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Single Idea 5620

[from 'Critique of Pure Reason' by Immanuel Kant, in 4. Formal Logic / B. Propositional Logic PL / 2. Tools of Propositional Logic / e. Axioms of PL ]

Full Idea

Since philosophy is merely rational cognition in accordance with concepts, no principle is to be encountered in it that deserves the name of axiom.

Gist of Idea

Philosophy has no axioms, as it is just rational cognition of concepts

Source

Immanuel Kant (Critique of Pure Reason [1781], B760/A732)

Book Reference

Kant,Immanuel: 'Critique of Pure Reason', ed/tr. Guyer,P /Wood,A W [CUO 1998], p.640


A Reaction

This is an attack on traditional rationalism, which aspires to do philosophy in the style of Euclid. Kant offers, however, a very conservative view, in which all concepts are 'given'. Nowadays we want to play with new axioms, as they did in geometry.