Reconsideration of the relationship between Kant and empiricism through an examination of the main philosophical works of Tetens

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24720014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Philosophy/Ethics
• Research Institution: Kagawa University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Keita 香川大学, 大学教育開発センター, 准教授 (40571427)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: カント / テーテンス / 超越論的哲学 / 経験主義 / 観察 / 想像力 / 形而上学 / 認識論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research project I examined the main philosophical works of Johann Nicolaus Tetens, in order to reconsider the relationship between Kant and empiricism. I obtained the following results. First, I showed that Tetens aimed to extract the condition for the possibility of experience through an observational method. On this point Tetens and Kant had a common goal. Secondly, I investigated how Tetens’ “observational philosophy” influenced Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. Consequently, I showed that there is a close connection between Kant’s philosophy and a particular kind of 18th century German empiricism.

Free Research Field

西洋哲学史