BODY AND PRACTICE IN KANT

18
THE EMBODIED MIND
early years are concerned, he is typically regarded either as a traditional
metaphysician or as a philosopher of science, or both. Michael Friedman
may be seen as representing the second view, in characterizing the young
Kant as a committed and sophisticated Newtonian, who attempted to
construct the philosophical underpinnings of the Principia. 15 Schönfeld
presents a version of the first view by claiming that the underlying theme
of Kant’s early philosophy was the attempt to reconcile natural science
and metaphysics, or, more specifically, to help construct a unified, nondualist
model of nature. Inside this model, the young Kant hoped it
would be possible to harmonize Newtonian physics with the main
assumptions of metaphysics, i.e. the presence of purpose in the world, the
possibility of freedom, and the existence of God. 16
Many views also prevail concerning which philosophers or traditions
influenced the young Kant. There is a longstanding tradition within
Kant scholarship of looking at the young Kant as a dogmatic follower of
Leibniz. I think Tonelli is right, however, in claiming that even if he was
influenced by Leibniz, at no point was he a dogmatic disciple of the great
German philosopher. 17 Further, an overemphasis on Leibniz may easily
overshadow the fact that Kant also oriented himself in other directions.
Tonelli reports that when Kant started his philosophical career, Leibniz
had for a long time been subject to the criticisms of the Pietist school of
philosophers, of which Crusius was a distinguished member. Against the
rationalism of Leibniz, Crusius argued that the domain of human
knowledge was more limited than the rationalists assumed, a point Kant
also adopted. And even if Kant never became an orthodox follower of
Crusius, his early philosophy was clearly influenced by him. 18 Other
influences included Hume, Locke, Reid, Tetens, Lambert, Condillac,
Newton and Rousseau, to mention just a few. 19
This variety of philosophers and thinkers to whom Kant related in
the development of his own thoughts should alert us, I will argue, to their
15
Friedman (1992).
16
Schönfeld (2000), 10.
17
Tonelli (1969), LI.
18
For the influence of Crusius on Kant, cf. also Wundt (1924), 70.
19
Kant’s contemporary Ludwig Ernst Borowski reports that Kant was extensively
concerned with Hume and Rousseau, cf. Gross (1993), 69. Rousseau’s influence
is also emphasized by Pitte (1971), Cassirer (1981) and Zammito (2002). As for
Kant’s relation to other thinkers, cf. also Beck (1969a), Vleeschauwer (1962),
Kitcher (1990), Kuehn (2002), Schönfeld (2000), Vorländer (1977), Kaulbach
(1982), and Beiser (1987).