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

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ii. a. Ontological Pro<strong>of</strong><br />

In its common use with<strong>in</strong> a basic logical form <strong>of</strong> th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, to posit is to connect a<br />

subject <strong>and</strong> a predicate (its characteristic mark) <strong>in</strong> a judgment. This common function<br />

appears clearly is Kant‘s def<strong>in</strong>ition <strong>of</strong> ―determ<strong>in</strong>ation,‖ when <strong>in</strong> the Nova Delucidatio<br />

(henceforth ND) he writes: ―determ<strong>in</strong>ation is the <strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>of</strong> a predicate to the exclusion<br />

<strong>of</strong> its opposite [determ<strong>in</strong>ation est ponere praedocatum cum exclusion oppossiti].‖ 37 It is<br />

expressible <strong>in</strong> the form s is p. Other related German terms with<strong>in</strong> this logical use are:<br />

Bestimmung, Bejahung, Behauptung, Vorausetzung, Hypothese. 38<br />

This logical function <strong>of</strong> Setzung is complemented <strong>in</strong> pre-critical Kant by explicitly<br />

dist<strong>in</strong>guish<strong>in</strong>g the latter with another sense <strong>of</strong> position. It has a key function <strong>in</strong> the<br />

possibility to express not only logical but also existential or ontological claims. 39 In<br />

BDG, where Kant first <strong>in</strong>troduces his well known thesis that existence cannot be a<br />

predicate, the concept <strong>of</strong> Position is specifically related to the so-called problem <strong>of</strong><br />

existential propositions. He def<strong>in</strong>es for us what he means by <strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong>,<br />

<strong>The</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> position [Position] or <strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong> [Setzung] is completely<br />

simple <strong>and</strong> identical with the concept <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g [Se<strong>in</strong>] <strong>in</strong> general. Now,<br />

37 Ak: 1:392. Walford, 11<br />

38 ―Setzen, Setzung.‖ Def. <strong>in</strong> Historisches Wörterbuch der Philosophie. B<strong>and</strong> 9: Se – Sp.<br />

Basel, Schwabe & Co. Ag. Verlag, 1995.<br />

39 Given that this piece is an attempt to construct a mere map <strong>of</strong> the mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Setzung<br />

<strong>in</strong> Kant‘s theoretical work prior to the OP, <strong>in</strong> order to conta<strong>in</strong> the scope <strong>of</strong> our present<br />

analysis for this particular purpose, I only analyze the use <strong>of</strong> this term <strong>in</strong> those pre-critical<br />

essays <strong>in</strong> which it is also be<strong>in</strong>g designated by the Lat<strong>in</strong> Position. This not only keeps<br />

with Kant‘s preference to follow the use <strong>of</strong> the Lat<strong>in</strong> term<strong>in</strong>ology to secure philosophical<br />

clarity, but it helps us leave out the common usage <strong>of</strong> the term <strong>in</strong> everyday German. An<br />

<strong>in</strong> depth analysis <strong>of</strong> this concept would <strong>in</strong>deed be a useful <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g project on its<br />

own, but it lays outside the scope <strong>of</strong> my current project.<br />

23

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