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The Doctrine of Self-positing and Receptivity in Kant's Late ...

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Natural Science to Physics‖ <strong>and</strong> the second ―<strong>The</strong> System <strong>of</strong> Pure Philosophy <strong>in</strong> its<br />

Context.‖ 24 And Adickes, who was responsible for the dat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the fascicles, for<br />

example, also strongly emphasized the two dist<strong>in</strong>ct parts <strong>of</strong> the text; the first deal<strong>in</strong>g<br />

mostly with natural sciences <strong>and</strong> metaphysics <strong>of</strong> nature, while the second presented a<br />

doctr<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> self-<strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong>, which he then subdivides <strong>in</strong>to different themes (i.e., self-<br />

affection; th<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> itself). 25 This general two-part vision <strong>of</strong> the text by no means accounts<br />

for why one section has been studied more than the other, but it certa<strong>in</strong>ly opens up a door<br />

to such an <strong>in</strong>terpretative tendency.<br />

It is also worthwhile not<strong>in</strong>g that, when the second part <strong>of</strong> the Op is treated,<br />

moreover, some authors tend either to just do lip service or to jump over the doctr<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong><br />

self-<strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong> to focus on the big systematic repercussions <strong>of</strong> Kant‘s last reflections—<strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong> do<strong>in</strong>g so ty<strong>in</strong>g it to the conclusions drawn with respect to significance <strong>of</strong> the ―gap‖ <strong>and</strong><br />

the st<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the ―ether deductions. This is accomplished by <strong>in</strong>terpret<strong>in</strong>g the very last<br />

24 Prieto, L. ―Invitación al studio del O.p de Kant,‖ <strong>in</strong> Journal Alpha omega; revista di<br />

filos<strong>of</strong>ia e teologia dell‘ Ateneo Pontificio Reg<strong>in</strong>a Apostolorum Vol. 3, Issue 3 (2000),<br />

511.<br />

25 This is not to say that Adickes privileged the first part over the second. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

him, s<strong>in</strong>ce the first part dealt with the physics <strong>and</strong> chemistry <strong>of</strong> Kant‘s time, it was <strong>of</strong> no<br />

value to the contemporary scientist or philosopher <strong>of</strong> science; his position on the second<br />

part is more complex, as he thought <strong>of</strong> the doctr<strong>in</strong>e <strong>of</strong> self-<strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong> as the result <strong>of</strong> Kant<br />

fall<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the ―<strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong> mania‖ <strong>of</strong> the time. As a result, he simply rescues what he saw<br />

as further support <strong>of</strong> his theory <strong>of</strong> double affection, basically Kant‘s supposedly rearticulation<br />

or clarification <strong>of</strong> the status <strong>of</strong> the ―th<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> itself.‖ Despite all <strong>of</strong> this,<br />

Adickes' general evaluation <strong>of</strong> much <strong>of</strong> the O.p is encapsulated <strong>in</strong> disparag<strong>in</strong>g remarks,<br />

such as it be<strong>in</strong>g ―uncritical <strong>and</strong> senile transgressions with respect to favorite op<strong>in</strong>ions<br />

[―Unkritische, senile Nachgiebigkeit gegen Lienl<strong>in</strong>gsme<strong>in</strong>ungen‖],‖ or mere ―airy<br />

speculations [Luftige Spekulationen].‖ None <strong>of</strong> this, however, negates Adickes enormous<br />

contributions to the scholarly underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the text. Adickes, E. Kants Opus<br />

postumum, dargestellt und beurteilt. Berl<strong>in</strong>, Reuther & Reichard, 1920, 394 <strong>and</strong> 590. Cf.<br />

Prieto, L. ―Invitación al studio del O.p de Kant,‖ <strong>in</strong> Journal Alpha omega; revista di<br />

filos<strong>of</strong>ia e teologia dell‘ Ateneo Pontificio Reg<strong>in</strong>a Apostolorum Vol. 3, Issue 3 (2000).<br />

14

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