Objectivity through subjectivity

pp. 37-50

in: Otfried Höffe, Kant's critique of pure reason, Berlin, Springer, 2009

Abstract

The "Preface" to the first edition of the Critique already raises the highest possible epistemic claims on behalf of sound and "thorough science" (A ix), and this point is further reinforced by Kant's comments in the second edition of the work (B vii, xv, 22f.): if we are to convince those who are sceptical about the possibility of an autonomous or independent philosophy, and even those who despise the very idea of such a thing, philosophy can no longer content itself with blind or "random groping" (B vii): it must finally become a proper 'science" imparting subjectively certain and objectively necessary knowledge (A xv).