Kant's Synthetic A Priori Philosophy

Characteristics of A Priori Knowledge

Features include necessity and universality

Implications for Metaphysics

Metaphysical knowledge must be synthetic a priori for universality and necessity

Broader Implications

Challenging empiricism and rationalism, setting new standards in various fields

A Priori Knowledge

Knowledge not dependent on experience, like 'All roses are roses'

Kant's Central Question

Inquiry into the nature of philosophical knowledge, especially metaphysics

Kant's Critique of Pure Reason

Kant's work to define limits and potential of a priori knowledge

Synthetic A Priori Knowledge

Kant's concept of knowledge independent of experience but providing new information

Empirical Knowledge

Knowledge derived from sensory experience, like 'It's raining outside'

Historical Context

Response to Hume's empiricism, aiming for a balance between rationalism and empiricism

Synthetic Judgments

Statements where the predicate adds new information, like 'The table is brown'

Analytic Judgments

Statements where the predicate is contained in the subject, like 'Bachelors are unmarried'

Mathematics as Synthetic A Priori

Using math, like geometry, to illustrate a priori knowledge with new information