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JEWISH PHILOSOPHY |
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by Hermann Cohen
The mere title, Prolegamena to Every Future Metaphysic Which May Present Itself As Science, by Kant is indicative of his historical influence. It was neither Kant's intention to end all philosophical endeavors, nor to confine the spirit of future thought to the terms of his literary language; but he did claim to have written the most methodical introduction (the prolegomena) of both past and future metaphysics. His claim was founded upon the limitations of metaphysics in presenting itself "as a science." The words "as a science" signify the peculiarity of Kant's system and method; for no inspirational frenzy shall supersede the genius of wisdom in the future nor shall proud resignation (scio me veram intellegere philosophiam) make the feeling of truth the ultimate fundament of certainty; for metaphysics will become science and coordinate itself with the "steady pace of science. That is the historical meaning of Kant's eminent fundamental thought. From it we may also derive the direction and manner in which Kant's historical influence may be pursued. The mathematical science of nature had been accepted as real science about one hundred and fifty years before Kant. That earlier period witnessed the publication of Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia (1687) and Galileo's Uiscorsi (1638). Scientific abstraction was prevalent in both these works. Galileo formulated the fundamental idea of modern science, according to which all things consisted of motions determinable by laws, and explorable only as such. Newton's theories that all motions belonged to a coherent system whose center was the astronomical system was fundamentally related to Galileo's concepts. They form the historical basis for Kant's thesis that the system of the universe is the disposition of the system of reason. The general attitude of philosophy toward science is similar to that of Kant's attitude toward science. It is similar to that of poetry toward myth; the myth creates its images in a naive fashion as a means of conceiving things; poetry utilizes such images as symbols and metaphors, and the poet reflects upon the material of the myths. Science, in parallel ways, unsophisticatedly uses the natural power of the mind "rightly conscious of an obscure impulse." Philosophy must clarify the obscure impulse in order that science may proceed, without necessarily being led, along the right path. The obscure impulse presents a problem; it is a natural phenomenon undeterminable by psychological laws, even if psychology were in perfect accordance with the standards of natural science. Humanity, in general, like each child, begins by thinking mythically. Civilization, through poetry and art, obtains its freedom of the soul. Human reason and science acquire their free self-consciousness, their certainty of spontaneous action, the awareness of their purposes, and the knowledge of their limits through philosophy. In this sense, science is to philosophy what nature is to art. Thus, philosophy, itself, becomes a science when it verifies the mentioned metaphor. Its object cannot be nature as such, but the science of nature. Newton systematized nature and those who accept his theories must also accept that as his underlying purpose. One may well question: How is the science of nature possible? What epistemological conditions does it presuppose? Upon which principles is it founded? According to Kant, the answers to all these questions make philosophy a science. Philosophy becomes science by recognizing the realities of science, and by inquiring into the conditions that make science possible. The title, Prolegomena to Every Future Metaphysics Which May Present Itself As Science, means the aforementioned. In fact the theoretical aspects of Kant's philosophy are nothing but proof of their physical examples; the demonstration of their epistemological value within the bounds of the science of nature based upon mathematics. Such demonstration is the performance of philosophical genius. Throughout the history of philosophy, whether it be Plato, Descartes, Leibniz, or Kant, the philosophical genius becomes evident whenever the question: "What is science?" is raised.
Excerpted from Kant as the Founder of the Philosophy of Science, by Hermann Cohen |
Every Person's Guide to Jewish Philosophy and Philosophers, by Ronald H. Isaacs Reason and Hope: Selections from the Jewish Writings of Hermann Cohen
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