stankovic, sasa thesis.pdf - Atrium - University of Guelph

Chapter 4: Conclusion
Das Selbstbewusstsein
How can we know abilities? “But all human insight is at the end as soon as we have arrived at
basic powers or faculties; for there is nothing through which their possibility can be conceived,
and yet it may not be invented and assumed at one’s discretion” (CPrR 5:47). I have argued that
we know abilities to the extent that we actualize them. There are two ways of actualizing
abilities. It is true that theoretical knowledge experiences objects. But how does it do that?
Theoretical knowledge experiences objects by means of abilities. But this point is not specific
enough. Theoretical knowledge experiences objects to the extent that theoretical knowledge is
the actualization of abilities. I experience in the sense that I actualize the ability to sense as the
activity of intuiting objects, that I actualize the ability to understand as the activity of
conceptualizing objects, and so on. “Therefore, in theoretical use of reason only experience can
justify us in assuming them [basic powers or faculties]” (CPrR 5:47). However, we must not
miss the most important point about theoretical knowledge. The actualization of abilities in
theoretical knowledge moves from sensibility to the understanding and finally ends with reason.
In this sense, theoretical knowledge actualizes abilities in experience because there exist objects
that stehen that knowledge entgegen, die Gegenstände, and awaken it into action. “There can be
no doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience. For how should our faculty of
knowledge be awakened into action did not objects [die Gegenstände] affecting our senses partly
of themselves produce representations, partly arouse the activity of our understanding to
compare these representations, and, by combining or separating them, work up the raw material
of the sensible impressions into that knowledge of objects which is entitled experience” (CPR
B1). In other words, without die Gegenstände there would be no actualization of abilities in
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