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Kant's Idealism: On the Character and Limits of Spatial Representation

Heide, David C.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1283966702

Abstract Details

2010, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Philosophy.
I offer a new interpretation of Kant’s argument for transcendental idealism according to which Kant rejects the metaphysical possibility that things in themselves are spatial (the so-called “neglected alternative”) by arguing that all possible spaces are mere parts of the actual, subjective space given in a priori intuition. I claim that Kant establishes this by denying that it is possible to employ spatiotemporal predicates to conceive of any space that is wholly discrete from intuitive space. I argue that Kant develops a version of this argument as early as the Inaugural Dissertation and I go on to show how the doctrines he adduces in defending this argument help to resolve two longstanding criticisms of his critical philosophy. First, I argue that Kant can consistently uphold the intelligibility of noumenal causation because causal predicates are not subject to the representational limitations he upholds for spatiotemporal predicates. I close by arguing that Kant has available to him a considerably stronger argument against the possibility of non-Euclidean geometries than he is often taken to have and that this argument depends upon claims about the representational and referential capacity of spatial predicates that he defends in arguing for transcendental idealism.
Lisa Shabel, PhD (Advisor)
Lisa Downing, PhD (Committee Member)
Sukjae Lee, PhD (Committee Member)
William Taschek, PhD (Committee Member)
200 p.
Philosophy
Kant; Space; Representation; Euclidean; Geometry; Concepts; Appearances; Things in Themselves; Critique of Pure Reason; Inaugural Dissertation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Heide, D. C. (2010). Kant's Idealism: On the Character and Limits of Spatial Representation [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1283966702

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Heide, David. Kant's Idealism: On the Character and Limits of Spatial Representation. 2010. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1283966702.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Heide, David. "Kant's Idealism: On the Character and Limits of Spatial Representation." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1283966702

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1283966702
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.