The Mind-Body Problem in the Genesis of Kant's critical philosophy

The Mind-Body Problem in the Genesis of Kant's critical philosophy

Bruno B. Poli

The issue of determining the factors that motivated Kant's critical turn in 1769-70 is a historical one. There have been at least ten different theses put forward on this matter. In this paper, we aim to provide a detailed examination of one of these theses, specifically Klaus Reich's proposal that the mind-body problem was one motivator. We approach this by first outlining the fundamental premises underlying studies of Kant's critical turn and explaining our chosen methodology, a developmental account (Entwiklungsgeschichte). Next, we offer a brief contextualization of the mind-body problem, tracing its origins to Descartes’ metaphysical dualism. We describe the set of premises that give rise to this problem and introduce the theories that emerged in early 18th-century German philosophy as attempts to address it, namely, pre-established harmony and physical influx. Finally, we delve into Kant's pre-critical works to demonstrate how two major premises connected to the mind-body problem develop in these earlier writings, ultimately leading to their resolution in Kant's critical turn, as evident in the Inaugural Dissertation of 1770: dualism and the spatiality of the soul.