Kant's supposed realism about things-in-themselves

in Serck-Hanssen, Camila (Ed.) Proceedings of the 13th International Kant Congress ‘The Court of Reason’ (Oslo, 6-9 August 2019) (2021)

Hegel’s Philosophy of Philosophy

in Illetterati, Luca (Ed.) The Relevance of Hegel’s Concept of Philosophy: From Classical German Philosophy to Contemporary Metaphilosophy (2021)

Hegel’s major claim is that true philosophy provides the complete rational cognition of the absolute. Since by definition the complete cognition of the absolute cannot be cognitively exceeded, true ... [more ▼]

Hegel’s major claim is that true philosophy provides the complete rational cognition of the absolute. Since by definition the complete cognition of the absolute cannot be cognitively exceeded, true philosophy itself must account for the completeness claim. There are three places in particular where Hegel develops this claim: in the Phenomenology of Spirit, in the Science of Logic and in the Encyclopedia of Philosophical Sciences. I explore the different ways in which Hegel elucidates the rational, non-circular explication of how to philosophically conceive of the complete comprehension of philosophy itself, i.e., his philosophy of philosophy or metaphilosophy. [less ▲]

Response to my critics: In defense of Kant’s aesthetic nonconceptualism

in Con-Textos Kantianos: International Journal of Philosophy (2020), (12), 173-190

In this article I respond to objections that Matías Oroño, Silvia del Luján di Saanza, Pedro Stepanenko and Luciana Martínez have raised against my non-conceptualist reading of Kant’s aesthetics. The ... [more ▼]

In this article I respond to objections that Matías Oroño, Silvia del Luján di Saanza, Pedro Stepanenko and Luciana Martínez have raised against my non-conceptualist reading of Kant’s aesthetics. The objections are both, substantial and instructive. I first sketch my non-conceptualist reading of Kant’s doctrine of judgments of taste and then turn to what I take to be the most important criticisms that these authors have put forward. Two difficulties with a non-conceptualist reading of Kant’s aesthetics seem to be central: the cognitive status of judgments of taste and the representationalist capacity of aesthetic feeling as non-conceptual mental content. I respond to these and additional objections and defend my overall non-conceptualist interpretation of Kant’s aesthetics against my critics. I argue that Kant’s aesthetics is highly relevant for the debate over whether or not Kant is a (non-)conceptualist. [less ▲]

Hegel: Ein Rationalist?

in International Yearbook of German Idealism (2019)

It is almost beyond doubt that Hegel’s thought bears rationalist traits. The question, however, whether or not Hegel can count as a rationalist, is controversial. This contribution argues that although ... [more ▼]

It is almost beyond doubt that Hegel’s thought bears rationalist traits. The question, however, whether or not Hegel can count as a rationalist, is controversial. This contribution argues that although Hegel is a rationalist in the wide sense, he is not in the narrow sense of the word. This is not a trivial observation. For in numerous places of his work it seems as if Hegel holds implicitly onto the central rationalist theorem, according to which the principles of thought are the principles of the possibility of things themselves. Hegel’s idealism of absolute rationality yet claims to have overcome this theorem and hence rationalism in the narrow historical sense by rationalist means. The paper examines and critically assesses this claim with respect to the Phenomenology of Spirit and the Science of Logic. [less ▲]

Der antike pyrrhonische Skeptizismus / Aus dem Deutschen ins Ukrainische übersetzt von Volodymyr Abaschnik

in Antike und Universitätsphilosophie. (2019)

Kant and the forms of realism

in Synthese (2019)

Realism takes many forms. The aim of this paper is to show that the “Critique of pure Reason” is the founding document of realism and that to the present-day Kant’s discussion of realism has shaped the ... [more ▼]

Realism takes many forms. The aim of this paper is to show that the “Critique of pure Reason” is the founding document of realism and that to the present-day Kant’s discussion of realism has shaped the theoretical landscape of the debates over realism. Kant not only invents the now common philosophical term ‘realism’. He also lays out the theoretical topography of the forms of realism that still frames our understanding of philosophical questions concerning reality. The paper explores this by analysis of Kant’s methodological procedure to distinguish between empirical (i.e. nonmetaphysical) and transcendental (metaphysical) realism. This methodological procedure is still of great help in contemporary philosophy, although it has its limits. [less ▲]

Philosophy as a Kind of Scepticism

in Machuca, Diego (Ed.) Skepticism: From Antiquity to the Present (2018)

I present the arguments Hegel puts forward in favor of this rather challenging account of skepticism. In Section 2, I discuss the celebrated conception of “self-fulfilling skepticism” of the Phenomenology ... [more ▼]

I present the arguments Hegel puts forward in favor of this rather challenging account of skepticism. In Section 2, I discuss the celebrated conception of “self-fulfilling skepticism” of the Phenomenology of Spirit (1807) that is supposed to overcome untrue types of cognition in order to promote “absolute knowing.” In Section 3, I debate Hegel’s more advanced view according to which genuine skepticism must be construed as dialectic. [less ▲]

Gibt es bei Hegel das Problem des Realismus?

in Illeterati, Luca (Ed.) Wirklichkeit. Ein Stichwort der Philosophie Hegels (2018)

The paper examines whether Hegel, in his philosophy, assigns realism a systematically relevant place or whether, in the face of absolute idealism, he takes realism to be obsolete. Following a systematic ... [more ▼]

The paper examines whether Hegel, in his philosophy, assigns realism a systematically relevant place or whether, in the face of absolute idealism, he takes realism to be obsolete. Following a systematic specification of the realism issue, it will be demonstrated that Hegel provides an astute analysis of certain types of realism and, in the Phenomenology of Spirit, argues against immediate or direct realism in particular. Although Hegel views the idealism-realism debate as philosophically futile, the doctrine of essence of the Science of Logic stands for the realist notion according to which actuality is to be conceived as the unity of essence and existence. In the Phenomenology of Spirit and in the Science of Logic he demonstrates that realism has skeptical implications on the basis of which this theory is untenable, although not unreasonable as such. [less ▲]

Anschauung überhaupt

in Akten des XII. Internationaler Kant-Kongress: Natur und Freiheit (2018)

Der Beitrag macht den Versuch einer Klärung des meines Erachtens diffusen Begriffs der „Anschauung überhaupt“ gemacht. Es soll gezeigt werden, dass Kant für den Beweis der Restriktionsthese im Rahmen ... [more ▼]

Der Beitrag macht den Versuch einer Klärung des meines Erachtens diffusen Begriffs der „Anschauung überhaupt“ gemacht. Es soll gezeigt werden, dass Kant für den Beweis der Restriktionsthese im Rahmen seiner kritischen Vermögenstheorie ohne die Annahme der „Anschauung überhaupt“ zwar nicht auskommt, dass sich diese Annahme aber gegen den naheliegenden Einwand verteidigen lässt, wonach die kritische Erkenntnisbegrenzung nur unter der für Kant illegitimen Voraussetzung einer Form metaphysischer Erkenntnis, das heißt einer „Anschauung überhaupt“ möglich ist. Die Schwierigkeit besteht hierbei vor allem darin, dass von allen Spezifikationen der „Anschauung überhaupt“ allein die menschliche sinnliche Anschauung in Raumund Zeit kognitiv zugänglich ist. Alle übrigen Arten der sinnlichen „Anschauung überhaupt“ sind menschlicher Erkenntnis nicht kognitiv zugänglich. [less ▲]

De quelques questions récentes dans les recherches kantiennes

in Grapotte, Sophie (Ed.) Kant et les penseurs de langue anglaise (2017)