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Briefly Explain and Evaluate The Epistemology of Kant

Kant's Epistemology reconciles Rationalism and Empiricism, asserting that knowledge arises from both experience and reason. He categorizes knowledge into four types of propositions: analytical, synthetic, apriori, and aposteriori, with apriori synthetic propositions forming the basis of knowledge. Kant emphasizes that perception and conception must work together to achieve objective knowledge, leading to his philosophy known as 'Critical Philosophy.'

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26 views1 page

Briefly Explain and Evaluate The Epistemology of Kant

Kant's Epistemology reconciles Rationalism and Empiricism, asserting that knowledge arises from both experience and reason. He categorizes knowledge into four types of propositions: analytical, synthetic, apriori, and aposteriori, with apriori synthetic propositions forming the basis of knowledge. Kant emphasizes that perception and conception must work together to achieve objective knowledge, leading to his philosophy known as 'Critical Philosophy.'

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(1) Briefly explain and evaluate the Epistemology of Kant.

Kant was a German idealism. He was the founder and father of German idealism. He
represents a kind of revolution in philosophic thought. He says that his philosophy is like a
“Copernican Revolution.” Kant was attracted by Hume’s philosophy. It arouses him from. his
dogmatic slumber.
Kant’s Epistemology is the reconciliation of Rationalism and Empiricism. According to
Kant, knowledge with experience but experience is not the only source of knowledge.
According to Kant, knowledge is made up of propositions. There are four kinds of
propositions-
1. Analytical proposition
2. Synthetic proposition
3. Apriori proposition
4. Aposteriori proposition
1. An analytic proposition has its subject and predicate terms, which are equal by definition.
For example, all bodies are extended.
2. In a synthetic proposition, the predicate is different from the subject. For example, some
bodies are heavy.
3. Apriori propositions are the propositions whose truth do not depend on experience. For
example, 1+1= 2.
4. Aposterori propositions depend on experience and can be verizied by experience alone.
For example, This is blue.
By mixing the above four types of propositions we have the following up pairs:
1. Apriori analytic
2. Apriori synthetic
3. Aposteriori analytic
4. Aposteriori synthetic
The apriori analytic propositions are accepted by rationalists. The aposteriori synthetic
propositions are accepted by empiricist. Aposteriori analytic proposition is impossible due to its
contradictory nature.
Kant regarded the apriori synthetic proposition as the basis of knowledge. For example,
every change has a cause. According to Kant, all knowledge begins with experience. But it is the
union of experience and reason.
Perception alone is not objective. To get perceptual knowledge, we have to apply two
forms of sensation, space and time. Then we have to apply one of the categories of
understanding. Then only we have conceptual knowledge. This conceptual knowledge is the
knowledge of the numeral world. According to Kant, both reason and experience are needed to
form object knowledge. Perception without conception is blind and conception without
perception is empty.
The philosophy of Kant holds a balance between the extreme position of British
Empiricism and Rationalism.
In this way, Kant reconciled the philosophy of rationalism and empiricism and his
philosophy is called “Critical Philosophy.”

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