Single Idea 22059

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 2. Realism]

Full Idea

For Hegel there is no thing-in-itself, because the thing only becomes a something by being for us. Kant's thing-in-itself is the result of abstracting from the thing everything we know about it.

Gist of Idea

Kant's thing-in-itself is just an abstraction from our knowledge; things only exist for us

Source

report of Georg W.F.Hegel (Science of Logic [1816]) by Andrew Bowie - German Philosophy: a very short introduction 3

Book Reference

Bowie,Andrew: 'German Philosophy: very short intro' [OUP 2010], p.49


A Reaction

This seems to pinpoint why Hegel is an idealist philosopher. Frege objected to abstraction for similar reasons. I don't understand how the tree outside my window can only exist 'for me'. I have a much better theory about the tree.

Related Idea

Idea 9587 How do you find the right level of inattention; you eliminate too many or too few characteristics [Frege]