Transcendental Dialectics

The meaning of the term ‘transcendental’

The noun ‘transcendence’ means the existence beyond the physical level and the adjective ‘transcendental’ means that something that relates to a spiritual realm. However, it will be misunderstood if the term transcendental has used in the sense of transcendence, which describe an ultimate realm. Kant claims that “I call all cognition transcendental that is occupied not so much with objects, but rather with our mode of cognition of objects insofar as this is to be possible a priori” (Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, 1998, p. 149). He says that he does not refer objects as transcendental but the knowledge of objects and the mode of knowledge with the nature of a priori are taken as transcendental. Thus, he prefers the term ‘transcendental’ to an epistemological ground. It is related to his objective of describing the nature, origin and the limitations of knowledge rather than emphasizing a metaphysical, transcendental and ultimate ground. 

What does ‘transcendental dialectics’ mean?

Human beings are aware about the external world, which can be perceivable. For Kant, it is not the reality. However, human are not aware of the things which are beyond from the external reality. Pure reason can carry them beyond the phenomenal world. Nevertheless, those mattes do not receive percepts like God. He gives priority to reason in his explanation of dialects.  According to Kant, we see things only as they appear to us and not as they really are. He further stated that, although mind cannot give a direct knowledge on the external objects, appearance could give that type of knowledge. Illusionary nature can be occurred because of these appearances. Therefore, Kant has claimed that there is transcendental illusion within transcendental dialectics. 

Kant uses the transcendental dialectic section to uncover the illusions. He mentioned those illusions as transcendental illusion. It is,

“an unavoidable illusion entice from the understanding a transcendent use which, although deceptive, cannot be kept in limits by a resolve to stay within the bounds of experience, but only by scientific instruction and taking pains” (Kant, 1953, p. 97).

 He identified these things as illusions because these transcendental illusions are able to misguide humans. Kant summarized these transcendental things into a system, which consists three main sections. Kant has mentioned them as speculative psychology based on the absolute monism of the soul as transcendental paralogisms, speculative cosmology on the absolute monism of the things that appear as antimonies and speculative theology on the God as the cause of the world as Ideal of pure reason. In addition, Kant used dialectics in order to refute such reason and pure reason. 

Kant’s dialectics can be considered as a critique of theoretical metaphysics. Thus, it has mentioned in the critique of pure reason that transcendental dialectics is not an art of generating dogmatic illusion. However, it is a critique of understanding and reason for its hyperphysical usage. His intention of these dialectical arguments was to lead to innovations in logic and epistemology. Moreover, Paralogisms of objects occur when the pure reason of the soul applies categories. According to Kant, they are transcendental. However, it does not give a phenomenological knowledge. It is true that there is a monism of subjects. Regardless of that, even philosophers who have lived before Kant have argued about the monism of the subjects and the immortality of the soul. Even George Berkeley, who was an empiricist, has also emphasized about an immortal soul. 

Kant’s transcendental dialectics has introduced a new formation of arguments that is able to make an integral understanding of the reality. Even Kant’s dialectics have influenced philosophers who came after him. For instance, Hegel identified himself as a disciple of Kantian philosophy and developed his dialectics through Kant’s dialectics.