On Kant's Scientific Metaphysics

Traditional philosophy before Kant held that real knowledge must be ideas that are consistent with objects. But Kant did the opposite. He believed that cognition is the process in which the subject used a priori cognitive faculties (a priori categories) to restructure and integrate the acquired perceptual stuff or data. In other words, man sets laws for nature. So cognition is to make objects conform to man's a priori categories. He called his philosophy "Copernican revolution." The main purpose of this revolution is to establish a scientific metaphysics which is different from the traditional metaphysics.Kant's reconstruction of scientific metaphysics includes three aspects:First, the critique of traditional metaphysics. Kant argued that the mistake the traditional metaphysics made was that past philosophers did not review the capability of reason before they used it so as to lead to reason's transgression. This does not mean that the establishment of scientific or rational metaphysics is impossible. His philosophy is to try to rebuild a scientific metaphysics. Second, the reconstruction of natural metaphysics and moral metaphysics. If in the field of cognition, man sets laws for nature, then in the field of morality man sets laws to himself, and in the field of taste, man sets laws for aesthetic experiences. Third, "to make room for faith," as Kant said "I had to deny knowledge in order to make room for faith."What we learn from Kant's critique of traditional metaphysics and his reconstruction of scientific metaphysics are as follows:People's needs can be divided into different areas where subject matter, nature, and purposes are quite different. Those areas couldn't and shouldn't be confused and replaced by each other. Science, morality, aesthetics and religion have their own research areas, and reflect different needs of people that are indispensable. Some aspects of human needs can not be explained through reason. Kant believed that this was the limitations of reason. However, these things are in indeed needed by humans. Kant thought that our reason has limitations and so he believed that we should make room for faith. Science can not replace the status and role of faith. The positive significance of Kant's thought in this respect is worth our careful study.