Kant's Theory of Error: A Work-Systematic Reconstruction

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The aim of this research project is to reconstruct Kant's critical theory of error, not only from an epistemological perspective, but from a broader perspective of his critical philosophy, which includes (i) his transcendental philosophy, (ii) his moral philosophy, (iii) his logic, (iv) his anthropology, and (v) his political (Enlightenment) philosophy. The general thesis pursued in the proposed project is that Kant's critical work can be opened up in a philosophically extremely fruitful way through the concept of error, for this concept allows seemingly disparate areas of his philosophical oeuvre – such as his anthropology, logic, ethics, and epistemology – to be systematically related to one another. The concept of error will thus be shown to be an integrative concept that can demonstrate the systematic coherence of Kant's critical philosophy. Such a reconstruction is motivated by the fact that Kant gives interesting remarks about error in various places of his extensive work, but does not put them into an explicit systematic context. Through the planned reconstruction, an approach to Kant's work shall thus become possible which does not have to orient itself to the sequence of the three Critiques, but rather allows them to be opened up from completely different perspectives with regard to the complex phenomenon of error. Kant often refers to error only indirectly, using concepts that at first glance seem to have nothing to do with it, such as the concept of rationalizing, appearance, dialectic, and self-lie. The research project aims to bring these concepts into a systematic relationship and to relate them to the concept of error. The method on which the research project is based will be called "work-systematic reconstruction". In a further step, Kant's concept of common sense (sensus communis) will be used to show ways and strategies to methodically avoid error. The results of the research project shall be published in a comprehensive monograph in German (working title: "Kants Theorie des Irrtums"). The most important systematic insights shall also be published in condensed form in a journal article in English.