PHIL 460 Lecture 17: Phil 460 Feb 6
12 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Phil 460 Feb. 6
Hume: either imagination can separate two ideas, or it cannot. If it cannot, then
there exists a necessary connection.
• thinks that the mind can separate cause & effect
• draws on analytic/synthetic distinction
• cause and effect must be synthetic → it is known through experience.
Kant thinks that his undermines metaphysics. Agrees that the causal principle is
synthetic, and that it lies outside of the concept itself the concept event does not
contain the concept cause. But he also does not think that we know it from
experience.
• Hume: synthetic a posteriori
• Kant: synthetic a priori
o How is this possible?
o For Kant, this is the same question as the possibility of mathematics,
natural science, metaphysics.
So general problem of pure reason: how are synthetic judgments a priori possible?
Transcendental cognition: deals not with objects themselves, but with our way of
cognizing objects insofar as this is possible a priori.
End of introduction:
• introduces 2 stems of human cognition:
o sensibility: roughly, our sensory perception through which the object
is given
o understanding: faculty through which objects are thought.
Spontaneous.
What he will show in the aesthetic: a priori contribution of sensibility to our
understanding; establish a priori nature of forms of sensibility.
What he will show in the deduction: a priori principles of understanding.
Transcendental Aesthetic
Terminology
• Intuitions: relate immediately to objects, and is singular. Immediacy →
requires presence of the object unlike concept.
o both sensible and intellectual (intellectual → produces the object; this
would only be true of God, so not really relevant for our purposes).
o our intellect: discursive intellect, meaning objects are given to us by
our being affected sensibly
o outer sense: sense affected by outer objects
o inner sense: sense affected by inner objects (thoughts)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Hume: either imagination can separate two ideas, or it cannot. If it cannot, then there exists a necessary connection. thinks that the mind can separate cause & effect: draws on analytic/synthetic distinction, cause and effect must be synthetic it is known through experience. Agrees that the causal principle is synthetic, and that it lies outside of the concept itself (cid:523)the concept (cid:498)event(cid:499) does not contain the concept (cid:498)cause(cid:499)(cid:524). Transcendental cognition: deals not with objects themselves, but with our way of cognizing objects insofar as this is possible a priori. End of introduction: introduces 2 (cid:498)stems(cid:499) of human cognition: is given: sensibility: roughly, our sensory perception through which the object, understanding: faculty through which objects are thought. What he will show in the aesthetic: a priori contribution of sensibility to our understanding; establish a priori nature of forms of sensibility. What he will show in the deduction: a priori principles of understanding. Intuitions: relate immediately to objects, and is singular.
