Exam III 17th 18th cent. PHIL

Question 1

Explain the difference between analytic and synthetic judgments and a priori and a
posteriori. Give examples of each. What does Kant try to prove in the Critique of Pure Reason.
Do you find his defense persuasive? Why?

Answer 1

analytic - true by definition (all unmarried males are bachelors)

synthetic - assign meaning to things
(bodies are heavy)

a priori - necessary and universal

a posteriori - contingent truth

critique of pure reason: you need more than just reason to attain all the knowledge we have

yes – it points out and solves the problem of reason going too far while providing the groundwork for transcendentalism

Question 2

Kant argues that knowledge requires two components. What are they? Do you think Kant is right? Why?

Answer 2

Intuitions and concepts are needed for knowledge. Intuitions are our sensory experiences of physical things and concepts are a way our mind filters through that information. This is right, because without one the other is useless AND you can’t get knowledge unless you first are exposed to it in some way

Question 3

What is the transcendental unity of apperception. Evaluate Kant’s use of this concept.

Question 4

What is the difference between the phenomenal (appearances) and noumenal (things in
themselves)? Give examples of each.

Answer 4

phenomenal; representations of object that we perceive, what we know.

noumenal; the world we can’t perceive objects in themselves. Separate from experience
color and the true chair you can’t see (or the ideal of god, morality, or free will)

Question 5

What are the four major tenets of transcendental idealism? What are the strengths and
weaknesses of this thesis?

Answer 5

Tenets of the Transcendental Idealism
∙ 1. In some sense, human beings experience only appearances, not things in
themselves.
∙ 2. Space and time are not things in themselves, or determinations of things in
themselves that would remain if one abstracted from all subjective conditions of
human intuition. [Kant labels this conclusion a) at A26/B42 and again at A32–
33/B49. It is at least a crucial part of what he means by calling space and time
transcendentally ideal (A28/B44, A35–36/B52)].
∙ 3. Space and time are nothing other than the subjective forms of human sensible
intuition. [Kant labels this conclusion b) at A26/B42 and again at A33/B49–50].
∙ 4. Space and time are empirically real, which means that “everything that can
come before us externally as an object” is in both space and time, and that our
internal intuitions of ourselves are in time (A28/B44, A34–35/B51–51).

Question 6

Explain the difference between the “one world/two aspect” and “two world” interpretations
of transcendental idealism. Which interpretation is correct? Why?

Answer 6

One world two aspect view claims that there is only one external reality and we can interpret it through what we see or things in themselves. This is the epistemological view

The metaphysical view says there are two external realities and they are distinctly different, this can be interpretted on the extreme side like Berkely.

There are issues with the epistemological interpretation because its not actually metaphysical.

Objections are misfounded for the metaphysical view because people take it so far as if one of the worlds is only in your mind and not external to you. This doesn’t necessarily have to be true, and one would assume Kant doesn’t go this far because he goes far to say he isn’t like Berkely at all

Question 7

What are the antinomies of pure reason? What role do they play in Kant’s philosophy? Give
an example, specifying the thesis and antithesis, along with the respective arguments. Do you
think Kant is right about the antinomies? Why?

Question 8

What is Kant’s objection to the traditional arguments for the existence of God (ontological,
cosmological, and teleological)? Evaluate Kant’s objections to these arguments.