Kant's thinker

More about the book

Kant's exploration of cognition and self-consciousness is central to the Critique of Pure Reason, particularly in the transcendental deduction. While this section is often seen as obscure, Patricia Kitcher engages with Kant's detailed conditions for knowledge, arguing that self-consciousness is essential for rational thought. She counters the tendency of many philosophers to sidestep Kant's transcendental psychology, asserting that awareness of the connections among mental states is crucial for understanding rationality. The book begins by placing Kant's theories within the context of contemporary debates on "apperception," personal identity, and the interplay between object cognition and self-consciousness. Kitcher elaborates on Kant's assertion that human knowledge necessitates a unified self-consciousness and examines the implications for modern philosophy of mind. If rational cognition indeed requires conscious thought, this introduces a second "hard problem" regarding the nature of conscious reasoning. Kitcher critiques current theories of self-ascription of belief, highlighting their inadequacies in cases where individuals are aware of their reasons for belief. She proposes a new Kantian approach to address this issue, demonstrating Kant's enduring significance and the relevance of his insights to ongoing philosophical challenges.