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The Debate on the Fundamental Powers of the Soul: Crusius, Platner, Kant, and Schmid

  • Andree Hahmann
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Kant and Eighteenth-Century German Philosophy
This chapter is in the book Kant and Eighteenth-Century German Philosophy

Abstract

Can a simple substance have more than one kind of power? This question leads to the core of a philosophical discussion among Kant’s immediate predecessors and successors. The real focus of the debate, however, is Christian August Crusius, whose understanding of fundamental powers has strongly influenced the debate on cognitive faculties and the structure of the human mind. Crusius’ main objection is directed against Wolff’s assumption that simple substances can only have one power. Although Crusius assumes simple substances, he does not want to exclude the possibility that they can have several basic powers despite their simplicity. I will discuss the philosophical debate around fundamental powers and argue that this also helps to clarify Kant’s methodological limitations in determining the ultimate basis of the cognitive powers of the mind.

Abstract

Can a simple substance have more than one kind of power? This question leads to the core of a philosophical discussion among Kant’s immediate predecessors and successors. The real focus of the debate, however, is Christian August Crusius, whose understanding of fundamental powers has strongly influenced the debate on cognitive faculties and the structure of the human mind. Crusius’ main objection is directed against Wolff’s assumption that simple substances can only have one power. Although Crusius assumes simple substances, he does not want to exclude the possibility that they can have several basic powers despite their simplicity. I will discuss the philosophical debate around fundamental powers and argue that this also helps to clarify Kant’s methodological limitations in determining the ultimate basis of the cognitive powers of the mind.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Kant in the Context of Eighteenth-Century German Philosophy: Some Preliminary Reflections 1
  4. Part I: Contexts
  5. Analyzing Apperception [Gewahrnehmen] 13
  6. Between Empirical Psychology and Transcendental Philosophy: Ernst Platner on the Feeling of Self 47
  7. The Debate on the Fundamental Powers of the Soul: Crusius, Platner, Kant, and Schmid 69
  8. C. C. E. Schmid on Kant’s Distinction Between Sensibility and Understanding 97
  9. Between Hume and Kant: The Foundation of Morality in Feder’s Inquiries on the Human Will 119
  10. Part II: Influences
  11. Crusius and Kant on Distinctness, Certainty, and Method in Philosophy 145
  12. Johann Georg Sulzer and the Beginnings of Kant’s Doctrine of Three Faculties 165
  13. Lambert, Kant and Solidity: A Matter of Method 185
  14. Johann Georg Sulzer’s “Mixed Doctrine of Morals”: A Contribution to the History of the Development of Kant’s Ethics Between 1770 and 1785 203
  15. Dependence and Obedience: Crusius’ Concept of Obligation and its Influence on Kant’s Moral Philosophy 217
  16. Part III: Controversies
  17. Human Dignity: The Garve-Kant Controversy 237
  18. “These Objections are Therefore Nothing but Misunderstandings”: Kant’s Critique of Garve in His Essay On the Common Saying 261
  19. The “Entire Human Being” Rather Than “Pure Reason”: Feder’s Philosophische Bibliothek and His Review of the Kritik der praktischen Vernunft 279
  20. “On this Occasion, I cannot but […] speak a few words with Mr. Kant”: On the Meiners-Kant Controversy 1786 305
  21. Meiners’s Critique of Kant 321
  22. Abbreviations of Kant’s Works 345
  23. Bibliography 347
  24. Index of Names 371
  25. Sources 375
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110793857-004

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Kant in the Context of Eighteenth-Century German Philosophy: Some Preliminary Reflections 1
  4. Part I: Contexts
  5. Analyzing Apperception [Gewahrnehmen] 13
  6. Between Empirical Psychology and Transcendental Philosophy: Ernst Platner on the Feeling of Self 47
  7. The Debate on the Fundamental Powers of the Soul: Crusius, Platner, Kant, and Schmid 69
  8. C. C. E. Schmid on Kant’s Distinction Between Sensibility and Understanding 97
  9. Between Hume and Kant: The Foundation of Morality in Feder’s Inquiries on the Human Will 119
  10. Part II: Influences
  11. Crusius and Kant on Distinctness, Certainty, and Method in Philosophy 145
  12. Johann Georg Sulzer and the Beginnings of Kant’s Doctrine of Three Faculties 165
  13. Lambert, Kant and Solidity: A Matter of Method 185
  14. Johann Georg Sulzer’s “Mixed Doctrine of Morals”: A Contribution to the History of the Development of Kant’s Ethics Between 1770 and 1785 203
  15. Dependence and Obedience: Crusius’ Concept of Obligation and its Influence on Kant’s Moral Philosophy 217
  16. Part III: Controversies
  17. Human Dignity: The Garve-Kant Controversy 237
  18. “These Objections are Therefore Nothing but Misunderstandings”: Kant’s Critique of Garve in His Essay On the Common Saying 261
  19. The “Entire Human Being” Rather Than “Pure Reason”: Feder’s Philosophische Bibliothek and His Review of the Kritik der praktischen Vernunft 279
  20. “On this Occasion, I cannot but […] speak a few words with Mr. Kant”: On the Meiners-Kant Controversy 1786 305
  21. Meiners’s Critique of Kant 321
  22. Abbreviations of Kant’s Works 345
  23. Bibliography 347
  24. Index of Names 371
  25. Sources 375
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