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

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

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The activity <strong>of</strong> analyzing<br />

Kant analyzes the ability to understand in the ‘Transcendental Logic.’ Kant announces that the<br />

analysis <strong>of</strong> the ability to understand takes the form <strong>of</strong> the ‘analytic <strong>of</strong> concepts.’ “By ‘analytic <strong>of</strong><br />

concepts,’” he writes, I understand “the hitherto rarely attempted dissection <strong>of</strong> the faculty <strong>of</strong> the<br />

understanding itself, in order to investigate the possibility <strong>of</strong> concepts a priori by looking for<br />

them in the understanding alone, as their birthplace, and by analyzing the pure use [Gebrauch] <strong>of</strong><br />

this faculty” (CPR A66/B91). In other words, the analysis <strong>of</strong> the ability to understand looks at<br />

the birth place <strong>of</strong> concepts and at the pure use <strong>of</strong> concepts. However, if abilities exist as<br />

activities, Kant’s intention to analyze the ability to understand in terms <strong>of</strong> the analytic <strong>of</strong><br />

concepts suggests that the ability in fact exists as the two activities <strong>of</strong> analyzing, namely the<br />

activity <strong>of</strong> giving birth to concepts and the activity <strong>of</strong> using concepts purely. Thus it is in fact<br />

these two that Kant intends to analyze. In this sense, Kant writes: “logic, again, can be treated in<br />

a tw<strong>of</strong>old manner, either as logic <strong>of</strong> the general or as logic <strong>of</strong> the special employment <strong>of</strong> the<br />

understanding. The former contains the absolutely necessary rules <strong>of</strong> thought without which<br />

there can be no employment whatsoever <strong>of</strong> the understanding…The logic <strong>of</strong> the special<br />

employment <strong>of</strong> the understanding contains the rules <strong>of</strong> correct thinking as regards a certain kind<br />

<strong>of</strong> objects” (CPR B76/A52).<br />

Kant discusses the activity <strong>of</strong> giving birth to concepts in terms <strong>of</strong> the question: what is<br />

truth? He argues that there are two ways in which we can understand this question. “What is<br />

truth? The nominal definition <strong>of</strong> truth, that it is the agreement <strong>of</strong> knowledge with its object is<br />

assumed as granted; the question asked is as to what is the general and sure criterion <strong>of</strong> the truth<br />

<strong>of</strong> any and every knowledge” (CPR A58/B83). In other words, we can look for the truth in the<br />

agreement between knowledge and objects. In this case, the criterion <strong>of</strong> truth is the content <strong>of</strong> the<br />

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