Henry E. Allison - Kant’s Transcendental Idealism: An Interpretation and Defense

Kants Transcendental Idealism

An Interpretation and Defense

Henry E. Allison

Revised and Enlarged Edition

Yale University Press

New Haven and London

Copyright 2004 by Yale University. All rights reserved.

This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Allison, Henry E.

Kants transcendental idealism / Henry E. Allison.Rev. and enl. ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.

ISBN 0-300-10266-6 (alk. paper)

I . Kant, Immanuel, 1724-1804. I. Title.

B2798.A634 2004

193dc22 2003063157

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

To Norma, with love and gratitude

Apart from the references to the Critique of Pure Reason , all references to Kant are to the volume and page of Kants gesammelte Schriften (KGS), herausgegeben von der Deutschen (formerly Kniglichen Preussischen) Akademie der Wissenschaften , 29 vols. (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1902). References to the Critique of Pure Reason are to the standard A and B pagination of the first and second editions, respectively. Specific works cited are referred to by means of the abbreviations listed below. The translations used are also listed below and, except in the case of the Critique of Pure Reason , are referred to immediately following the reference to the volume and page of the German text. It should be noted, however, that I have occasionally modified these translations. Where there is no reference to an English translation either the translation, is my own or the text is referred to but not cited.

A/B Kritik der reinen Vemunft ( KGS 3-4)

Critique of Pure Reason , trans. and ed. by Paul Guyer and Allen W. Wood. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Anthro Anthropologie in pragmatischer Hinsicht (KGS 7)

Anthropology from a Practical Point of View , trans. by Mary J. Gregor. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1974.

BL Logik Blomberg (KGS 24)

The Blomberg Logic , in Lectures on Logic , trans. by Michael Young, pp. 5-246. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Br Kants Briefwechsel (KGS 10-13)

Correspondence , trans. by Arnulf Zweig. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Diss De mundi sensibilis atque intelligibilis forma et principiis (KGS 2)

Concerning the Form and Principles of the Sensible and Intelligible World (The Inaugural Dissertation), in Theoretical Philosophy, 1755-1770 , trans. and ed. by David Walford and Ralf Meerbote, pp. 377-416. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

EMB Der einzig mgliche Beweisgrund zu einer Demonstration des Dasein Gottes

The Only Possible Argument in Support of a Demonstration of the Existence of God , in Theoretical Philosophy, 1755-1770 , trans. and ed. by David Walford and Ralf Meerbote, pp. 107-202. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

FI Erste Einleitung in die Kritik der Urteilskraft (KGS 20)

First Introduction to the Critique of Judgment , in Critique of the Power of Judgment , ed. and trans. by Paul Guyer and Eric Matthews, pp. 377-416. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Fort Welches sind die wirklichen Fortschritte, die die Metaphysik seit Leibnitzens und Wolfs Zeiten in Deutchland gemacht hat? (KGS 20)

What Real Progress Has Metaphysics Made in Germany since the Time of Leibniz and Wolff? , trans. by Peter Heath, in Theoretical Philosophy after 1781 , pp. 337-424. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Gr Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten (KGS 4)

Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals , in Practical Philosophy , trans. by Mary J. Gregor, pp. 37-108. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge University Press, 2002.

JL J sche Logik (KGS 9)

The J sche Logic , in Lectures on Logic , trans. by Michael Young, pp. 521-640. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

KpV Kritik der praktischen Vernunft

Critique of Practical Reason , in Practical Philosophy , trans. by Mary J. Gregor, pp. 133-272. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

KU Kritik der Urteibkraft (KGS 5)

Critique of the Power of Judgment , trans. by Paul Guyer and Eric Matthews. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

LB Lose Blatter zur Kritik der reinen Vemunft (KGS 23)

LD-W Logik Dohna-Wundlacken (KGS 24)

The Dohna-Wundlacken Logic , in Lectures on Logic , trans. by Michael Young, pp. 438-516. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

MAN Metaphysische Anfangsgr nde der Naturwissenschaf t en (KGS 4)

Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science , in Theoretical Philosophy after 1781 , trans. by Michael Friedman, pp. 171-270. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

ML Metaphysik L2 (KGS 28)

Metaphysic L2 , in Lectures on Metaphysics , ed. and trans. by Karl Ameriks and Steve Naragon, pp. 299-356. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001.

ND Principiorum primorum cognitionis metaphysicae nova dilucidatio (KGS 1)

New Elucidation , in Theoretical Philosophy, 1755 -1770 , trans. and ed. by David Walford and Ralf Meerbote, pp. 1-46. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.

NG Versuch den Begri f f der negativen Gr ssen in die Weltweisheit einzuf hren (KGS 2)

Attempt to Introduce the Concept of Negative Magnitudes into Philosophy , in Theoretical Philosophy, 1755-1770 , trans. by David Walford and Ralf Meerbote, pp. 203-41. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, l992.

Pro Prolegomena zu einer jeden k nftigen Metaphysik die als Wissenschaft wird auftreten k nnen (KGS 4)

Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics That Will Be Able to Come Forward as Science , in Theoretical Philosophy after 1781 , trans. by Gary Hatfield, pp. 29-170. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

PV P litz Vorlesungen ber die philosophische Religionslehre (KGS 28)

Lectures on the philosophical doctrine of religion , in Religion and Rational Theology , trans. by Allen Wood and George Di Giovanni, pp. 335-451. The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Immanuel Kant. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.

R Reflexionen (KGS 15-19) and Reflexionen Kants zur kritischen Philosophie .

Ed. by Benno Erdmann. Leipzig: Fuess Verlag, 1882.

Tr Tr ume eines Geistersehers, erl utert durch Tr ume der Metaphysik (KGS 2)