Glossary of Kantian Concepts and Terms in German and English
(Created with the help of ChatGPT4)
Here's a list of terms from Immanuel Kant's philosophy in both German and English:
Ding an sich (Thing-in-itself): Refers to the noumenal object or the reality that exists independent of our perception or experience.
Erscheinung (Appearance/Phenomenon): The way things appear to our senses and understanding, as opposed to the way they truly are in themselves (Ding an sich).
Kategorischer Imperativ (Categorical Imperative): A central concept in Kant's moral philosophy, it's a principle that demands one to act according to maxims that could be universally applied without contradiction.
Sittlichkeit (Morality): Refers to the ethical principles that govern human behavior and decision-making.
Transzendental (Transcendental): Pertains to the conditions that make knowledge, experience, and thought possible; not directly related to the empirical or material world.
Analytisches Urteil (Analytic Judgment): A judgment where the predicate is contained within the subject and does not provide any new information.
Synthetisches Urteil (Synthetic Judgment): A judgment where the predicate is not contained within the subject and provides new information.
Synthetische Urteile a priori (Synthetic a priori judgments): Statements that provide new information and are necessarily true but do not rely on experience for their justification.
Vernunft (Reason): The mental faculty responsible for forming logical and coherent thoughts, as well as understanding the underlying principles of the world.
Verstand (Understanding): The mental faculty that processes and organizes sensory input, forming concepts and judgments based on experience.
Erkenntnis (Knowledge): The product of the cognitive faculties, such as reason and understanding, interacting with experience.
Freiheit (Freedom): The ability to act independently of external influences or causal determinism, allowing for moral responsibility.
Kritik der reinen Vernunft (Critique of Pure Reason): Kant's most famous work, in which he examines the nature and limits of human knowledge, reason, and metaphysics.
Kritik der praktischen Vernunft (Critique of Practical Reason): A work that explores the nature of moral principles and the categorical imperative.
Kritik der Urteilskraft (Critique of Judgment): Kant's examination of aesthetic and teleological judgments, as well as the human faculty of judgment in general.
Pflicht (Duty): The moral obligation to act according to the categorical imperative, regardless of personal inclinations or desires.
Selbstzweck (End in itself): The idea that rational beings should never be treated merely as means to an end, but always as ends in themselves.
Hypothetischer Imperativ (Hypothetical Imperative): A conditional moral command that depends on one's desires or goals, unlike the categorical imperative, which is unconditional.
Maxime (Maxim): A subjective principle of action that serves as the basis for an individual's moral behavior, which is then evaluated according to the categorical imperative.
Autonomie (Autonomy): The capacity of rational beings to govern themselves by their own rational moral principles, independent of external influences.
Heteronomie (Heteronomy): The opposite of autonomy, where an individual's actions are determined by external influences, such as desires or social norms.
Sapere aude (Dare to know): A Latin phrase that Kant adopted in his essay "What is Enlightenment?" to encourage individuals to think independently and critically.
Aufklärung (Enlightenment): The intellectual movement promoting reason, critical thinking, and autonomy, which Kant defined as "man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity."
Radikale Böse (Radical Evil): Kant's term for the innate tendency of human beings to prioritize their self-interest over moral duty, which can be overcome through moral development.
Rechtslehre (Doctrine of Right): A part of Kant's practical philosophy dealing with the principles of justice, law, and political philosophy.
Tugendlehre (Doctrine of Virtue): A part of Kant's practical philosophy concerned with the development of moral character and the cultivation of virtues.
Noumenon (Noumenon): The unperceivable and unknowable reality that exists beyond appearances (Erscheinungen), corresponding to the Ding an sich.
Schema (Schema): A cognitive structure that enables the understanding to apply concepts to sensory data, allowing for the formation of empirical judgments.
Zeit (Time): An a priori intuition that structures our experiences of events, providing a temporal framework for human perception and understanding.
Raum (Space): An a priori intuition that structures our experiences of objects, providing a spatial framework for human perception and understanding.
Transzendentale Ästhetik (Transcendental Aesthetic): The study of the a priori conditions of sensibility (space and time) that make experience possible.
Transzendentale Analytik (Transcendental Analytic): The investigation of the a priori conditions and principles of the understanding that make objective knowledge possible.
Transzendentale Dialektik (Transcendental Dialectic): The examination of the illusory metaphysical claims that result from the misapplication of reason beyond the limits of experience.
Transzendentale Deduktion (Transcendental Deduction): Kant's argument that demonstrates the legitimacy of the categories and their application to objects of experience.
Kategorien (Categories): The twelve fundamental concepts of the understanding, which structure our experiences and make objective knowledge possible.
Anschauung (Intuition): Direct, immediate representation of an object, either a priori (space and time) or empirical (sensory experience).
Urteilskraft (Judgment): The mental faculty responsible for synthesizing intuitions and concepts in order to form judgments.
Subjektivität (Subjectivity): The perspective or standpoint of the individual, which influences their experiences, thoughts, and judgments.
Objektivität (Objectivity): The quality of being independent of individual perspectives or biases, allowing for universally valid knowledge.
Phänomenal/Noumenal (Phenomenal/Noumenal): A distinction between the world of appearances (phenomena) accessible to human experience, and the world of things-in-themselves (noumena) that is inaccessible to human cognition.
Affektion (Affection): The way our senses are passively affected by external objects, which results in sensory intuitions.
Sinnliche Anschauung (Sensible Intuition): Direct representation of objects of experience, based on the affection of our senses by external objects.
Reine Anschauung (Pure Intuition): The a priori representation of space and time, which serve as the necessary conditions for all empirical intuitions.
Erweiterte Erkenntnis (Ampliative Knowledge): Knowledge that goes beyond what is contained in the concept of a subject and requires empirical synthesis, resulting in synthetic judgments.
Bestimmbarkeit (Determinability): The ability to apply the categories of the understanding to intuitions, enabling the formation of objective judgments.
Handlung (Action): A deliberate, voluntary behavior that results from the application of a maxim or principle.
Wille (Will): The faculty of practical reason that determines the principles of action and guides moral behavior.
Gesinnung (Disposition): An individual's fundamental moral orientation, which is either in accordance with the moral law or not.
Guter Wille (Good Will): The will that acts purely out of respect for the moral law, without any ulterior motives or desires.
Letztendliche Zweck (Final End): The ultimate goal or purpose of human action, which Kant identifies as the realization of the highest good, a combination of virtue and happiness.