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Single Idea 16931

[from 'Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysic' by Immanuel Kant, in 1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 1. Nature of Metaphysics ]

Full Idea

The generation of knowledge a priori, both according to intuition and according to concepts, and finally the generation of synthetic propositions a priori in philosophical knowledge, constitutes the essential content of metaphysics.

Gist of Idea

Metaphysics is generating a priori knowledge by intuition and concepts, leading to the synthetic

Source

Immanuel Kant (Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysic [1781], 274)

Book Reference

Kant,Immanuel: 'Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysic', ed/tr. Lucas,Peter G. [Manchester UP 1971], p.24


A Reaction

By 'concepts' he implies mere analytic thought, so 'intuition' is where the exciting bit is, and that is rather vague.

Related Idea

Idea 7919 Humeans rejected the a priori synthetic, and so rejected even Kantian metaphysics [Ayer, by Macdonald,C]