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Chapter 9 - Kant on Hume and Scepticism

from Part IV - Kant on Dogmatism and Scepticism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2023

Gabriele Gava
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy
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Summary

Scepticism is the second approach to metaphysics that Kant considered an alternative to his ‘critical’ investigation. It is David Hume who plays the role of the paradigmatic representative of this viewpoint. I begin by analyzing three different readings of Kant’s understanding of Hume’s scepticism about causality. Hume’s scepticism is seen as posing a challenge to natural science and ordinary knowledge, as a problem that puts into question the possibility of general metaphysics, or as a ‘dialectical’ form of scepticism primarily directed against special metaphysics. I suggest that the first reading is implausible. I argue that the second and third readings are compatible once one distinguishes between the perspectives of transcendental philosophy and the critique of pure reason, respectively. Finally, I show that one objection that has been raised against the third reading can be silenced if we interpret Kant’s reading of Hume from the standpoint of his history of pure reason.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Kant on Hume and Scepticism
  • Gabriele Gava, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy
  • Book: Kant's <I>Critique of Pure Reason</I> and the Method of Metaphysics
  • Online publication: 11 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009172127.014
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  • Kant on Hume and Scepticism
  • Gabriele Gava, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy
  • Book: Kant's <I>Critique of Pure Reason</I> and the Method of Metaphysics
  • Online publication: 11 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009172127.014
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Kant on Hume and Scepticism
  • Gabriele Gava, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy
  • Book: Kant's <I>Critique of Pure Reason</I> and the Method of Metaphysics
  • Online publication: 11 May 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009172127.014
Available formats
×