KANT'S CRITIQUE OF TELEOLOGY IN BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION

More documents

Recommendations

Info

52 Analytic of Teleological Judgment Such teleological principles occasion no further difficulties since they are merely pragmatic maxims without any compulsory or binding character. Only the concept of natural purpose, only the intrinsic purposiveness is not purely voluntary and must necessarily be assumed. Only in this, so to speak, mandatory use of teleology does a problem of principle arise that must be examined more closely. This Kant undertakes in the Dialectic, where he once again takes up his original reservations against the concept of natural purpose ("unless perhaps a contradiction lies in the very thought"). There he attempts to solve the problem that comes to the surface in the difficult causal relation of part and whole by using the figure of argument of the "antinomy"; he attempts to bring the problem to a head by formulating it as a direct contradiction, so that it can be dealt with on a fundamental level. The next chapter will examine the "antinomy" as a figure of argument as it is presented systematically in the Critique of Pure Reason.
Chapter 2 The Antinomies of Pure Reason 2.1 Introduction Concerning the "antinomy" of pure reason Kant wrote to Garve in 1798: "It was this that first awakened me from my dogmatic slumber and impelled me to the critique of reason itself, in order to remove the scandal of an apparent contradiction of reason with itself." 1 As a figure of argument the antinomy is the most important critical instrument used in the Critique of Pure Reason to dismantle modern metaphysics. Kant employs it in a critique of "rational cosmology," where it even serves "indirectly to prove" the correctness of his distinction between appearance and things in themselves (B534). In the antinomies chapter of the Critique of Pure Reason central theorems of empiricist and rationalist metaphysics are confronted with one another. The conflicting assertions are each proved in turn (apagogically, that is, each is proved by the refutation of its opposite) so that both apparently contradictory propositions must be acknowledged as simultaneously true (proven) and as simultaneously false (refuted) — or rather would have to be so recognized if we did not introduce the Kantian distinction between appearances and things in themselves. In this chapter I shall analyze this figure of argument as it is presented in the section on "cosmological ideas" in the Critique of Pure Reason and in the Prolegomena and as later reflected upon in the so called "Essay on the Progress of Metaphysics." Furthermore, two of the four antinomies in the Critique of Pure Reason whose con- 1 Letter to Garve, Sept. 21, 1798; Ak 12,257-8.
Page 1:
KANT’S CRITIQUE OF TELEOLOGY IN B
Page 5 and 6:
Contents Acknowledgments...........
Page 7 and 8:
Acknowledgements vii This book pres
Page 9:
To My Parents M.M.M. and P.O.M.
Page 12 and 13: 2 Introduction fact the rejection o
Page 14 and 15: 4 Introduction almost exclusively c
Page 16 and 17: 6 Introduction reductionism as the
Page 18 and 19: 8 Theory of the Organism will be se
Page 20 and 21: 10 Theory of the Organism when he f
Page 22 and 23: 12 Theory of the Organism that this
Page 24 and 25: 14 Theory of the Organism not in an
Page 26 and 27: 16 Theory of the Organism formation
Page 28 and 29: 18 Theory of the Organism common sp
Page 30 and 31: 20 Theory of the Organism cated to
Page 32 and 33: 22 Theory of the Organism by these
Page 34 and 35: 24 Kant's Reading of Biology of the
Page 36 and 37: 26 Kant's Reading of Biology for in
Page 38 and 39: 28 Kant's Reading of Biology monly
Page 40 and 41: 30 Kant's Reading of Biology not be
Page 42 and 43: 32 Kant's Reading of Biology to ada
Page 44 and 45: 34 Analytic of Teleological Judgmen
Page 64 and 65: 54 Antinomies of Reason tent is par
Page 66 and 67: 56 Antinomies of Reason antinomies
Page 68 and 69: 58 Antinomies of Reason shows that
Page 70 and 71: 60 Antinomies of Reason categories
Page 72 and 73: 62 Antinomies of Reason "only condi
Page 74 and 75: 64 Antinomies of Reason described;
Page 76 and 77: 66 Kant's Logic For the true opposi
Page 78 and 79: 68 Kant's Logic outside the sphere
Page 80 and 81: 70 Kant's Logic In contrast to Lamb
Page 82 and 83: 72 Kant's Logic predicate under con
Page 84 and 85: 74 Kant's Logic other. We can thus
Page 86 and 87: 76 Kant's Logic then both conflicti
Page 88 and 89: 78 Kant's Logic Both conflicting pr
Page 90 and 91: 80 The Unconditioned and the Infini
Page 108 and 109: 98 Antinomy of Division Antithesis
Page 110 and 111: 100 Antinomy of Division justificat
Page 112 and 113:
102 Antinomy of Division and thus p
Page 114 and 115:
104 Antinomy of Division why it is
Page 116 and 117:
106 Antinomy of Division B552-53) g
Page 118 and 119:
108 Antinomy of Division "machine"
Page 120 and 121:
110 Antinomy of Freedom How far the
Page 122 and 123:
112 Antinomy of Freedom of momentum
Page 124 and 125:
114 Antinomy of Freedom the Third a
Page 126 and 127:
116 Antinomy of Freedom If Kant mea
Page 128 and 129:
118 Antinomy of Freedom phenomena i
Page 130 and 131:
120 Antinomy of Freedom In the Crit
Page 132 and 133:
122 Antinomy of Freedom must appear
Page 134 and 135:
124 Systematics of Antinomy I do no
Page 136 and 137:
126 Summary position proves to be n
Page 138 and 139:
128 Antinomy of Judgment An antinom
Page 140 and 141:
130 Antinomy of Judgment §74 The r
Page 142 and 143:
132 Antinomy of Judgment must have
Page 144 and 145:
134 Antinomy of Judgment dialectic.
Page 146 and 147:
136 Antinomy of Judgment we cannot
Page 148 and 149:
138 Interpretations of the Antinomy
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
Page 156 and 157:
Page 158 and 159:
Page 160 and 161:
Page 162 and 163:
152 Heuristic but Necessary Princip
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
Page 168 and 169:
Page 170 and 171:
Page 172 and 173:
162 Resolution of the Antinomy the
Page 174 and 175:
164 Resolution of the Antinomy know
Page 176 and 177:
166 Resolution of the Antinomy a wh
Page 178 and 179:
168 Resolution of the Antinomy able
Page 180 and 181:
170 Resolution of the Antinomy ous
Page 182 and 183:
172 Resolution of the Antinomy intr
Page 184 and 185:
174 Resolution of the Antinomy tion
Page 186 and 187:
176 Resolution of the Antinomy meth
Page 188 and 189:
178 Resolution of the Antinomy anyt
Page 190:
180 Summary acquainted with" a caus
Page 194 and 195:
184 Bibliography Bommersheim, Paul,
Page 196 and 197:
186 Bibliography Fraisse, Jean Clau
Page 198 and 199:
188 Bibliography Kraemer, Eric Russ
Page 200 and 201:
190 Bibliography & E. Mendelsohn) B
Page 202 and 203:
192 Bibliography Roretz, Karl, "Zur
Page 204 and 205:
194 Bibliography American and Conti
Page 206 and 207:
196 Index 144; 154; 167; 169; final
Page 208 and 209:
198 Index mere understanding 47; 13
show all

KANT'S CRITIQUE OF TELEOLOGY IN BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?