Rae Langton offers a new interpretation and defence of Kant's doctrine of things in themselves. Kant distinguishes things in themselves from phenomena, and in so doing he makes a metaphysical distinction between intrinsic and relational properties of substances. Kant says that phenomena--things as we know them--consist 'entirely of relations'. His claim that we have no knowledge of things in themselves is not idealism, but epistemic humility: we have no knowledge
of the intrinsic properties of substances. This humility has its roots in some plausible philosophical beliefs: an empiricist belief in the receptivity of human knowledge and a metaphysical belief in
the irreducibility of relational properties. Langton's interpretation vindicates Kant's scientific realism, and shows his primary/secondary quality distinction to be superior even to modern-day competitors. And it answers the famous charge that Kant's tale of things in themselves is one that makes itself untellable.
- ISBN:
- 9780199243174
- 9780199243174
-
Category:
- History of Western philosophy
- Format:
- Paperback
- Publication Date:
-
18-01-2001
- Language:
- English
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- Country of origin:
- United Kingdom
- Pages:
- 246
- Dimensions (mm):
- 234x156x14mm
- Weight:
- 0.37kg
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