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

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someth<strong>in</strong>g can be thought as posited merely relatively, or, to express the<br />

matter better, it can be thought merely as the relation (respectus logicus) <strong>of</strong><br />

someth<strong>in</strong>g as a characteristic mark <strong>of</strong> a th<strong>in</strong>g. In this case, be<strong>in</strong>g, that is to<br />

say, the <strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong> [Position] <strong>of</strong> this relation, is noth<strong>in</strong>g other than the copula<br />

[Verb<strong>in</strong>dungsbegriff] <strong>in</strong> a judgment. If what is considered is not merely<br />

this relation but the th<strong>in</strong>g [Sache] posited <strong>in</strong> <strong>and</strong> for itself, then this be<strong>in</strong>g<br />

[Se<strong>in</strong>] is the same as existence [Dase<strong>in</strong>]‖ 40<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are two ma<strong>in</strong> po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> this def<strong>in</strong>ition <strong>of</strong> Position or Setzung. First that it is<br />

identical to what we mean with be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> general, that is to say, <strong>in</strong> the most <strong>in</strong>determ<strong>in</strong>ate<br />

sense <strong>of</strong> the concept <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g. An <strong>in</strong>quiry <strong>in</strong>to its mean<strong>in</strong>g provides the elements that<br />

serve as the ground <strong>of</strong> the lower or more determ<strong>in</strong>ate concepts under it. And, second, that<br />

by this general concept, be<strong>in</strong>g can take two forms: a relative form <strong>and</strong> an absolute form.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se two forms are the dist<strong>in</strong>ct ways <strong>in</strong> which be<strong>in</strong>g can be said <strong>of</strong> someth<strong>in</strong>g; the two<br />

ways <strong>in</strong> which position or be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> general can be said or affirmed.<br />

<strong>The</strong> first <strong>of</strong> these forms takes us back to our above discussion <strong>of</strong> <strong>posit<strong>in</strong>g</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g a<br />

logical sense. Here Kant makes explicit that a relative position is a merely logical<br />

relation represented by the copula is <strong>in</strong> a judgment (s is p). Relative position thus grants<br />

us the possibility to conceptually express that s is <strong>in</strong> such a way that p, a certa<strong>in</strong><br />

determ<strong>in</strong>ation or character trait, belongs to it. This determ<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> its be<strong>in</strong>g is<br />

expressed by the predication <strong>in</strong> a judgment. Thus far, what is granted to Se<strong>in</strong> überhaupt<br />

with<strong>in</strong> a relative position is a mere analytical relation <strong>of</strong> conta<strong>in</strong>ment; this is the case<br />

40 Ak: 2:73. Walford 119, modified. Orig<strong>in</strong>al: Der Begriff der Position oder Setzung ist<br />

völlig e<strong>in</strong>fach und mit dem vom Se<strong>in</strong> überhaupt e<strong>in</strong>erlei. Nun kann etwas als blos<br />

beziehungsweise gesetzt, oder besser blos die Beziehung (respectus logicus) von etwas<br />

als e<strong>in</strong>em Merkmal zu e<strong>in</strong>em D<strong>in</strong>ge gedacht werden, und dann ist das Se<strong>in</strong>, das ist die<br />

Position dieser Beziehung, nichts als der Verb<strong>in</strong>dungsbegriff <strong>in</strong> e<strong>in</strong>em Urtheile. Wird<br />

nicht blos diese Beziehung, sondern die Sache an und für sich selbst gesetzt betrachtet, so<br />

ist dieses Se<strong>in</strong> so viel als Dase<strong>in</strong>.<br />

24

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