand Cassircr. Ctto Iricdrich oIInowand
oachim Rittcr, who wcrc participants in thc Iccturc coursc at thc avos
HochschuIc, prcparcd thc summary. ccausc Hcidceecr didnothavc hisown
typcwrittcn copy on hand durine thc timc that thc |ourth cdition was bcine
prcparcd, Frossor Ctto Iricdrich oIInow eraciousIy|urnishcdhisowncopy
|or usc as thc book was bcine typcsct. Sincc that timc, howcvcr, Hcidceecr
own copy has bccn Iocatcd amone his survvine papcrs. / a rcsuIt o| a ncw
Li|ors A||crwor 22 I
comparson o| thc typcwrttcn tcxt wth thc tcxt as prntcd n thc |ourth
cdton, a |cw omssons havc now bccn rcpIaccd.
^monethcnscrtonsnHcdceecrs pcrsonaI copy o|thc hrstcdtono|thc
Kantbook saIso an cnvcIopc bcarne thc handwrttcn nscrpton Cdcbrccht`s
and CassrcrsCrtquc o|thc Kantbook. asc qucston Isscncc anderoundne
o|thcotudc o||umaoknowIcdecPrhlcmc]o|tudc|ogcoca Thc hand-
wrttcnnotcsonthctworvcwso|thc Kantbook|whchappcarcdn I9JIJ2)
contancd n ths cnvcIopc havc bccn pubIshcd n thc ^ppcndx |V n thc
prcscntvoumc undcr thc ttIc Cn Cdcbrccht`s and Cassrcrs Crtqucs o|thc
Kantbook. " Thc scpaata o| both rcvcws havc aIso bccn nscrtcd n
Hcdceecrs pcrsonaI copy. Somc o|thcm havc bccn hcavIy workcd throueh
and suppIcd wth numbcrcd marenaInotcs. thc contcnt o|whchncvcrthcIcss
contnucs to advancc Hcdceecr's crtcaI rcsponsc to both rcvcws. ]hcy arc
aIso arranecd wth numbcrs whch. howcvcr, arc consstcnt wth thc marenaI
notcs |rom Hcdceecrs pcrsonaI copy o| thc Kantbook as prntcd n ths
volumc. Irnst Cassrcrs rcvcw. cnttIcd Kantand thcFrobIcmo|Mctaphyscs
Rcmarks on Martn Hcdceecr`s Kant lntcrprctaton" appcarcd n otstud|co
Vl. numbcr I2 | 9J) , pp. I 2. RudoI| Cdcbrcchts book rcvcw was
pubIshcd n 8lattc]adcutsc|cP||lcscp||c )| I 9JI -J2), pp. I J2-JD.
Thc ^ppcndccs concudc wth a rcprntne o|thc tcxt Cn thc Hstory o|
thc Char nFhIosophy sncc B." whch Hcdceecrhad pubIshcd n I927
n thc Fcstsc|]t c FhIppsLnvcrstt zu Marbure I D27- 927. " ccausc
Hcdceecrprcscntcd n ths tcxt thc oren, dcvcopmcnt. c||cct. and rcconsti
tuton o|thc nco-Kantansm o|thc MarbureSchooI," to whch Imst Cassrcr
aIso bcIonecd. hc dccdcd that wthn thc contcxt o|a CoIIcctcd Idton o|his
wrtnes t shouId bc ncIudcd n thc ^ppcndx to thc Kantbook.
+ + + + + + + +
Thc transcrpton o| thc marenaI notatons and thc varous othcr pcccs
pubshcd |or thc hrst tmc n thc ^ppcndwas coIIatcd wth r. Hcrmann
Hcdceecr and r Hartmut Tct|cn. Ior ths hcIp n sa|ceuardne IcxcaI and
tcxtuaI contnuty, l o||cr my snccrc and hcart|ct thanks.
r. Hans-HcImuth Candcr hcIpcd mc do thc proo|rcadne wth provcn
crcumspccton and carc, |orwhch l aIso snccrcIy thank hm.
rcbure . r. . May I990
N von Hcrrmann
1c pacc numbcrs lrom thc |ccturc manuscripts. towhichHcldccccr occasionay rc|crs in his
marcinal notcs, wcrc rc|accd by thc cditor with thc corrcspondinc pacc numbcrs lrom thc
publishcd vcrsions thathavcappcarcd n thc Ccsamtauscabc in thcintcrim. ikcwsc. rclcrcncs
nHcidccrs notations tocdtons, ycars. andpacc numbcrs o|thc work Vm WcscnJcs OmJcs
havc bccn broucht up to datc.
1RANSL1R`S N1ES
Prc[accs
I . ]hisIccturc coursc has bccn pubIishcdasvoIumc 2D o|Hcidceecr's Ccsam-
tausga|c undcr thc titIc P|aocmcoclcg|sc|c lotctctat|co vco Kaots Kt|t|| dct
Pc|oco \cuo]t, cd. !. CIand |Frank|urt a. M. I 977).
2. wcooglc|c|s|c|cd|ogcodcFtagcstclluoguotctgclcgtwutdc
J. Scc transIator's notc I to thc prc|acc to thc |ourthcdition |or morc on this
Iccturc coursc.
. Hcidceecr's initiaI pIan |or8c|ogaod |mc caIIcd |or an Introduction. |oI-
Iowcdby two main parts|Fart Cnc" andFart]wo") . Iach o|thcsc twoparts.
in turn, was to consist o|thrcc divisions. ]hc pubIishcd vcrsion as wc know
itconsistso||ust thc lntroduction and thc hrst two divisions o|Fart Cnc. ]hc
third division o| Fart Cnc and aII thrcc divisions o| Fart ]wo wcrc ncvcr
pubIishcd, aIthoueh Hcidceecr's attcmpts to work throueh thc probIcms hc
pIanncdto trcatin thcscmissinescctions can bc sccn in somc o|his Iccturcs
immcdiatcIybc|orc and a|tcr8c|ogaod!|mcappcarcd. Hcidceecr's occasionaI
rc|crcnccs to thc hrst haI|" o|8c|ogaod !|mc, thcn, rc|cr to thc hrst haI| o|
his totaI pIan |or thc book, or |or thc whoIc o| what wc know as 8c|ogaod
!|mcpIus thc missine third division o|Fart Cnc. Itwas notuntiI thc scvcnth
cdition o|that book I9DJ) that Hcidceecrstoppcdrc|crrinetothc pubIishcd
part as thc hrst haI|. "
D. Fart ]wo was to consist o| a division dcvotcd to cach o| thc |oIIowine
Kants Schcmatism and doctrinc o|timc, cscartcss Ccg|tcsumand^ristotIcs
trcatiscsontimc |Scc5c|ouodZc|t, pp. J90) . ^Ithoueh Hcidceecr sueecsts
hcrc that Fart ]wo was writtcn, it ncvcrappcarcd.
. ]his cssay appcars in thc anthoIoey wcgmat|co Ccsamtausga|c, voI. 9
|Frank|urt, I 97).
7. ]hc hrst cssay appcars in IneIish as Kants ]hcsis aboutcine, " trans.
KIcin andN FohI, 5cut|wcstc ]cutoalc]P||lcscp|,, , I97J, pp. 7JJ. ]hc
sccond work appcars as w|atlsa !||og`, trans. N . arton and cutsch
|South cnd, !97).
22J
22 !runs|u|ors No|cs
Part Dnc
! . 5c|codco als5c|codco.
2. Ccgcostaod Kant makcs an importantdistinctionbctwccn Ccgcostaod and
Dh)c|t. whic Hcidceecr prcscrvcs and which is amost impossibc to carry
ovcr into Ineish. Ior Kant. a Ccgcostaods a thine in spacc and timc that is
cncountcrabc by thc scnscs whic an Dh)c|t is an obcct o|thoueht-Spacc
and Timc arc thcmscvcs Dh)c|t To prcscrvc this distinction. Cgcostaodand
Dh)c|t wi bc rcndcrcd as obcct and Cbcct rcspcctivcy l| cithcr word
appcars at thc bceinnine o| a scntcncc, thc Ccrman word wi bc eivcn in
brackctsorin a notc. Thc rcadcrshoud aso notc that itis ony a pcrccivabc
obcct, a Ccgcostaod, which can stand in opposition to" |cotgcgcostc|co) a
bcine. Hcidceecr makcs a ercat dca o| this word pay at various points
throuehout thc book. and thc ctymooeica conncction to Ccgcostaod shoud
bc kcpt in mind.
J. dcsAllgcmc|oco"am5c|codco.
. Lt|cooto|st|cct|c o|tcn transatcd as cpistcmooey" I havc cndcrcd this
tcrm itcray whcrcvcr it occurs in thc tcxt.
Part
. Transatine vctstcll|gct |morc rcprcscntabc) as |ound in C^ and in thc
sccond cdition. Thc |ourth cdition rcads vctstcll|g, which was transatcd as
rcprcscntabc" in thc prcvious cdition o| this transation.
2. Litcray rcprcscntation by mcans o|comon siensor marks. "
J. This quotation |rom K

nt was citcd as rcprcscntation |conccpt) o| a

rcprcscntation' |intuition)"inthc sccond cdition. thuseivinethc |ascimprcs-
sion that thc word conccpt" |8cgtij) is part o| Kants tcxt rathcr than an
inscrtion by Hcidceecr. This ovcrsieht was corrcctcd in thc |ourth and C^
cditions whcn 8cgt |conccpt) was paccd wthin brackcts. which I havc
rcndcrcd as braccs.
. d|cwa|t- ccohat-) mac|codc, vct|tat|vc5,ot|cs|s
D. c|oct utsptaogl|c|co cotspt|ogcolasscodcoAosc|auuog "Thc cxprcssion ut-
sptaogl|c|coAosc|auuog|orieina intuition) is Kant's. Inthc sccond cditionthc
tcrm cotspt|ogcolasscodco was in parcnthcscs, thuseivinethc |asc imprcssion
that it too is Kant`s tcrm. This misundcrstandine was corrcctcd in thc |ourth
and C^ cditions whcn thc tcrm was cncoscd in brackcts, which l havc
rcndcrcd as braccs.
. ^morcitcra transationmiehtbcthcpccuiarscttine-in-|ront-o|o|think-
ine rcvcas itsc|." but I havc uscd rcprcscntine" |or thc sakc o|consistcncy
!mns|u|or's No|cs 22J
I nthIs paracraph HcIdccccr I sccary payinc vith scvcra vords that sharc
thc root s|cllco, but It Is impossIbc to rcndcr a ol thcm Into cood Lncish.
7. alsLo|s|c|codcs|mLo|s|c|colassco, d.|. als Lo|-s|aodc]]cohat.
B Scc transator's notc 2 to Iart Cnc abovc.
9. ]o makc thc dIstInction bctvccn Lo|s|aod|standinc-lorth) and Ccgcos|aod
|obcct)ccarcr,vc coudrcndcrthc attcrmorcItcrayasstandInc-acainst, "
Inthc scnsc that a pcrccIvabc objcct stands outacaInst thc human bcInc as
somcthInc radicay othcr.
I0. In this paracraph HcidccccrIs payincthc tvo vords 0ucllgtuod|cround
lor thc sourcc) and Ctuodaucllco |basic sourccs) oll cach othcr in a vay that
IsostIn transation. VhatisatIssuchcrcIsHcIdccccrs attcmpt tocctbcncath
vhat Kant took to bc thc basIc sourccs olhuman knovcdcc and to cstabish
thc cround lor thosc sourccs. ]his shoud not bc sccn as sImpc vordpay,
hovcvcr. HcIdccccrs poInt sccms to bc to shov craphicay hov a hIthcrto
unsccn probcma|ic |I. c. , thc probcm ol thc cround ol human knovcdcc)
can bc lound ncstcd or conccacd vIthin thc vcry tcrminoocy ol convcn
tionay acccptcd mctaphysIcs. ]hus, by payInc vIth that tcrmInoocy hc
vants to cxposc a radIca , hIthcr|o uncxporcd probcmatIc vIthIn thc vcry
labric ol convcntIona mctaphysIcs, I . c. , vithIn thc vcry ancuacc ol that
mctaphysics.
! I . d|cAozc|gcdcs0ucllgtuodcs dctCtuodaucllcodctcodl|c|co Lt|coo|o|s. -
tcrnatIvc transatIon. ]hc IndIcatIons conccrnInc thc cround lor thc basic
souccs ol hnitc knovcdcc . . . . VhIc css avkvard, thIs vcrsIon obscurcs
thc vord 0ucllgtuod and hcncc thc radIca naturc ol thc cround bcInc dis
cusscd hcrc.
! 2. looctzc|||g|c||. Scc 5c|ouodZc||, B0-B I .
! J . ]hc dIstInction hcrc and In thc ncxt paracraph bctvccn wasgc|al| and
lo|al|,botholvhIchcanbctransatcdascontcnt,"Is, Incllcct,thc dIstInctIon
bctvccncontcntInthcscnsc olthccapac||,olsomcthInc lo|al|) andcontcnt
inthcscnscolthatvhIchdctcrmincsw|a|somcthincis|wasgc|al|). In Kants
tcrmInoocy, lo|al| Is a priori vhic wasgc|al|Is cmpirIca .
!. ormorc on thIs distinctIon scc my commcnt to HcIdccccrs lootnotc JJ.
! D. |c vct||a||vc5,o||c| | s|daoo das, was s|c| o|c||out|o d|csc Fugco, d|c
Llcmco|czusammco]agcod, c|ag|, scodctod|cscFugcoallctcts|jag|.
I. Ko|. . . d|callgcmc|ocoKcoo|o|sscahctdas co|coahct|aup|. . . hc|z|c|co
mu oovincprcvIousconvcntIonslortransatIncvcrbsviththc prchxhc|,
I havc transatcd thc unusua vcrb hc|z|c|co as to drav-somcthinc -aonc
vith-it. " In thIspassacc It succcsts that Kant must dravthis univcrsa knov-
cdcc ol thInkinc in ccncra Into hIs probcmatIc aonc vIth hIs primary ori-
cntation tovard thc ccmcnt ol thoucht.
!7. ]hc tcrmrcndcrcdtostandIn opposition to"Isco|gcgcos|c|co.Itnormay
mcans tobc inmarkcd contrast,"but L hcrc bcIncrcndcrcditcraybccausc
olthc importancc olthc notion ol standinc-acainst" in thc loovinc discus-
22 !runs|u|ors No|cs
sions. Its ctymooeica conncctionto thc tcn Ccgcos|aod |pcrccivabc obcct)
shoudasobckcptinmindanob|cctis somcthinewhichstandsoutaeainst
a thinkine I as somcthine othcr.
IB. c|ocrco|gcgcos|c|colasscodcoZuwcoduog-zu
I9. Dh)c|| Scc transator notc 2 to Fart Cncabovc.
20. DasCcgcos|aodl|c|cdcrCcgcos|aodcmiehtbcrcndcrcdThatwhichstands
aeainst in ob|ccts . . . " in ieht o| thc dynamic oppoition o| cine which
Hcidceecr is sueecstineconstitutcsob|cctivityin a |undamcntaway. Thus, hc
is cxpoitine a doubc mcanine in tcns ikc Ccgcos|aod, w|dcrs|aod, and
Ccgcos|c|colassco that docs not aways comc throueh in transation.
2 ! . d|c zcrglcdcrodc Lo||alluog, itcray thc unvciine which takcs to piccs
or dissccts.
22. `|c|vcoag,itcray lhavc thc powcr." Thcrc is. thus, an ctymooeica
conncction to thc rc|crcncc to appcrccption as a powcr \crmcgco) that |o-
ows.
2J. vcr-s|cllco. Thismiehtaso bcrcndcrcd prc-prcscnt. "
2. vcrs|cllco,miehtasobcrcndcrcdrcprcscnt,"buthcrcitsccmstosueecst
thc idca o| prcscntine in advancc.
2D. Thc words cncoscd in braccs in this passaec wcrc addcd by Hcidceecr
|or cmphasis. ut, thcrc arc scvcra di||crcnt vcrsions o| this crucia passaec
Irdmann. `dasMaoo|al||gcdcrAosc|auuogc|ocrsc||s,m||dcr8cd|oguog
Rich. `das Maoo|gjal||gc dcrAosc|auuog uod dcrZc||c|ocrsc||suod
m||dcr8cd|oguog . . "
Schmidt. `dasMaoo|gjal||gcdcrAosc|auuogc|ocrsc||s, uodm||dcr8cd|o-
guog .
Hcidceecr. `das Maoo|gjal||gc dcr Aosc|auuog c|ocrsc||s o \crh|oduog
uod d|cscs m||dcr8cd|oguog. "
Kcmp Smith |oows Irdmann. thc mani|od o| intuition on thc onc sidc,
into conncctionwith thc condition. . . . "
l havc rcndcrcd Hcdceecrs vcrsion as coscy as possibc in my transation.
Contrary to Hcidceecr sueecstion, Irdmann and Rich do not rcndcr thc
passaec in thc samc way and mcrcy dcctc an and." ln |act, Rich docs not
dcctc thc and" at a.
2. hcgraodc|c 8c]ugo|s, whichmiehtaso bc rcndcrcd somcwhat awkwardy
as eroundine authority. "
27. wasgc|al| Scc transators notc I J t oFart Two abovc.
2B. dcs5c|codcoalsc|ocsCcgcos|aodcs Dh)c||cs)Scc transatornotc 2 to Fart
Cnc on this distinction.
29. Aohl|c| This word rc|crsto thc ovcra ook that somcthinehas.
J0. vcodcrL|oh|lduogs|ra]| lmag|oa||co')
JI . ahh|ldcodcrAohl|c|c|ocs \cr|aodcoco Ahh|ld)
J2. hzw. oac|h|ldcodcrAohl|c|. . . cdcrahcrvcrh|ldcodcrAohl|c|
!runs|u|ors No|cs 227
JJ. c|nNac|h|ld |P|ctcgtap||c). Hcidceecrisdistineuishine bctwccn Nac|h|ld
|copy," IitcraIly altcr-imaec") and Ahh|ld |Iikcncss," litcraIIy imaec |rom") .
J. dasS-w|c c|nHausaussc|cn|ann Thc construction sc w|cwouId
normaIIy occur in an cxprcssion Iikc 5cgt w|c c|n Haus, or ^s arec as a
housc. " Hcidceecr`s point is that in our cxpcricncc o|housc," it aIways ap-
pcars as a particuar housc, but not ncccssariIy as any cncspccc housc.
J. D|cscsw|cdcscmp|t|sc|cnAussc|cn|nncns.
J. Zusammcn|ang. Thc tcrm rc|crs to thc whoIc intcrconncctcd compIcx o|
possibIc mcanines associatcd with a tcrm likc housc," as discusscd in thc
prvious paraeraph.
J7. h|ldcts|c|sc|cnd|c8|ldmgl|c||c|t
JB.ThistcrmwouInormaIIy bcrcndcrcd rc-prcscntine,"but in liehto|thc
contcxt and hisdiscussion o|\cthl|c| |prcmonition), it is cIcar that Hcidceecr
wants to cmphasizc how this happcns in advancc o|cxpcricncc. This way o|
translatine \ctstclungwassueecstcdtomcinanothcrcontcxtby]oscphFcII.
J9.wcnnandctsdas,was|mtc|ncnCcgcnstc|cnlasscncntgcgcnstc|talsc|nDaw|-
rscl vcc|ml|c| sc|n |nncn
. Hcidceecr eivcsthis subhcadine as it is |ound in thc hrst cdition o|thc
r|t|auc Ctundsatzdct8c|attl|c||c|t 'Inthcsccondcdition, Kantmodihcsit
rcad Ctundsatzdct8c|attl|c||c|tdctSuhstanz |translatcd by Kcmp Smith
a FrincipIc o|Fcrmancncc o| Substancc"). l havc translatcd Hcidceecrs tcxt
as hc wrotc it.
. Inhis|ourthcdition,aswcllasinthcncwC^andh|thcditions,Hcidceecr
mistakcnIy citcs p. ^ IJ |hc citcd it corrcctIy in carIicrcditions), and Kcmp
Smith`s transIation aIso has thc paec numbcr ^ I markcd incorrcctIy. Thc
Schmidt cdition o|thc Kt|t|| in Ccrman |Mcincr, I 9) has thc corrcct pae
ination, as vcrihcd aeainst a copyo|thc actuaI hrst cdition |courtcsy o|r.
Hoecmann at thc Hcecl-^rchiv in ochum, Vcst Ccrmany).
2. |m Dasc|n |d.|. \c|andcnsc|n) Hcidceecr has addcd \ct|andcnsc|n to
cIari|yDasc|n,butthc tcrm Kant himscI|uscshcrc isSuhstanz Kants phrasine
rcads |mDasc|n, d | d|cSuhstanz.
J. das tc|ns|c|Cchcndc
. L|n|alt, orchcck" in thc scnsc o|chcckine or slowineonc`s proercss.
. dasDaw|dct"dctCcgcnstndl|c||c|t
. Thcsccondcditiono|Hcidceecr`sbookcontaincdscvcraIpaeinationcrrors
thruehout thc |ollowineoutIinc, but all wcrc corrcctcd inthc |ourth cdition.
^Il rc|crcnccseivcnhcrchavcbccnvcrihcd aeainst thc Schmidtcdition|Mci
ncrVcrIae, I 97).
7. This is mistakcnIy citcd as ^ I , I B in thc |ourth cdition, aIthoueh
it was eivcn corrcctly in thc sccond cdition.
B. Rcadine hlc m|t \ctstcllungcn gcsp|clt |at |Hcidceecrs |ourth cdition)
rathcrthan hlcm|t \ctstcllungcnsp|clcn |ann |sccond cdition).
9. Schmidt andHcidceecrrcad`Ls|stnutc|nlnhcgti + . ," althoueh Kcmp
22B !runs|u|ors No|cs
Smith transIatcsavariant by McIIin whichrcads `Lsg|h|outc|olohcg . "
Kcmp Smith transIationo|thisscntcncc thusbceins hcrcisonIyonc. . . . "
D0. D|csc Mcgl|c||c||, ' d|c das mcgl|c|ctwc|sc' allctcts| ctmcgl|c||, s| d|c
pcss|h|l||as
D . FoIIowinethc |ourth cdition whcrc HcidceecrdocsnotincIudc thcwords
chnitions o|thcrcaIarc takcn"asparto|thcquotation |thcywcrc incIudcd
in thc sccon cdition). SimiIarIy with thcword scrvc" in thc ncxt scntcncc.
D2. In thc scnsc o|with what is itin accordancc.
DJ. Ctuodsa|z, IitcraIIy a eroundine proposition," aIthoueh i t i scommonIy
transIatcd as principIc. " Scc,howcvcr, thc ncxt scntcncc in which Hcidccr
distineuishcs bctwccn Ctuodsa|zand Pt|oz|p
D. Thccontrasthcrcisbctwccnstandine|orth|Lo|s|aod)andstandineaeainst
or standine in opposition to |Ccgcos|aod)
DD. Rcadine uosctco8cgt|with^ndickcs, Kcmp-Smith, and Hcidceecr scc
ond cdition. Schmidt's cdition o| thc Ct|||auc and Hcidceecr

s |ourth cdition
havc uosctc8cgtc |our conccpts) .
Pan Thrcc
I . dco0ucllguoddctCtuodaucllcodctLt|coo|o|s.
2. das 5|c|dco|co Ausdco|co Ltdco|co, s|c| Ccdao|co mac|co L|o]allc |ahco
uoddctglc|c|co
J. d|c8|lduogs|ta]|, 'asopposcdtopowcro|imaeination|d|cL|oh|lduogs|ta]|),
|ormativc powcr|d|ch|ldcodcKta]|), to|orm |h|ldco) ,andimaec or|orm |das
8|ld)
. das \ctmcgcodcs w||zcs w||zcanbc mcant cithcr in thc scnsc o|kccpine
your wits about you" or in thc scnsc o|bcine witty" prcsumabIy, Kant has
thc |ormcr in mind.
D. `Ccgcowat|c|ocsCcgcos|aodcs lnthis paraeraph, Hcidccr uscsboththc
wordAowcsco|c|||prcscncc)and Ccgcowat|,whichusuaIIymcansthc prcscnt
as opposcd to thc past and |uturc. ln this phrasc, howcvcr, Ccgcowat| sccms
to sueecst somcthine morc Iikc thc prcscnccnow, orthc prcscnt prcscncc, o|
somcthine.
. dats|cllcod,which mcans pictoriaI, inthc scnsc o|pictoriaI art, or dcscrip
tivc. ItisaIso rcIatcdtothcwordsdats|cllco,transIatcdthrouehoutasthcvcrb
to prcscnt, " and Dats|clluog|prcscntation).
7. vctmag. This is a |orm o| thc vcrb vctmcgco |tohavc thc abiIity to do
somcthine), which is bviousIy rcIatcd to thc noun \cmcgco, rcndcrcd hcrc
as |acuIty." This conncction is Iost in transIation.
. Codvctmcgco. This couId aIso bc rcndcrcd basic |acuIty" scc notc 7
aovc.
!mns|u|or's No|cs 229
-. Hcidceecr actuaIIy cditcd Kant words somcwhat. Kant writcs. coct
hl|odco, chglc|c| uocothc|tl|c|co Fuo|t|co dct cclc |a bIind aIthoueh
indispcnsabIc |unction o|thc souI"), p. ^ 7B, I 0J
! 0. ^Ithoueh Hcidceecr eivcs no paec rc|crcncc, thcsc two short quotcs ap-
parcntIy comc |rom p. ^ I DD, I 9. Thc |uII scntcnccrcads. Hcrcin, thcrc-
|orc, cxists thc possibiIity|or synthctic|udemcnts, and thcrcin arc containcd
aIIthrcco|thcsourccso|rcprcscntationsapriori. "Thchcrcin"rc|crstoinncr
scnsc, thc powcr o|imaeination, and thc unity o|appcrccption.
! ! . Aogchctcosc|o This word has thc samc pccuIiar |orm as \ct|aodcosc|o
|cine-at-hand) , and, accordineIy, it mieht bc rcndcrcd IitcraIIy as cine-
innatc. "
I 2. d|c vcos|c|ausAohl|c|c 8|ldct) h|ldcodg|ht
! J. mu . d|cL|o|c|thl|c|c.
I. ^s thc root o|synthcsis" and synopsis," syn"mcans toecthcmcss. "
!D. tc|oc lmag|oat|co Hcrc Hcidceecr cmpIoys a third tcrm |or imaeination
rathcr than his usuaI L|oh|duogs|ta]t |powcr o| imaeination) or L|oh|lduog
|imaeination).
!. l|cscssc|oAogcw|cscosc|o|stdas \ctstaodsc|odcs \ctstaodcs
I 7. \ctstcllco This word wouId normaIIy bc transIatcd as rcprcscntine,"
cxccpt |or thcobvious r|crcncc tothcpccuIiartcrm \ctstcllcointhcprcccd-
ineparaeraph.
!B. lo sclc|ctwc|schcglc|tct"das |c|stcllcvct"allcs \ctstcllco
I9. alsh|odcodc|o||tct\cth|odl|c||c|t
20. |mLotgcgcostc|codcsgcgcostodl|c|coHc|zcotcs
2 ! . ctsc|lcssco Sccc|ouodZc|t, I , p. 7, aIso8c|ogaod!|mc, transIator
notc I , pp. !0D-. ln this scction o|Z Hcidceecr discusscs how somcthine
at hand in oursurroundines is aIways aIrcady thcrc, or in thc thcrc, "bc|orc
anyonc hascxprcssIy asccrtaincd it. Sucha thine, hc says, rcmains inacccssibIc
|uozugaogl|c|) tccircumspcction, but at thc samc timc itis aIrcady discIoscd
|ctsc|lcssco)]ctcircumspcction. Hc thcnIikcnshis tcchnicaI tcrmctsc|l|cssco
to thc tcrmau]sc|l|cssco,mcanineIitcraIIytoIayopcn," andhccontrastsboth
o|thcsc with thc notion o|obtaininesomcthinemcdiatcIythrouehan in|cr-
cncc." SimiIarIy in thc casc o| thc prcscnt passaec. to discIosc thc oriein o|
practicaI rcason, what is rcquircd is notareumcntation, but cxprcssIyunvciI-
ine thc csscncc o|thc practicaI scI|.
22. c|ocwc|scdcs5clhsthcwutsc|osdatstcllco
2J. oac|dcts|ttl|c|co !at.
2. ScIbst" rcpIaccs Scin" inthc |th and C^cditions.
2D. Thc ctymoIoeicaI conncction bctwccn uotctwcco |to submit, IitcraIIy to
throw undcr) and cotwcco |to pro|cct, IitcraIIy to throw |rom) is Iost in
transIation. ^t thc root o|both words is thcvcrbwct]co,to throw.
2. Ior thc importancc o| thc Dh)c|Ccgcostaod distinction scc transIator
notc 2 to Fart Cnc abovc.
2J0 !runs|u|ors No|cs
27. Italics addcd in lourth cdition.
2B. sc|o5cchcouod5cglc|c|
29. d|csco . C|ata||ctdcs8|ldcos|mL|oh|ldcodctL|oh|lduogs|ta]|.
J0. amaowcscodco cgcowat||gco Ccgcos|aod. Thc doubIc scnsc olprcscncc
sueecstcd hcrc isthc scnscinwhich thc ob|cct|Ccgcos|aod) is prcscntbclorc
us |aowcscodco) at thc prcscnt timc ||m Ccgcowat|)
J I . dcmAogchc|dctL|odtac|c)cc|ocoAohl|c| 8|ld
J2. |osc|codctL|o|c|| Thc tcrm sc|codctisanadcctivaI lormolthc vcrb sc|o,
to bc, so ithas thcscnschcrc ola ncw"unitywhich is in amorcimmcdiatc
scnsc-aunitywith morc cxistcncc, in a scnsc, bccausc it isnow rathcrthan
in thc past
JJ. c|o|clzctocsL|sco IitcraIIy an ironwhich is woodcn.
3+ d|cscs Nac|"alssclc|cs h|ldc| "Thc pIay on thc ctymoloey ol thc word
Nac|h|lduog |rcproduction) , IitcraIly lormine somcthine altcr thc modcI ol
somcthine cIsc, docs not comc across in thc transIation.
JD. Thcphrascthatthisbcine . . thcsamc asthatwhich"wasaddcdinhc
C^ cdition.
J. c|o Uohcg] ^ morc coIIoquiaI translation mieht rcad rcmain simply
incomprchcnsibIc`"
J7 das vcos|c|aus||o-zuau'
JB. das wctauzu
J9. `|c|s|cllcvct Thc conncctionbctwccn s|cllcvctand thcvcrbto rcprcscnt
|vcts|cllco) is Iost in transIation.
+ 5|aoduod8cs|aod oth tcrms arc rcIatcd to thcvcrb s|c|coand itsvarious
lorms, which I havc transIatcd as hxcd" or to hx,"as into hx somcthine in
pIacc or to hx somcthinea ccrtain way
! . dctZc|jctm This tcrm has thc colIoquiaImcanine tcnsc," asin thc tcnsc
ola vcrb.
2. dctwcg zumutsptaogl|c|co 0ucllgtuoddcthc|dco Ctuodaucllco
J. Rcadine utsptaogl|c|ctco as in thc C^ cdition, rathcr than utsptaogl|c|co
as in prcvious cditions.
. ^ 9B||.
D. Hcidceecr is contrastine two tcrms in this scntcncc, lo|ctptc|a||co and
Auslcguog,both olwhich wouId normaIlybctransIatcd asintcrprctation."Thc
dillcrcncc is that whiIc lo|ctptc|a||cois conccrncd mcrcIy with what is statcd
cxpIicitIyAuslcguogisconccmcdwithbrineineoutwhat hasrcmaincdunsaid
in any cxpIicit scnsc, what has bccn conccaIcd in thc coursc olthc historyol
mctaphysics Thus, lor cxampIc, it is only Auslcguog and ncvcr lo|ctptc|a||co
that could brine to Iieht somcthine Iikc thc Cucstion olcine |thc 5c|os]tagc)
in 8c|ogaod !|mc. Thcsc conccptsrcccivc considcrablc trcatmcnt in 8c|ogaod
J|mc Thc notion ol what rcmains unsaid in traditional mctaphysicaI tcxts
bccomcs incrcasineIy important in thc Iatcr works by Hcidceecr, particuIarly
in many cssays on poctry and Ianeuaec. ^s an cxampIc, considcr his discus
!runs|u|or's No|cs 2J!
sin o|Farmcnidcs in Fart I o| was|citlco|co|w|atls Callcd J||o||og)
]his samc idca is aIso bchind such kcy Hcidceecrian notions as w|cdct|cluog
|rctricvaI) and lcsttu|t|co |dcsruction, as in dcstruction o| thc history o|
mctaphysics).
Purt Four
I w|cdct|cluog is o|tcn transIatcd as rcpctition. " lts IitcraI scnsc, howcvcr
impIics eoineback to ect somcthine aeain-somcthine wc had oncc but Ic|t
bchind. ]hc somcthine" Hcidceecr is scarchine |or is thc unsad. uItimatcIy
thc 5c|os]tagc In this contcxt no mcrc rcpIay o| thc samc thcmc is caIIcd |or.
sincc in a mcrc rcpIay o| thc Vcstcrn tradition thc unsaid wouId aeain bc
conccaIcd. Hcidceecrs w|cdct|cluogis a rctricvaI whichscrvcsas thc basis |or
a rc-thinkine.
2. ]hc ctymoIoeicaI conncction bctwccn thc Iast two auxiIiary vcrbs in thc
prcccdine scntcncc. can and shouId" ||aoo uodscl)and thc two nouns that
bcein this scntcncc. abiIitics and obIieations" |5c|oKcoocouod5cllco) ,is Iost
in transIation.
J. Vhatis at issuc in this araeraph, which docsnot comc across compIctcIy
in transIation. is thc distinction bctwccn knowIcdec ahcut human bcines |in
whichourtimc isrich)andknowIcdeco|thcPc|ogo|humanbcines |inwhich
our timc is impovcrishcd). ln c||cct, this is thc distinction bctwccn ontic and
ontoIoeicaI knowIcdec |rom5c|ouodZc|t Scc . csp. pp. I 2I D.
. c|oKcooco,5cllco,uodlat]co ^Ithoueh Iost somcwhat in transIation. thcsc
arc thc vcrbs |rom thc thrcc qucstions |can." shouId. " may") rcspcctivcIy
but now in noun |orm.
D. C|. 5c|ouodZc|t, 0||. |ora morc compIctc discussion o|Carc" |5ctgc)
. `lasc|os
7. Fcuct|stausgchtcc|co ]hc is" ||s), thc auxIiary vcrb in thc past tcnsc o|
this Ccrman vcrb, docs notcarry ovcr into IneIish.
B. Lx|stcoz, onc othc cx|stcot|al|ao|ascin. Scc Pc|ogaodmc
9. ]hcwordssc|olassco|cootcarccmphasizcdbybcineprintcdinspaccdtypc.
Formorc on thc conccpts o|thrownncss |aIIine, and pro| cction scc 5c|o uod
Zc|t,csp. JB.
I0. das cx|st|ctcodc5c|codc, namcIy lasc|osccnotc B abovc.
I I . la as in la-sc|o, which is somctimcs transIatcd thcrccine" or cine-
thcrc" to cmphasizc thc pccuIiar charactcr o| ascin's cxistcncc as aIways
cineoutthcrc-ahcad-o|-itscI|. Scc Pc|ogaod J|mc
I 2. ]atc|o 5clhst rcsumabIy thc scI|" to which Hcidceecr is rc|crrine, and
to which thcbcinein qucstion canshowitscI|, is ascin in its worId.
I J. dctCtuod]tagc dctCtuodlcguogdctMctap|,s| |
2J2 !runs|u|ors No|cs
I. \ctgcssco|c|t. Ior morc on this important notion scc 8c|og aoJ Jmc,
B7I . 7-B0.
I D JctuoJamcotalcotclcgsc|cCtuoJa|t
I. ]hisdi||crcncc bctwccncineandbcinesisusuaIIycaIIcd thc CntoIoeicaI
i||crcncc and |caturcs promincntIy throuehout Hcdceecrs work. Scc, |or
cxampIc. thc introduction to 8c|og aoJ !|mc
I 7. Jct8coJl|c||c|tuoJCcwctco|c|tJcslasc|os]hctwo tcrmsdisposition"
|8coJl|c||c|t) and thrownncss" |Ccwcco|c|t) aeain pIay a ccntraI roIc in
8c|og aoJ !|mc, as docs thc tcrm |aIIine" |\ctallco) uscd Iatcr in this para-
eraph. Ior an ovcrvicw o| thcsc important tcrms scc 8c|og aoJ !|mc 2B,
2-, and JB.
IB. s|c||oJas N|c|ts ||oc|o| lt Scc 5c|ouoJc|t, 0, DJ Scc aIso thc
cssay Vas ist Mctaphysik" |Vhat s Mctaphysics")
I-. 5|c|hcoJco, transIatcd hcrc as to hnd oncscI|," is cIoscIy rcIatcd to
8coJl|c||c|t, usuaIIy rcndcrcdasdisposition. " VhiIc Iost in transIation. thc
conncction can bc sccn in thc naturc o| ascins disposition with rcspcct to
bcinesinthcworId,sinccascn hndsitscI|" aIways aIrcadyattuncdto bcines
in this way or that.
20. ]hc passaec, at 2a. is spokcn by thc Stranecr to ]hcatctus and rcads.
Ior obviousIy you havc Ion. bccn awarc o| what you actuaIIy mcan whcn
you usc thc cxprcssion bcine` . Vc, howcvcr, who oncc bcIicvcd wc undcr-
stood it, havc now bccomc pcrpIcxcd. " ]his transIation. which is bascd on
Hcidceecrs rcndcrine o|thc Crcckinto Ccrmanin5c|ouoJc|t |p. I), di||crs
somcwhat |rom thc way Corn|ord transatcs it. ]hc main di||crcncc is thc
rcndcrine o|thc word v, thc prcscntparticipIc o|thc vcrb to bc. "Hcidceecr
transIatcs itintothc Ccrman participIc sc|coJ,asdo withthcEneIishbcine"
Corn |ord opts |or rcaIity" |in Platc !|c CcllcctcJ lalcgucs, cd. I HamiIton
and H. Cairns |Frinccton, I -7J), p. -B7 .
2I . C|gaotcmac||c, |rom Crcck mythoIoe rc|crs t o thc war o| thc Ciants
aeainst cus. t has comc to mcan any war bctwccn eieantic powcrs. ln this
casc thc Ciants" arc FIato and ^ristotIc.
22. Jas5c|coJc,Jasscsc|coJ|st w|c5c|coJcs outsc|coJsc|o|aoo
2J. Thc tcrm Aowcsco bccomcs important |or Hcidceecr in thc ycars im-
mcdiatcIy a|tcr thc writine o| this book. whcn it rc|crs to thc way a thine
comcstoprcscncc or thc way it comcsto bc prcscnt bc|orc us. Hcrc thc morc
coIIoquiaI scnsc sccms to bc appropriatc, namcIy, thc scnsc o| an cstatc. a
dcsienation |or thc cnscmbIc o| propcrty which is what wc havc to show |or
ourscIvcs, as wcII as what pcrsists and survivcs our passine.
2. RcadinehcstoJ|gcAowcsco|c|t|romthc sccond cdition, rathcrthanAowc-
sco|c|t |rom thc |ourth cdition.
2D. ^nd indccd thc qucstionwhichwas raiscd o|oId and is raiscd now
and aIways, andisaIways thc sub|cct o|doubt, viz. what bcine is. . . " Irom
!|c8as|cwt|t|ogsc!Atstctlc,cd. R. McKcon, tr. N . Ross |lcwYork, I -I).
!mns|u|ors No|cs 2JJ
Appcndccs
I . Hcidceecr has paraphrascd Kants words sIiehtIy
2. ln his IneIish transIation o| PP. Kcmp Smith ienorcs thc distinction
bctwccn \cglc|c|uog and Kcmpaat|co |hc transIatcs both as comparison")
Kant in|actdocs distineuish bctwccn thc two tcrms, and itisthis distincton
that Hcidceecr cmphasizcs hcrc.
J. ]hc word inbrackcts appcars in brackcts in thc Ccrman and prcsumabIy
was addcd by Hcidceecr.
. Llcooto|st|ccct|lc. IitcraIIy thcorctician o| knowIcdec.
5 can bc transIatcd as |orcvcr" or aIways. "
. cine which aIways is, prcscncc.
7. Fos is apparcnty thc utch schoIar H. . Fos. onc o|thc participants in
thc avos coursc. l am indcbtcd to Fro|. C. FeecIcr |or his hcIp with this
idcntihcation.
B. hcCcrman tcrms o|Hcidceecr arc daslasc|o,das5c|odasDot|sc|c]hc
Ccrman tcrms o| Cassircr arc. das Fuolt|coalc |m Cc|st d|c Umwaodluog dcs
aspaogl|c|co Paumcs |oc|ocoaodcco
-. ]hc words rcIceatcd toa radicaI . . . Kantwasprcsscd"wcrc addcdbythc
cditor in thc C^ cdition.
. Vas |stdas5c|codc`
I I . d|c lcpc|lao|sc|c wcoduog. ^t xxii. Kant actuaIIy uscs somcwhat
stronecrtcrmswhcnhcrc|crsto`c|ocgaozl|c|cPcvclut|co|acompIctcrcvoIu
tion) , a|tcrthc cxampIcs o|thc ecomctricians and naturaI scicntists.
I 2. c|ocZugaodcl|cgcodc
I J. ]hc |ourth cdition rcads and now" instcad o| onIy"
I. that itis thc hrst stcp . . . o|phiIosophy" was addcd by thc cditorin thc
C^ cdition.
iOSOpV
. . . OHC O| CUCPPCiS mOSI mDOiI3HI 3HU Cxli3OiUH3iV WOiKS . . . .
HUSDCHS3DC |Oi 3HVOHC HICiCSICU H CUCPPCiS IOHPl 3S WC 3S H
CHiiCHl IiCHUS H CimCHCHlCS, CICS, 3HU DOlC3 D OSODV
~ln(cn)rc(u(|on
CUCPPCiS HICiDiCI3IOH O| 3HI iCm3HS 3 C3 CHPHP W3V IO 3GUiCSS
lC SSHCS I3l DOI 3HI 3HU CUCPPCi S3W 3S CiHC3 . . . . H iC3UHP
| un| und |hc uucm u1 Nc|uh\S| (S WC C3H SIiHPPC WI SOuC D3SC
SSHCS O| Hm3H CxSICHCC H IC COmD3HV O| IWO PiC3I mHUS.
-ln(ctu(| onu| Ph| |osoph|cu| Oaur(crlV
bHCC IS OiPH3 DHDC3IOH H I 9Z9, 3iIH CUCPPCiS DiOVOC3IVC
DOOK OH 3HIS Ct| || uuc u1uc KcuSun 3S 3lIi3CICU mHC 3lICHIOH DOl
3S 3H mDOiI3HI COHIiDHIOH IO IWCHICI-CCHIHiV 3HI SCO3iSD 3HU
3S 3 DVOI3 WOiK H CUCPPCiS OWH UCVCODmCHl 3|ICi t|ny und 1| nc.
JS | |l, CH 3iPCU CU I OH HC HUCS u3iP H3 HOI3IOHS u3UC DV
CUCPPCi H S DCiSOH3 CODV O| IC DOOK 3HU |OHi HCW 3DDCHUCCS-
C UCPPCiS DOSlDHD C3lOH HOICS OH IC DOOK, S iCVCW O| LiHSI
L3SSiCiS h| uSuh\ u1b\muu| c u|mS, CUCPPCi5 iCSDOHSC lO iCVCWS
DV KHUO | LUCDiCCI 3HU L3SSiCi, 3HG 3H CSS3V LH IC |SIOiV O| IC
lOSODC3 L3i SHCC I oUU. JC WOiK S SPH|C3HI HOI OH V |Oi IS
HmH3lHP 3SSCSSmCHI O| 3HIS lOHPI DHl 3SO |Oi IS C3DOi3IOH O|
ICmCS |iSI DiO3CCU H c| |Jy und 1|mc, CSDCC3V IC DiODCm O| OW
CUCPPCi DiODOSCU lO CH3Cl IC UCSliHCIOH O| IC mC|3DVSC3 Ii3U-
IOH 3HU IC iOC I3l S iC3UHP O| 3HI WOH U D 3V lCiCH.
Kl LKL JJ S |OO1Ci KCSC3iC COW 3I JiHlV LO CPC, 3iI|OiU,
3HU |OimCi H DiPI COW 3I IC CPC iCVC O| IC KHi LHVCiSIV
H LCim3HV.
bludICS ID LODIDCDI8l DOuPJOH b3S, PCHCi3 CU|Oi
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