Critique of Pure Reason as Special Science and an Integral Methodology

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• March 26, 2026

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Critique of Pure Reason as Special Science and an Integral Methodology

Mallika Rajaratnam
mallikapera@gmail.com
Department Philosophy and Psychology, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Abstract
Main objective of this paper is to explore Immanuel Kant’s novel Notion of Science in the Critique of Pure Reason [1781/1787] and to explore the integral Methodology. Immanuel Kant [1724- 1804] is one of the most important and influential Philosopher in the history of Western Philosophy. In his Critical Philosophy he gave the new interpretations for all the Traditional issues and terminologies which deal with dogmatic understanding of metaphysics and the main issues in Philosophy. Many of the in the interpretations of Kant’s critical philosophy focusing only on his reconciliation of Rationalism and Empiricism. Many of the misinterpretations of Immanuel Kant’s First Critique have the partial understanding of his Methodological message. Kant’s message and methodology transcend the basic reconciliation of Rationalism and Empiricism which serves to the Theoretical understanding of Sciences. As Kant himself says in his preface to the first edition of the First Critique the most important task of Philosophy is to explore the Self- understanding of Reason and to explore the different levels of Reason to understand Philosophy as a Whole. Through his Critical Philosophy he explores a way to overturn the whole history of western Philosophy and Metaphysics and gives the novel interpretation on Science. I argue in this Paper that Kant’s Copernican Revolution in Philosophy is not the reconciliation of rationalism and empiricism but the Reflexive understanding of the exploration of a complete Science to understand the Philosophy with an integral understanding.

Critique of Pure Reason as Special Science and an Integral Methodology

Mallika Rajaratnam
mallikapera@gmail.com
Department of Philosophy and Psychology, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Immanuel Kant [1724-1804] is recognized as one of the most influential and important philosophers in the history of Western Philosophy. He systematized the critical Philosophy by giving the new interpretations for all the traditional issues and terminologies which deal with dogmatic understanding of metaphysics and the main issues in Philosophy. Kant himself mentioned in his preface of the second edition of the Critique of Pure Reason [1786] that he made a Copernican Revolution in epistemology and Philosophical methodology. Many of the interpretations of Immanuel Kant’s Philosophy are recognizing or focusing only on his reconciliation of Empiricism and Rationalism. Many of the misinterpretations of Immanuel Kant’s first Critique have the partial understanding of his methodological message. But his message and methodology transcend this basic reconciliation of rationalism and empiricism, which serves the purpose only for the scientific theoretical understanding. For Kant the most important task of Philosophy is to explore the self understanding of Reason and to explore the different levels of Reason to understand philosophy as a whole. The reflexive understanding as Critique of Reason is one the key issues of Kantian methodology and message and to understand the core message of Kantian Critical Philosophy which can be considered as his notion of Science

Chapter one deals with general Introduction which elaborates the Historical, Scientific, Philosophical and Intellectual Background of Immanuel Kant. It elaborates Newtonian Influences on Kant and also deals with the historical and Philosophical of Nature of Modern Philosophy, Humean Skepticism Kant’s awakening from the dogmatic slumber and his innovations of novel trends in the Philosophical methodology

The Second Chapter deals with the Transcendental Doctrine of Elements and structure and the methodology of The Critique of Pure Reason. This Chapter elaborates the Structure of the Critique of Pure Reason and the critical and the integral Epistemology of the Critique of Pure Reason. It elaborates the Methodological intension Dialectics and the Transcendental hermeneutics of Kant

Chapter Three Analyses the Transcendental Dialectics and the critique of Metaphysics and Theology. It also elaborates the dialectical inferences of Pure Reason. The paralogisms of Pure Reason and the Antinomy of Pure Reason deals with the critique of metaphysics and theology this chapter also deals with the Nature of Dialectics and the Human Reason and the Kan’]s contribution towards Dialectics.

Chapter Four elucidates the transcendental doctrine of Method and Kant’s Hermeneutics. It deals with the discipline of Pure Reason, Canon of Pure Reason and Architectonic of Pure Reason.
Introduction

Immanuel Kant’s Philosophy and his Method:
Immanuel Kant’s Intellectual development has been evaluated with his major Critiques and other major writings and the complete literature survey shows the his unique contribution to the fields of Philosophical Methodology. Immanuel Kant’s Philosophical methodology as explored in the Critique of Pure Reason was misjudged by various interpreters.. the need for a new out look for Kant’s philosophical method will change the entire field of Philosophy and its affiliation with all other disciplines such as Anthropology, Sociology, Ethics, Natural Sciences, and all the discipline in the Social, Natural and Human Sciences..Kant himself says in his introduction of the first Critique, that he is trying to explore a complete methodology for Sciences and Ethics in the Critique of Pure Reason.

Immanuel Kant’s Biography is explored as unique background for his unbelievable achievements in Philosophy especially areas like Anthropology, Politics, Aesthetic Ethics Science, logic, Epistemology, Metaphysics etc, Immanuel Kant was born on 22nd of April 1924 in Kongsberg, the capital of East Russia. Kant’s grandfather emigrated from Scotland to East Prussian. At the age of 16 Kant entered the University of Kongsberg, where he studied mathematics, physics, philosophy, theology and classical Latin literature. He had entered himself as theological student, and as was then practice with such students in Russian. He completed his theological studies, and finally he gave up the line of study. His interest had been turned in different directions. His leading teacher in the University was Martin Knutzen (1713-51) who introduced him both Wolfian philosophy and Newtonian physics, who inspired some of Kant’s own later views and philosophical contributions. Kant left the university in the 1746 and completed his work, Thought on the Forces (1746-published in 1749) and attempt to mediate Cartesian and Libnitzian theories of physical forces. Kant then worked as tutor in households near Kongsberg to the consequent next 8 years. He retired to the university in 1755, however he had prepared several work for publications. In 1756 Kant wrote a short paper on the theory of winds in which for the first time true account of wind and monsoon. Kant’s universal natural history and the theory of heavens are more successful scientific works. The French astronomer Pierrel Laplace (1749-1827) developed his version of the hypothesis. Kant developed his version on that theory and that become Kant known as Kant Laplace hypothesis.

In 1755, Kant also published two Latin works. His MA thesis briefs presentation of some thoughts concerning fire and his first philosophical work, new elucidation of the first principles of metaphysical cognition, which earned him the right to offer lectures at the university as a professor. The following year Kant published the employment in natural philosophy of metaphysics combined with geometry of which sample continues the physical monad logy, which made him eligible for salaried profession ship, although he was not receive position until 1770. In those years Kant also published four essays on earth quark and winds. He inaugurated his profession ship by depend on his doctorate thesis. In this dissertation he distinguishes sensible apprehension of phenomenon from the concept of understanding just as in the critique of pure reason. He shows precisely as the late work that space and times are forms of intuitions. Intuitions of the sense dreams of a sprit seer are elucidated by dreams of metaphysics (1966) and concerning the ultimate ground of the differentiation of direction in space (1768). These publications earn widespread recognition for Kant in Germany.

During their period Kant was deeply struck by the work of Jean Jacques, Rousseau, especially by his social contract and to the commitment to the freedom. By this time Kant also accounted philosophy of David Hume, whose two inquiries and other essays were published in 1755. Hume’s Treaties of Human Nature was published in German language little later. Kant was appointed as profession of logic and metaphysics in Konigsberg University in 1770. He defended on his inaugurate dissertation on the forms and intelligible world. After this publication Kant fell in another decade of silence, apart from fear small essays, but in his silent decade Kant was preparing for his enormous body of subsequent work beginning in 1781 with the first edition of the critique of pure reason. Kant continuously published many extra ordinary philosophical volumes. His Prolegomena, To any Future Metaphysics that shall come forth as scientific, and attempt to introduce main theme of first critique and popularizing the first critique (1783). He published idea for a universal history from a cosmopolitan point of view and he wrote what enlightenment (1781).
The ground work of metaphysics moral and four other essays are published in 1785. The metaphysical foundation of natural science, essays on the Conceptual Beginning of Human History and what does it mean to orient, one self in thinking? and two other essays in 1786. He published revised second edition of Critique Pure Reason in 1787. The Critique of Practical Reason published in 1788. He published in the same year another essay on the use of teleological principles in philosophy. In 1790 he published a Critique of Judgment as well as important polemic work on new Critique of Pure Reason. The political essay on the common saying that may be right in theory, but that is not work in practice and the controversial book on Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone were published in 1793. He published Toward Perpetual Peace in 1796, the Metaphysics of Moral Comprising the Doctrine of Right, and Doctrine of Virtue in 1797, as well as essay on putative right to live from love of mankind, and his lager major work in 1798, Hand Book on Anthropology From Pragmatic Point of View and his defense of the intellectual freedom of philosophical faculty from religious and legal sensor ship in the restrict atmosphere of the faculties with Kant’s approval, some of his lecture course also were published including logic (1800) and physical Geography Pedagogy in 1804.

Discussion

Scientific and Newtonian Influences on Kant is very significant in his section on Doctrine Elements and Transcendental Aesthetics deals with the notion of space and Time. Kant was deeply engaged with the science of his time- with the mathematical physics of Newton, in particular- during his entire philosophical career. He deals with the Transcendental and metaphysical exposition of space and time mostly his Metaphysical foundations of Natural science shows the Newtonian influence on Kant
Immanuel Kant’s Historical, Intellectual and Philosophical Background based on the problems of modern western Philosophy. The Nature of Modern Western Philosophy tends towards science and wanted to establish Philosophy on the basis of firm foundation of Science and mathematics. Kant deals in his Critique of Pure Reason Major problems of the Modern Philosophy and succeeds in mission. According to Kant human reason has this peculiar fate that in one species of its knowledge it is burdened by questions which, as prescribed by the very nature of Reason itself, it is not able to ignore, but which, as transcending all its powers, it is also not able to answer.[ Kant in preface to the first Critique- First edition]. This is the summary of his First Critique, It is the Critique of Reason itself.. Kant shows the limits of Pure Reason and tries to expand the nature of Reason for not only for science but for other areas of Justice and Ethics.. Kant explores a new Philosophical Methodology for Sciences and Ethics. He wanted to understand the nature of empirical and Pure knowledge, according to him we are in possession of certain modes of apriori knowledge and even the common understanding is never without them. Philosophy stands in need of a science to determine the possibility, the principles, and the extent of all a priori knowledge. In all theoretical sciences of reason synthetic a priori judgments are contained as principles, Kant was trying to answer Hume and overcoming Hume’ s problem. He himself mentioned in the preface of his first critique [ second edition] that Because of Hume he was awakened from the dogmatic slumber.. He made a critical turn in the western Philosophy and made Copernican revolution in philosophy not only reconciles the rationalism and empiricism but also introduces a critical and integral Philosophical method for Sciences , Ethic and all the other fields and reconciling theory and Practice in his critical Philosophy. Humean Skepticism is the root for the search for a new Methodology and Kant’s Critical and Integral Methodology and Critical Philosophy is a unique contribution in the western Philosophy. Each and every Philosophical movement and successive philosophers immensely influenced by Kant, and there are new Philosophical movements such as Phenomenology, Existentialism critical theory and Hermeneutical tradition evolves after Kant.

Structure of the Critique of Pure Reason and the Intention of Kant’s Critique are very well explained very well in his preface to The Critique 1781, 1787. Kant’s transcendental doctrine of Elements first part deals transcendental aesthetic with the notion of pace and Time. Here, then, in pure a prior intuitions, Space and Time – as one of the factors required for solution of the general problem of Transcendental Philosophy: how are Synthetic a priori judgments possible? Such judgments, however, thus based on intuition, can ever extend beyond objects of the senses: they are valid only for objects of possible experience. The Transcendental Doctrine of Elements second part deals with Transcendental Logic. Here Kant establishes the A priori Grounds of the possibility of Experience.. Here Kant explores Pure concepts of understanding are thus a priori possible, and in relation to experience, are indeed necessary ; and this for the reason that our Knowledge has to deal solely with appearances., and the possibility of it in its formal aspect. , In the deduction of Pure concepts of the Understanding Kant speaks about the original synthetic Unity of apperception, and the principle of the Synthetic unity is the supreme principle of all employment of the understanding. The logical form of all judgments consists in the objective Unity of the Apperception of the concepts which they contain and the category has no other application in knowledge than to objects of experience. Kant’s Reconciliation of Rationalism and Empiricism well explained in these chapters of his Critique of Pure Reason.. It deals with Critique of Theoretical Reason/ and deeper levels on understanding of Epistemology.
Transcendental Aesthetic, Transcendental Analytic, The deduction of the Pure concepts of Understanding,, The principles of Pure Understanding,, Analogies of Experience, Transcendental Doctrine of Judgment are the major issues in the first part of the Critique of Pure Reason

The Critique of Pure Reason and the Transcendental Dialectics and the Critique of Metaphysics is a very crucial part of Kant’s First Critique, The Dialectical Inferences of Pure Reason, Paralogism of Pure Reason, The Antinomy of Pure Reason, The Ideal of Pure Reason, The Critique of Metaphysics and Theology, Natural Dialectic of Human Reason are the sections deals with the dialectic of Pure reason and Kant’s contribution towards Dialectical Method is unique in the Philosophical understanding.

Kant’s major contribution explored in his Second part of the whole book, The Transcendental Doctrine of Method. And it explores Kant’s Integral Philosophical Methodology and Hermeneutics.
The Discipline of Pure Reason, The Canon of Pure Reason, Architectonic of Pure Reason are the major divisions of Transcendental Doctrine of Method. The Philosophical Methodology of Critique of Pure Reason explores the Phenomenological Hermeneutics and the revolutionary message for the successive philosophical movements and philosophers. Most of the interpreters of Kant focus on his reconciliation of Empiricism of Rationalism and Copernican revolution in Philosophy but In my research I explore his contribution towards reflexive understanding as his Copernican Revolution.

Kant’s Critical and Integral Methodology as explored in the Critique of Pure Reason is giving the philosophical methodology for sciences and Ethics. His contribution in the first explores his intension of the whole career. My research explores the misinterpretations and misjudgments of Kant’s Method and Message. The Prolegomena and Metaphysics as Real Science [1783] is written by Immanuel Kant as a readable summary of his First Critique when he felt his when understood that his philosophical message and Method were misjudged by his contemporary scholars. Kant’s arguments against speculative metaphysics differ from those of our contemporaries. He goes beyond and against the contemporary positivism. The Critique of Pure Reason is therefore a challenge both to those who think metaphysical knowledge of the ultimate nature of things is possible and to those who regard metaphysics a s in the traditional dogmas. The Self Understanding of Reason is the most important task of Philosophy in the Critique of Pure Reason Kant says in his preface to the First Critique ‘ It is a call to reason to undertake anew the most important of all its tasks, namely, that of self –knowledge, and to institute a tribunal which will assure to reason its lawful claims and dismiss all groundless pretensions…’’ Kant further says ‘I do not mean by this critique of books and systems, but of the faculty of reason in general, in respect of all knowledge after which it may strive independently of all experience. It will therefore decide as to the possibility or impossibility of metaphysics in general., and determine its sources, its extent, and its limits- all accordance with principles. Kant does not mean by this a critique of books and systems, but of the faculty of reason in general.
His Expansion of the Nature of Reason and Synthesis of Theoretical and Practical Reason is unique contribution in the history of Western Philosophy. Kant ‘s contribution on Reflexive understanding and integral method is his unique revlotion in te field of Philosophical Methodology.

Conclusion

Critical Evaluation of Immanuel Kant’ Critical and Integral Methodology

Critical Analysis of Kant’s intension of the First Critique – the Critique of Pure Reason reveals his extensive Philosophical – Epistemological, Ethical and real scientific approach to the methodological problems. Critical Analysis of Kant’s Second Critique – the Critique of Practical Reason in brief shows the ethical Methodology and the Critical Analysis of the Critique of Judgment in brief reveals the integral and critical methodology of Immanuel Kant. The understanding of his Philosophical method needs a careful reading of all three critiques. He reconciles theory and practice in the third critique. Analysis of Kant’s Critical and integral Method reveals his unique contribution towards methodology of Sciences and Ethics though .Kant’s vocabulary, Style shows the Philosophical Richness of his intension, the Novel interpretations of Traditional Themes is extraordinary contribution towards a new exploration. Immanuel Kant’s Influence on the subsequent Philosophers and Philosophical Movements is remarkable. Last two hundred years of Western Philosophy immensely influenced by Immanuel Kant. Post Kantian Philosophy especially the Frankfurt School, Critical Theory and other critical philosophical movements in the West immensely influenced by Kant’s Critical , Integral Method. The contemporary Relevance and Influences of Kantian Philosophy on Science and Social Sciences are remarkable.. Immanuel Kant’s Integral and Critical Philosophical Methodology should be understood in its reflexive message and it will contribute even today’s Philosophical methodology on Sciences and Ethical , social , Political and cultural understanding of the issues in the Contemporary world.

Selected Bibliography

Immanuel Kant, [1781& 1787]
Critique of Pure Reason
Trd by Norma Kemp Smith, 1964
Macmillan & Co Ltd, London

_________________ [1783]
Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics
Trd by Lewis White Beck [1950]
The Liberal Arts Press, INC. USA

________________ [1786]
Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Sciences.
Trd by Ernest Belfort Bax [1891]
George Bell and Sons. London

_____________________
Critique of Pure Reason, [1781 & 1787]
Trd by J.M D Meiklejohn,
Dover Publications, INC [2000]
New York, USA

___________________
Critique of Pure Reason [ 1781 & 1787]
Trd & Ed By Paul Guyer and Allen W.Wood,
Cambridge University Press [2000],
USA.

_______________ [1785],
The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals
Trd by T.K Abbott,
Prometheus Books [1988],
New York, USA.

_________________[1788],
Critique of Practical Reason
Trd by T. Abbott,
Barnes and Noble Books [2004],
USA.

___________________[1790],
Critique of Judgment,
Trd by Barnard. J. H
Hanfer Publishing Co Ltd [1964],
New York, USA.

____________________[1793],
Metaphysics of Morals
Trd by John Ladd,
Babbes- Merrill Educational Publishing, 1980
USA,

___________________[1780]
Perpetual Peace – A Philosophical Sketch
Trd by H .B Nisbetn in Kant’s Political writings, Ed . Hans Reiss,
Cambridge University Press, 1970

Ed by Allen W. Wood,
Basic Writings of Kant,
The Modern Library [2001],
USA

Ed Paul Guyer [1994]
The Cambridge Companion to Kant
Cambridge University Press, USA

Michael Friedman [1992]
Kant and the Exact Sciences
Harvard University press, USA

General Introduction which elaborates the Historical, Scientific, Philosophical and Intellectual Background of Immanuel Kant. It elaborates Newtonian Influences on Kant and also deals with the historical and Philosophical of Nature of Modern Philosophy, Humean Skepticism Kant’s awakening from the dogmatic slumber and his innovations of novel trends in the Philosophical methodology

Chapter Three Analyses the Transcendental Dialectics and the critique of Metaphysics and Theology. It also elaborates the dialectical inferences of Pure Reason. The Paralogisms of Pure Reason and the Antinomy of Pure Reason deals with the critique of metaphysics and theology this chapter also deals with the Nature of Dialectics and the Human Reason and the Kan’]s contribution towards Dialectics.

Conclusion

Critical Evaluation of Immanuel Kant’ Critical and Integral Methodology

Immanuel Kant’s Critical Philosophy can be studied by careful reading on his major Critiques, the Critique Pure Reason [1781, 1787], Prolegomena,[1783] the Critique of Practical Reason [1788], and the Critique of Judgment [1790]. All three Critiques together form the Critical methodology and Critical Philosophy of Immanuel Kant. The first Critique deals with critique of theoretical epistemology and methodology of Reason. The second Critique deals with the critique of theoretical ethics and the methodology of ethical reasoning. And the third Critique is concerned with the critique of theoretical aesthetics and the integral methodology of Kant’s whole critical Philosophy. The third Critique, the Critique of Judgment combines the two parts of Philosophy into a whole it reconciles the theoretical understanding and practical understanding as an integral approach to Reason.

The Philosophical hermeneutic methodology is being used in this research to understand Immanuel Kant’s message of reflexive understanding. The major primary source is the Critique of Pure Reason, along with the other two Critiques.

Structure of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason has two major parts. The Doctrine of Elements and the Transcendental Dialectic are discussed in the first Part. The second part transcendental doctrine of Method deals with the methodology of Critical Philosophy. It has the hermeneutic roots of Kantian Philosophy immensely influenced the later Phenomenological and hermeneutic tradition of the western philosophy.

Phenomenological tradition has been introduced and systemized by Edmund Husserl in early 1900s through his Logical Investigations [Two Volumes-1900-1901] and the roots of Phenomenology can be traced back from Immanuel Kant’s in the Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science [1786] and Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit [1807]. The whole message of Kantian Philosophy has the Phenomenological and hermeneutic message. But most of the interpretations of Kantian Philosophy neglect Kant’s immense contribution towards Phenomenology and Hermeneutic understanding or the reflexive understanding of the Philosophical issues.

As Immanuel Kant himself said in his Prolegomena [ 1783] which has been written as the readable summary of the Critique of Pure Reason, that his Philosophy is misjudged because it was misunderstood, people used to skim through the book but they have not reflect or think through the book. Kant himself says he takes the people in a high way but to follow him they will have to have the reflexive understanding. Immanuel Kant thinks Philosophy stand in a need to science to proof the theoretical understanding. For him in all theoretical sciences a priori synthetic judgments are contained as principles. But the general problem of Philosophy is to have the holistic understanding of the Philosophical issues particularly in the value oriented fields which needs the reconciliation of theoretical and practical understanding and the reflexive understanding.

Immanuel Kant’s Critical Philosophy deals with the issue of the nature of reason itself. His critique of Pure Reason is not the Critique of doctrines or books but the very nature of reason itself, and Critique of Pure Reason is considered as the special science of reason itself. Kant deals with the Problem of knowing and deals four major questions. How is Pure Mathematics Possible? How is Pure Natural Science or Physics Possible? How is a priori synthetic Judgments Possible? And how is metaphysics possible as real Science? In these questions and issues Kant reconciled a priori and synthetic judgment for the theoretical understanding of Science. But the general problem of philosophy is to explore the understanding Philosophy as a whole in these issues. The Reflexive understanding only will give the Philosophical understanding of every issue of Philosophy and Life as a whole. Exploring the self understanding of Reason and the reflexive understanding Kant made an epistemological and methodological innovation in the history of western Philosophy. This trend has been influenced the subsequent philosophers in the continental philosophy and this kind of methodological contribution will serve in a great manner in our contemporary research in all the fields of social sciences and sciences to explore self understanding of reason and reflexive understanding
References
Immanuel Kant [1786]
Critique of Pure Reason
Trd Norman Kemp Smith
McMillan and Company Ltd [1964]
Canada
________________________
Critique of Practical Reason [1788]
Trd T. K Abbot,
Barns and Noble Books, New York

__________________________
Critique of Judgment [1790]
Trd J. H Bernard
Hafner Press, New York

Michael Friedman [1992]
Kant and the exact Sciences
Harvard University Press, USA

John Watson [1881]
Kant and His English critiques, Glasgow, UK