TRANSCENDENTAL ARGUMENTS Meaning and
Definition
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Transcendental arguments refer to philosophical reasoning that seeks to establish certain fundamental conditions or prerequisites necessary for the possibility of knowledge and experience. They belong to the transcendental tradition, which seeks to investigate the necessary conditions for knowledge and experience rather than the empirical aspects of reality.
A key feature of transcendental arguments is their attempt to establish these necessary conditions by reasoning from the nature of our experiences, rather than relying on empirical evidence or deductive logic. They aim to show that certain conditions must be present in order for any knowledge or experience to be possible at all. By doing so, they bridge the gap between subjective experience and objective reality.
Transcendental arguments often challenge skeptical or relativistic positions by demonstrating the necessary conditions for claims to be meaningful or coherent. For example, a transcendental argument might argue that the existence of an external world is a necessary condition for having meaningful sensory experiences. Without this external reality, our experiences would be devoid of reference and meaning.
Transcendental arguments are associated with philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, who famously argued for the existence of a priori knowledge and the necessary concepts that structure our understanding of the world. They continue to be an important tool in philosophy, as they attempt to establish the fundamental principles that underlie our knowledge and experience.
Etymology of TRANSCENDENTAL ARGUMENTS
The word "transcendental" in "transcendental arguments" originates from the Latin term "transcendens", which is the present-participle form of the verb "transcendere". "Transcendere" consists of two components, "trans" meaning "beyond" or "across", and "scandere" meaning "to climb" or "to go". Essentially, "transcendental" suggests going beyond or climbing over something.
In philosophy, the term "transcendental" was popularized by Immanuel Kant in the 18th century. Kant used the term to describe a type of argument that seeks to establish the necessary conditions for the possibility of knowledge or experience. Transcendental arguments aim to demonstrate conditions that must be present for empirical knowledge to be possible, going beyond what can be directly observed or experienced.
