KANT'S CRITIQUE OF TELEOLOGY IN BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION

Contraries and Subcontraries 65
for then if one of the propositions is true, the other must be false and vice
versa, e.g., the world is infinite as to space, compared with the counterproposition,
it is not infinite as to space; but [it is] rather a transcendental
conflict, one of synthetic opposition (contrarie oppositorum), e.g. the
world is finite as to space, a proposition which says more than is required
for logical opposition ... which two propositions thus can both be false —
as in logic two judgments opposed to one another as contraries
[Widerspiel] (contrarie opposita).
The conflict between thesis and antithesis is thus supposed not to
constitute a contradiction but rather a contrary opposition; and it is
supposed to make a difference with regard to the statement, "The
world is infinite," whether one asserts "The world is finite," or "The
world is not infinite." In the first case, according to Kant, one says
"more" than is necessary for contradiction and thus it could be that
both conflicting propositions are false, i.e. the proposition, "The
world is neither finite nor infinite," could be true. It will be helpful
first to examine Kant's views on these kinds of propositions and
oppositions. 16
Kant calls the antinomies chapter as a whole a "conflict of
reason with itself" or a "conflict of laws (antinomy)" (B434-5); the individual
antinomies are called "conflicts." The German word
"Widerstreit," usually translated as "conflict or "opposition," is
Kant's most general term for opposition. It is a "concept of reflection"
whose counterpart is "agreement" (Einstimmung) (B318,
B320); it is the generic term for such more specific oppositions as
real opposition (e.g. of forces), logical opposition, and transcenden
tal opposition (between realities and negations). 17 Logical opposi
tion, which interests us here, is subdivided into the contradictory,
contrary and subcontrary oppositions familiar from the square of
oppositions of traditional logic. Contradiction or "true" opposition is
characterized as expressing neither more nor less than is necessary:
16 A number of commentators have noted the similarity between the antinomies
and these two traditional types of opposition. Cf. Heimsoeth, Transzendentale
Dialektik, p. 305; Walsh, Criticism, p. 200 and "Structure," p. 83; Philonenko,
"Jugement teleologique," pp. 23f; Butts, Double Government, p. 252. However,
only M. Wolff, Begriff des Widerspruchs, has taken the analysis of these forms of
opposition as the basis of an interpretation of the antinomies chapter. Section 2.2 of
this chapter will be a running debate with Wolff's interpretation.
17 Cf. "The Amphiboly " B316-349; "Negative Größen," Ak 2,171f, W 1, 783f;
Schmid, Wörterbuch, "Widerstreit." In Herder's notes of Kant's logic lectures we
read: "Die Repugnanz ist aut logica aut realis." (Ak 28,1,12)