Book description
Immanuel Kant is strict about the limits of self-knowledge: our inner
sense gives us only appearances, never the reality, of ourselves. Kant
may seem to begin his inquiries with an uncritical conception of
cognitive limits, but in Kant and the Subject of Critique, Avery
Goldman argues that, even for Kant, a reflective act must take place
before any judgment occurs. Building on Kant's metaphysics, which uses
the soul, the world, and God as regulative principles, Goldman
demonstrates how Kant can open doors to reflection, analysis,
language, sensibility, and understanding. By establishing a regulative
self, Goldman offers a way to bring unity to the subject through
Kant's seemingly circular reasoning, allowing for critique and,
ultimately, knowledge.
"Kant is strict about the limits of self-knowledge: our inner
sense give us only appearances-never the reality-of ourselves. Avery
Goldman shows lucidly and brilliantly how the regulative use of a
psychological idea-the idea of a critical, thinking self-can resolve
this paradox." -David Farrell Krell, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität
Avery Goldman is Associate Professor of Philosophy at DePaul University.
