Kant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Kant - Essay Example Evidently, the rationalists had disregarded perception as utter confused thinking that consequently rendered their theories as mere speculation, impossible of verification or refute. On the other hand, empiricist who theorized that people have access to the actual world in perceptive sense, believed that what people perceive are ideas that manifest in persons through things outside of them. For example, ideas are manifestations of impressions. Consequently, individuals only know their own ideas (Lawhead, pp. 123) According to Kant, he believes that people have access only to appearances. This does not imply access to illusory appearances. However, Kant believes that appearances provide people with the foundation of knowledge. Moreover, the mind contributes to experience due to understanding and the constituent pure categories. Moreover, an active role is played by the mind as well as its ability to superimpose experience on specific categories that result to knowledge. Kant further argues that people cannot know the ‘thing in itself’. To this end, he goes beyond implying the inaccessibility of ‘reality.’ Over and above this, he implies it is impossible to experience anything beyond the function of the mind. Moreover, it justifies how people acquire knowledge. The basic difference between ‘extension’ and ‘mind’ contributes the problem as well backtracked to Descartes. The immaterial nature of the mind rouses the challenge of bridging the disconnect between the outside world and inner mind. Hume believes that mind is basically passive while Descartes believes that in aid in intellectual acts. On the other hand, Kant simulates between empiricism and rationalism. Foremost, he supports Hume by stating that knowledge is impossible without experience. Secondly, he agrees with rationalists by stating that the mind plays a vital part to knowledge. On the