A Commentary to Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason'

Kant · en
My first study of the _Critique_ was under the genial and inspiring
guidance of Sir Henry Jones. With characteristic kindliness he has read
through my manuscript and has disclosed to me many defects of
exposition and argument. The same service has been rendered me by
Professor G. Dawes Hicks, whose criticisms have been very valuable,
particularly since they come from a student of Kant who on many
fundamental points takes an opposite view from my own.

I have also to thank my colleague, Professor Oswald Veblen, for much
helpful discussion of Kant’s doctrines of space and time, and of
mathematical reasoning.

Mr. H. H. Joachim has read the entire proofs, and I have made frequent
modifications to meet his very searching criticisms. I have also
gratefully adopted his revisions of my translations from the _Critique_.
Similar acknowledgments are due to my colleague, Professor A. A. Bowman,
and to my friend Dr. C. W. Hendel.

I have in preparation a translation of the _Critique of Pure Reason_,
and am responsible for the translations of all passages given in the
present work. In quoting from Kant’s other writings, I have made use of
the renderings of Abbott, Bernard, and Mahaffy; but have occasionally
allowed myself the liberty of introducing alterations.

Should readers who are already well acquainted with the _Critique_
desire to use my _Commentary_ for its systematic discussions of Kant’s
teaching, rather than as an accompaniment to their study of the text, I
may refer them to those sections which receive italicised headings in
the table of contents.

                                              NORMAN KEMP SMITH.

LONDON, _January 1918_.




CONTENTS


INTRODUCTION

                                                                    PAGE

  I. TEXTUAL--

     Kant's Method of composing the _Critique of Pure Reason_        xix

 II. HISTORICAL--

     Kant's Relation to Hume and to Leibniz                          xxv

III. GENERAL--

     1. The Nature of the _a priori_                              xxxiii
     2. Kant's Contribution to the Science of Logic                xxxvi
     3. The Nature of Consciousness                                xxxix
     4. Phenomenalism, Kant's Substitute for Subjectivism            xlv
     5. The Distinction between Human and Animal Intelligence      xlvii
     6. The Nature and Conditions of Self-Consciousness                l
     7. Kant's threefold Distinction between Sensibility,
        Understanding, and Reason                                    lii
     8. The place of the _Critique of Pure Reason_ in
        Kant's Philosophical System                                   lv


THE CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON[1]

_Title_                                                                1
_Motto_                                                                4
_Dedication to Freiherr von Zedlitz_                                   6

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION                                           8