The Historical Origin Of Subjectivity In Kant's Critique Of Pure Reason

The principle of subjectivity plays the role of a fundamental principle intraditional western philosophy, it originates in classic Greek philosophy, and comes tobe finally established during the period from Cartesian philosophy to classic Germanphilosophy. The development history of such a principle can be taken as a symbol forthe maturity of western philosophy. It is a crucial key for us to interpret westernwestern philosophy. It also acts as an important perspective to approach thedevelopment of western thought and cultural ideas. The subjective principle intraditional western philosophy can be traced back to Protagoras and particularlySocrates. one clue the Socratic thought gives is just the finding that the certainty andunity a philosophy pursues does not consist in any external things but in the subjectitself, it is due to the subject that the changeable world becomes to be recognized inan ordered way. Socrates acts as a turning point or cornerstone in ancient westernphilosophy almost as same as what Kant does with modern western philosophy. Sucha crucial role Socrates has played is directly relevant to his revolution in thephilosophical idea. Indeed, the principle of subjectivity is still in an embryonic stageas to Socrates. He treats the concept of self-consciousness in an epistemological wayor in other words, in the way of object consciousness. According to him, the virtue isknowledge; hence the self is dagraded to knowledge. As a result, both Plato andAristotle come to alienate the self-consciousness as the object consciousness.The movement of Renaissance that occurred in the turning point of Middle Agesand modern period has in a great extent revived the self-consciousness. It also setsdown the necessary condition for. re-establishing the principle of subjectivity inwestern philosophy, and reinforces the development of modern science andphilosophy.Descartes is the most prominent figure in the modern philosophy Such anacademic position is in some sense due to his reinterpretation and moreoverestablishing of the principle of subjectivity. In his view, ego thought is the foremostprinciple of thinking, and its doubtless validity. This type of ego thought is not onlythe thinking activity itself, but also the thinking activity that can consciously recognize itself. In other words, it is the active consciousness that always takes itselfas an object of thought, and beyond itself, and moreover continuously avoids theconsciousness of object Ego thought is not the object of knowledge, but the requisitecondition for this knowledge. The Cartesian philosophy makes the principle ofsubjectivity emerge overtly from the potential, and finally take root in modernphilosophy. However, the principle of subjectivity has not been thoroughly developedby Descartes, In Cartesian time, the scientific nature of physics becomes doubtless asa result of successful classic mechanics on one hand. On the other hand, the scientificnature of physics still seems to be doubtable for Descartes himself. Based on hisprinciple of ego thought, physics lacks some obvious certainty that is otherwisepossessed by mathematics if one takes physics as an empirical science. Therefore,except for the principle of subjectivity, Descartes has to invoke God. The introductionof the concept of God has radically shaken up the position of subjectivity principle.indicating that the Cartesian principle of Subjectivity is not so matured that is cancompletely absorb the consciousness of object.Comparing with Descartes, Kant's principle of subjectivity comes to hold theontological position in real sense. According to Kant, the self is innate, and notrelevant to any experience. As a result, it can avoid any limitation of experience, andmoreover synthesize all the ideas of object into an epistemological system beyond theobjective consciousness. It is no longer the object of cognition, but the mostfundamental requisite premise for any cognitive activity. Kant's principle ofsubjectivity not only has epistemological significance but also connotes somehumanist thought in depth. Kant has isolated the form of innate cognition from theknowledge of experience, and moreover found out the innate cognitive ability forhuman being. As a result, the principle of subjectivity has finally been established.what Kant has discriminated on the principle of subjectivity, such as innate andacquired, analytical and synthetic, form matter, belief and knowledge, science andmetaphysics, is to separate human from things. Human is objective is the mostimportant will that Kant gives his posterity. It is also the biggest fruit that theprinciple of subjectivity has produced.