The author undertakes as interpretation of the 'Critique of Pure Reason' in which transcendental idealism and empirical realism are equated with one another. He proceeds by first asking if such an equation is possible, and then inquires how its acceptance would change the standard interpretation of Kant's thought and whether it will be helpful in presenting his ideas in their true colors. The author claims that such reading of Kant may be more interesting if it is seen in the light of phenomenology. He is not only concerned to emphasize similarity between some conceptions of transcendental idalism (empirical realism) of Kant and Husserl, but shows how the proposed reading of Kant helps to detect Kantian inspiration in much of contemporary philosophy.
Arguably Kant's most important achievements have been (i) his critical method, (ii) his answer to the questions: What can I know?, (iii) What ought I to do?, (iv) What can I hope for?, (v) How can I find undisturbed happiness? These are also the problems on which the author has focused. In the first place he emphasises the distinction introduced by Kant between thought and perception, which in itself was a consequence of Kant's belief that our knowledge arises from two different sources, and thought without perception is empty, while perception without mental contents is blind. This is an occasion for the author to highlight the active role of the intellect in cognition and to show that human knowledge is limited to the cognition of phenomena rather than things in themselves. The author explains subsequently what is the origin and role of the categories, concepts and ideas in Kant's system of transcendental idealism. Along with the problems of theoretical philosophy he also deals with some issues of practical philosophy (autonomy, rationality, the formal ethics of obligation), and religion. He also shows why when carrying out the project of transcendental idealism Kant was obliged to recognise the a priori character of fundamental rules and laws. Finally the question of Kant's moral postulates is discussed. Man should treat another man always as an end in itself, and never only as a means, political society should be based on just laws and should be governed with fairness by its rulers, happiness is to be found in what is sublime and beautiful. The author points out in this context how Kant's philosophy has influenced Catholic philosophical thought of the 20th century (Mueller, Krings, Baumgartner).
The paper deals with a general context of the origin and extension of the neologism “meta-criticism”. The history of this term begins in 1784 when German writer and philosopher J. G. Hamann used it to name his conception of Immanuel Kant’s Critic of Pure Reason. However, Hamann provided only a brief framework of the conception of meta-criticism. The task to elaborate the whole theory was undertaken by J. G. Herder, who published two-volume work Verstand und Erfahrung. Eine Metakritik zur Kritik der reinen Vernunft in 1799. Here begun a long-term conflict in German philosophy about the conception of meta-criticism, about Herder’s controversial criticism of Kant and generally about the task of critical philosophy. Modern research shows that there are series of impulses in Hamann’s and Herder’s theory of meta-criticism which influenced the development of German idealism philosophy. Attached to this paper is the translation of Hamann’s very first text in which the term meta-criticism occurred.
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