(Carleton University)
Apperception and Dark Representations
Friday, October 16th, 2015
.jpg/220px-Immanuel_Kant_(painted_portrait).jpg) |
| Source : Wikipedia |
I will explore two puzzles about Kant’s various treatments of apperception
in the two editions of CPR and what is usually called in English obscure
representations [Dunkeler Vorstellungen]. Dunkeler Vorstellungen are
representations “of which one is not conscious” (25:480). (‘Dark’, the literal
meaning of ‘Dunkel’, would be a better translation than ‘obscure’ – the
representations in question are more than obscure; we are not conscious of them
at all.) The two puzzles: 1. Given that Kant was fully aware that we have
representations of which we are not conscious, why did he tie apperception to conscious
representations exclusively? 2. Given that Kant discusses dark representations about
a dozen times in his popular works, why did he hardly mention them in his
serious philosophical/psychological works? The two puzzles are linked.
11:30pm
Carleton University
Loeb Building
Room B146
