Kant's Transcendental Idealism

Join George and John as they discuss and debate different Philosophical ideas, today they will be looking into Immanuel Kant’s Transcendental Idealism.

Part of the Philosophy of Perception, Kant’s Transcendental Idealism takes the belief that an addition to the five senses being mind dependent, space and time are both functions of the human intuitions. Space and time do not exist outside the human mind, but are merely functions of the human mind to allow us to order and process the external world.
Watch as George and John explain the theory in depth and discuss the metaphysical challenges.

The script to this video is part of...
- The Philosophy Vibe “Philosophy of Perception” eBook, available on Amazon:

- The Philosophy Vibe paperback Anthology Vol 2 'Metaphysics' available worldwide on Amazon:

0:00 - Introduction
0:31 - Direct Realism, Indirect Realism & Idealism recap
1:56 - Transcendental Idealism explained
3:52 - Appearances vs Things in Themselves
6:16 - Phenomena vs Noumena
8:29 - The continuity problem
11:22 - The Veil of Perception problem

#Kant #transcendentalidealism #philosophy #kantphilosophy

[PhilosophyVibe]

The script to this video is part of...
- The Philosophy Vibe “Philosophy of Perception” eBook, available on Amazon:

- The Philosophy Vibe paperback Anthology Vol 2 'Metaphysics' available worldwide on Amazon:

[shanelittle]

That argument about the candle and continuity actually just confirms Kant’s theory. If you leave a room and return, the changed appearance of the candle is not a testimony to the actual candle but your mind’s perception of the candle in time. Again, what you perceive is not the object directly.

[sacrom]

This is so epic, love the debate part which really shows the educational nature of the video.

[soccerlife]

The problem with Kants idealism is that what he calls the noumena includes the mind of others as they are outside his own mind. So his subjective idea that others mind operate same way as his is refuted by his own argument. That’s why his idealism itself looses ground in the end.

[dinojoe]

Love the video! Just a small nitpick in the beginning: I don’t think Kant states that Space and Time do not exist outside the mind. He instead would point out that Space and Time are among the conditions of the possibility of OUR experience because it is impossible to know/experience anything without them. Our phenomena are Space and Time dependent; the noumena on the other hand can be of the same exact look and temporality—we just don’t know this because we necessarily are limited to our experience/perception. That’s what’s called the Veil of Perception or the Transcendental Problem: what is certain other than experience-itself and how can one express that the noumena exist when by definition we can’t know it?

Kant used determinism for example. One can rationalize that everything is causa and effect, but we cannot analyze the entire reality to realize that, due to our limitations of perceptions. Pure reason towards proving determinism is impossible. A sort of ‘belief reason’ on the other hand, which science needs to function, is all ok so long as we are conscious of our belief in such a noumenal reality and our condition of relegation to phenomenal reality. Why do we assume that the candle is still burning after we look away from it? Simply because we adopt a noumenal belief in the world outside of experience. Interestingly, babies who have not yet developed object permanence would find this unfathomable.

Many philosophers tried to solve the transcendental problem including Fichte, Schelling, Hegel, and Foucault; though as of right now I do think they just reorder logic and conceptions to hide the simple fact that experience is all that is ‘certain’. If you see a ghost, the ghost might not be ‘real’, but your ‘seeing image’ of the ghost is entirely ‘real’.

I do have to dive more into Kant’s work though. All with a grain of salt of course!

[zincoxide]

This is truly an amazing video. I was startled by how good it is made. The debate was spot on, and very accurate.

[chandug]

It's always a bliss to read about KANT!! And you made it ease for me to understand his subtle terminology and Philosophy! Thanks mate 👍!!

[josiah]

amazing video. genuinely one of the most helpful explanations i have seen of anything, ever.

[gensoustudio]

Ok here is my response:
I reconcile the time/space candle argument by the simple insistence that noumena have shape and motion. The human conception of time doesn't have to be real for objects to move, we need only see that movement is an object + two or more locations and see location as being the set of static distances from one object to all other objects
Therefore the candle melting is merely the noumena moving and thus changing shape, but time hasn't passed and there is no future or past, the 12 o'clock is only a clock arm having moved, the Sun setting is merely the motion of the Earth rotating, and the seasons changing is the motion of Earth revolving around the Sun, and so on.

For veil of perception, even a brain in a jar exist within a jar. "I think therefore I am" and existence necessitates a greater reality of some kind because something can't exist within itself, something exist within a reality. Even if we can not directly perceive things as they are (and science says we can't) things ARE simply because *nothing* can't (or should I say Kant?) *be.*

Let me know what you think.

[azayn]

Best explanation of Kant’s transcendental idealism I’ve seen yet. Great job!

[theweirddeveloper]

Been waiting for this. Thanks Charles and John...

[youssefmaher]

finally ! I was struggling through this very important idea

[bigtexnick]

such a cool instructional video, thank you for making it make sense... subbed!

[martinasiner]

About the question of the burning candle. When a person sees the burning candle, that candle exists in the real world, burning or not. It exists as a noumena, but that person sees only the appearance of the burning candle as a phenomena. Regardless of whether that person leaves the room or stays in it, the candle continues to exist burning. Thus, the human mind will see it burn as a phenomena if he stays in the room or it will continue to burn if he decides to leave. In either case, the unobserved burning candle does not invalidate Kant's Transcendental Idealism.

[AllyM]

To help understand Kant then P D Ouspensky addresses this in his book Tertium Organum which is far easier to read and grasp than Kant's Critique of Pure Reason where he introduces Transcendental Logic. Ouspensky's examples of the various dimensions is interesting. He also mentions the 4 stages of consciousness from the ancient indian school vendantin which lists
Tiyari (ecstasy), Deep sleep (wiithout Dreams), Sleep (dream State) and A waking state (our normal awake mode). We exist as part of a higher level (eg 4D) but are only able to experience a 3D world due to the limitations of our senses. What we see are only surfaces and a section of what in reality is multi dimensional which we perceive as Absurdities and Phenomena.The simplest analogy is Plato's allegory of the cave. If you can visualise yourself as the cave dwellor how would you react and how would see the world outside the cave. The culture shock would be intense, frightening, the stuff of nightmares, so you cannot or will be unable to pass over to another dimension(s) without being 'prepared' hence why all the ancients participated in rituals especially when folks were close to death. Our world is a construct (finite) but reality is infinite. Our life is just a section making birth and death the transitions, hence space and time are illusuary as there is only now.The big question is where do we go and from where. What are the forms and what if there are options what would they look like. Are we simply choosing vacation experiences or are we going through a school? Running Simulations?, and if we are reincarnating as some people theorise would you want to remember a past life especially if it was horrific?
Have a nice day everyone, Enjoy life and try to be the best version of your self. Each day is a brand new canvas and never fear the end as it is only a transition to something new.

[lucycpe]

I have a test on this tmr. im now fighting for my life to understand this bc my teacher does not explain it quite well. this channel is saving me

[camcox]

This channel is so perfect, thank you

[jeremiahmarkusmedia]

That was an awesome script, such a good debate :)

[vladz]

this is why I like Kant. A great video

[rohitdewangan]

best channel for western philosophers.... love from India...thanks a lot...