Basics of Catholic Fantasy or A Priori / Kant in a Nutshell: "Critique of Pure Reason" = idealism
Throughout the history of 'rational' 'philosophy', most 'thinkers' have defended the claim that there is a natural 'knowledge' that can only be 'known' by 'mind' (with 'rational' logic?), and is independent of any experience (METAphysical). This 'metaphysical knowledge' is called 'a priori knowledge', and very useful to add logic were there is only physics . kant makes god into metaphysics ('ratio'). Most mentioned in relation to 'a priori knowledge' is 'calculus' (differential analysis).
Immanuel Kant (18th century) posed that the representation (dream; metaphysics) makes the object possible, rather than that the object (physics) makes it possible to dream about it.
Without dreams no 'objects.Kant correctly assumes that objects are sensed as a 'sense picture'. But to sense a 'sense picture' a real object is necessary. This object can be 'presented' in limitless ways (conceptual schemes), but be sure that such ways of presentation are related because their source is the same object. Looking at a house with bare human eyes or through infrared binoculars gives very different 'presentations'. Common Sense is optimized all the time.
According to Kant a coffeecup is 'recognized' by human users as coffeecup, because there are 'natural rules' for coffeecups. No a drinking device is a coffeecup if you can drink coffee with it. In 'sight simulating software' on computers there are rules for coffeecups. If a drinking device doesn't fit the 'rules for coffeecups', even if you can drink coffee from it, than helas it is not a 'coffeecup'.
Kant introduced the never proven human 'mind/soul' as an active interpretor of arbitrary 'a priori' and as being able of reasoning within such 'a priori' (selfmade 'natural laws'). Rather than the brain a passive archiver of sense perception.
Kant posed that physical reality (the physical coffeecup) cannot be 'known' by 'metaphysical' 'reason'. and that his 'metaphysical reason' created a virtual reality (a virtual coffeecup), using 'metaphysical laws' (God). And Kant claimed that this 'a priori' reality of God (the virtual coffeecup) is superior to sensed reality (the physical coffeecup used for drinking, and sensed by our fingers and lips). If americans using 'natural laws' see 'terrorists' instead of humans in another paradigm, then 'terrorists' are the 'rational' 'metaphysical' model for humans outside the Aristotelian Paradigm.
Kant must have 'argued' that without 'a priori' (natural laws) recognition is not possible. But bodily intuition does not 'recognize' (using laws), but compares (using archived 'experience). And uses many criteria.
Any ape does not 'recognize' a human ape using 'natural laws', but compares with in memory stored 'pictures of reality', and 'remembers' that 9 out of 10 of these human apes behave like dangerous predators.
The 'Critique of Pure Reason' is defense of idea-lism
Let's destroy the myth. The Critique of Pure Reason(the Bible of Western Enlightenment; cornerstone of 'Western World' ethics) is in fact
IDEAlism (using 'Christian' ideas) and defending 'reason' and rational logic.
Sometimes called: 'transcendental idealism'. Kant was the first 'psychologer'.No doubt technology and logic are very useful, but the so called 'social sciences' including 'economy' are sneaky instruments of 'rational power'. 'Economy' presents the 'rational' myth that 'inflation' is a natural property. No, inflation is megafraud (myth of infinite growth).
To 'know' in virtual reality (a rational reality) is in IDEA, living in physical reality = to sense. 'Causality' is a relation among 'rational hypotheses (ideas) in 'rational' reality, not a function in physical reality of common sense. 'Space', 'time' and 'causalities' are 'rational' IDEAS in a 'rational' reality. Based on the clarifying assumption that ' pure concepts of understanding' (a priori or idea-worlds of difficult words) are above intuition (common sense).
That finally resulted in things like freedom of speech. Or arrogantly ASSUMING that the 'human' is more than ape in fancy clothing, and does not need sense experience, and that using 'rational' logic means being god-like.
Ron Hubbard in the 20th century tried to repeat Kant's tric in the 'scientological' reality of his sect "Scientology".
Kant's Ivory Tower
From between his 'books' full of 'words' in his Ivory Tower far from reality the Word-Wizard Immanuel Kant in his word-magic Kritik der reinen Vernunft intended to show that 'reality' is made in 'bibles' (science fiction).
Critique/Kritik does not mean criticism, but 'analysis'. Kant is not attacking 'pure reason', but defending 'reason' against 'impure knowledge' supplied by senses (mind over body; denial of common sense making sense). For Immanuel Kant, truth is above common sense and accessible by 'metaphysical' 'minds' because TRUTH is hidden in in 'metaphysical' 'rational categories'. Kant's 'Critique' can be interpreted as trying to make the 'bibles' of 'pure reason' accepted as 'higher' than common sense. In Kant's view 'pure reason' is practiced by 'metaphysical' 'rational minds' and is independent of physical common sense (pure reason = metaphysical = stuff of bibles = faith) Kant wrote that all our knowledge is relative to human perception and 'reasoning'. We 'see' reality as it appears to us through our senses (filters of perception) and 'thought' (fantasy made into logic like 'rationalism'). So far Kant is defending 'cultural relativism'. Both Giambattista Vico and Immanuel Kant see common sense as THE guideline for decisions. But Kant might have had 'moral' reasons (his Critique is part of his Philosophy of Religion) to come to his tricky concluson: therefore the only 'truth' is our selfmade 'truth' (there is nothing higher than reason: 'rationalism'). Kant states that 'morality' requires belief in the existence of IDEAS like 'god', 'freedom and 'immortality'. Kant suggests that in the end only 1 selfmade 'truth' is behind 'human reality'. 'Kantian truth' ('rationalism'), fundamentally protestant.. The Critique of Pure Reason should be understood as quasi mathematical description of a world based on Roman Christian supremacy (a priori). An a priori judgment is purely personal truth made into faith. Faith in 'rational' a priori is (inherently arrogant) called: 'understanding' |
Kant's 'Transcental Continuity'
Continuity as used in 'rational' logic (Kantian Logic) is by Kant himself qualified as 'transcendental continuity'. Only to be used in 'reasoning' (math) and without empirical reality. Nevertheless Kant uses the concept of continuity on many places. Even to defend individual 'ownership' in his 'philosophy of right'
The Word Wizard Kant was seriously addicted to the 'rational myth consciousness, and claims that his own 'word' "synthesis" indicates THE fundamental activity of the 'mind' (inherently assuming a mind-body split). Kant posed that our fantasy (the structure of our ideas = 'mind') shapes our experience of objects ("phenomenal reality"), using unchangeable rules (a priori). Concepts like "God", "freedom", "immortality". In the end just complex determinism. 'Synthesis' is a 'Kantian word' pointing at a function that presumes independent 'mind' (fantasy function).
Intelligence is adequate BEHAVIOR. I'll demystify Kant's religious 'understanding' of 'words'. By substituting Kant's Enlightenment 'words' a priori and pure reason with the 21st century words IDEA, LOGIC and FAITH.
Summary in a nutshell of the Critique of Pure ReasonI. The distinction between IDEA and behavior.
Kant poses: Behavior creates knowledge , but ....IDEAS (juggling with a priori knowledge = Pure Reason faith in Logic) are basis of behavior (Zarah2nd: See picture left)
II. Universal IDEAS fundate 'human understanding' (Zarah2nd: "The Kingdom of Heaven = Creationism = Fundamentalism = Absolutism"). Kant poses: Behavior is useful, but confusing (Zarah2nd: "Better read papers?")
III. Search for universal IDEAs is 'Science' (Zarah2nd: Searching for 'Heaven' = 'understanding' = Absolute Truth)·
Kant poses: Universal IDEAs (pure dreams = science) ground Basic Knowledge
IV. Analytic and synthetic Judgements
· Analytic Judgments: 'rational' juggling with ritual behavior (Zarah2nd: 'Rational' part of 'Cultural Truth')
· Synthetic Judgments: juggling with IDEA basics (a priori) (Zarah2nd: Virtual Truth)
V. Theoretical Science: IDEAS extracted from IDEAS.
· Mathematical judgments are IDEA. (Zarah2nd: Mathematical Truth)
· Natural science (physics) is IDEA made into rockhard rules. (Zarah2nd: 'Scientific Truth')
· Metaphysics = IDEA in pure shape (dream) (Zarah2nd: Hallucination)
VI. The problem of IDEAs
· What makes IDEAs possible? (dreaming) (Zarah2nd: The Art of Dreaming)
VII. "CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON" = SPECIAL SCIENCE given from God: fantasy based on fundamental fantasies
· Transcendental: IDEAs about IDEAs. (Zarah2nd: Stuff for Madhouses)
VERY interesting is that towards the end of Kant's critical period Kant 'awoke from his dogmatic slumber' and he began to question the a priori basis of metaphysics, and ended by losing all faith in the value of metaphysical reasoning.
Zarah2nd
