Single Idea 7416

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

Full Idea

The two readings of Kant depend on whether the world of phenomena is 'constrained' by the noumenon, or whether it is 'free-floating'.

Clarification

The 'noumenon' is unexperiencable reality

Gist of Idea

Kant is read as the phenomena being 'contrained' by the noumenon, or 'free-floating'

Source

comment on Immanuel Kant (Critique of Pure Reason [1781]) by Marianne Talbot - talk


A Reaction

The free-floating reading leads to idealism, since the noumenon then becomes a quite irrelevant part of Kant's theory, and can be dropped (since its existence means nothing if it has no causal role). On the first reading, constraint becomes interesting.