The World According to Kant

This work explores Kant's critical idealism, distinguishing between transcendental and empirical realities. It examines his views on appearances and things in themselves, clarifying his position within the landscape of philosophical thought.

In The World According to Kant, Anja Jauernig delves into the core of Kant's critical philosophy, particularly the crucial distinction between appearances and things in themselves. This distinction has sparked extensive scholarly debate for centuries, and Jauernig offers a fresh interpretation of Kant's critical idealism as an ontological stance. She explores how this framework is articulated in the Critique of Pure Reason and related texts, emphasizing Kant's view of reality as comprising two distinct levels: the transcendental and the empirical.

Kant's transcendental level refers to a reality that exists independently of human perception, where things in themselves reside. In contrast, the empirical level is entirely dependent on the mind, encompassing the appearances that serve as intentional objects of experience. Jauernig argues that while Kant can be classified as an idealist concerning empirical objects and the nature of space and time, he also maintains a realist perspective. This duality arises from the unique characteristics of experience, which distinguishes genuine appearances from mere illusions or dreams, as well as their grounding in things in themselves.

Throughout the book, Jauernig clarifies the nuances of Kant's critical idealism, highlighting its differences from ordinary idealism. She also examines how Kant's understanding of things in themselves compares to the ideas of his predecessors, particularly the Leibniz-Wolffian tradition. By unpacking these complex relationships, The World According to Kant provides a comprehensive analysis of Kant's philosophical contributions, inviting readers to engage with the ongoing discourse surrounding his ideas.