Linguistique de l’écrit

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The paradox of transcendental knowledge

Jaakko Hintikka

pp. 243-257

Résumé

This paper is a second half of a longer argument.1 In its predecessor,2 I argued that Kant saw the gist of the mathematical method in what essentially amounts to instantiation rules, i.e., what he himself characterized as arguing in terms of particular representatives of general concepts.3 But when can such an anticipatory introduction of representatives of general concepts yield synthetic knowledge a priori? Kant's transcendental viewpoint commits him to answering: Only in so far as we have ourselves put the relations and properties we are arguing about into objects. Then our mathematical knowledge does not pertain to things, but only to the structure of our processes of coming to know them.

Détails de la publication

Publié dans:

Brown James Robert, Mittelstrass Jürgen (1989) An intimate relation: studies in the history and philosophy of science presented to Robert E. Butts on his 60th birthday. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 243-257

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-009-2327-0_12

Citation complète:

Hintikka Jaakko, 1989, The paradox of transcendental knowledge. In J. Brown & J. Mittelstrass (eds.) An intimate relation (243-257). Dordrecht, Springer.