'Kant our Contemporary'? Kitcher on the Fruitfulness of Kant's Theory of the Cognitive Subject. Issue 1 (31st January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sturm, Thomas
• Is Part Of: Kantian review. Volume 19:Issue 1(2014)
• Page Start: 135
• Page End: 141
• Publication Date: 2014-01-31
• Subjects: Neo-Kantianism -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 142.305
• DOI: 10.1017/S1369415413000356
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-4154

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>In chapter 15 of <italic>Kant's Thinker</italic>, Patricia Kitcher claims that we can treat Kant as 'our contemporary', and that his theory of apperception 'offers "new" and plausible perspectives on issues of considerable recent interest'. I question this with respect to two of her four chosen topics. First, I address her attempt to show that Kant's theory of apperceptive self-knowledge is immune to sceptical doubts of the sort Barry Stroud presents. Second, I turn to her argument that this theory is superior to current accounts of the special authority of self-knowledge. Over and above specific weaknesses, it seems that Kitcher's considerations generally lack sufficient reflection on how philosophical arguments of the past can be relevant to current agendas.</p> </abstract>