Kant's Theory of Knowledge

Key themes

The Possibility of Synthetic A Priori Judgments

This is the foundational epistemological problem that Kant sought to resolve, and Prichard's primary target for critique. Prichard meticulously examines Kant's attempts to establish how judgments that are both universally necessary (a priori) and genuinely informative (synthetic) could be possible, particularly in fields like mathematics and natural science. Prichard argues that Kant ultimately fails to provide a coherent, non-circular, or convincing account, often relying on unproven assumptions or blurring distinctions.

Transcendental Idealism vs. Philosophical Realism

Prichard's book is a sustained and fundamental attack on Kant's transcendental idealism, which posits that objects of human experience conform to the mind's inherent structures (space, time, categories) rather than the mind passively conforming to an independent reality. Prichard, often implicitly advocating a more direct philosophical realism, challenges the very coherence of a system where the mind 'constitutes' reality and where 'things-in-themselves' remain unknowable. He questions whether Kant truly escapes the pitfalls of subjective idealism or skepticism.

The Coherence of Phenomena and Noumena

Prichard dedicates significant critical attention to Kant's distinction between phenomena (appearances, the world as it is experienced by us) and noumena (things-in-themselves, the world as it exists independently of our minds). Prichard argues that this dualism is inherently problematic and generates insurmountable difficulties, particularly concerning how unknowable things-in-themselves could 'affect' our sensibility and how we can even legitimately conceive or speak of such a realm. He contends that it introduces an insoluble dualism that undermines Kant's project.

Worth discussing

Does Prichard's critique of Kant's synthetic a priori judgments successfully dismantle Kant's central epistemological project?