Single Idea 19672

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / b. Scientific necessity]

Full Idea

Kant's belief in the necessity of laws is revoked as an instance of aleatory reason's unwarranted pretension to reach beyond the limits of experience.

Clarification

'aleatory' reasoning concerns gambling

Gist of Idea

Kant fails to prove the necessity of laws, because his reasoning about chance is over-ambitious

Source

comment on Immanuel Kant (Critique of Pure Reason [1781]) by Quentin Meillassoux - After Finitude; the necessity of contingency 4

Book Reference

Meillassoux: 'After Finitude: the necessity of contingency', ed/tr. Brassier,R [Bloomsbury 2008], p.106


A Reaction

A glimpse of Meillassoux's master argument. He cites Cantor on the uncountable transfinite, claiming that chance in nature involves the transfinite, but normal reasoning about chances should be restricted to what is countable.

Related Idea

Idea 19670 Why are contingent laws of nature stable? [Meillassoux]