Abstract:
In the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant posits a special mental faculty that he calls the ‘power of judgment’ [Urtheilskraft]. He describes it as our capacity to apply rules. This faculty is not found in the psychology of any of Kant’s predecessors, nor is it found in his own early philosophy. This raises the question: when did Kant first introduce the power of judgment? In this paper, I demonstrate that Kant introduced this faculty during the mid-1770s, most likely between the winter semester of 1772–1773 and the winter semester of 1775–1776. I also show that prior to this time, he attributed our capacity to apply rules, i.e. the function of the power of judgment, to what he terms ‘healthy understanding’ [gesunder Verstand]. This expression is often equated with common sense. Thus, ‘healthy understanding’ originally performed the same function that Kant would later assign to the power of judgment.
© De Gruyter
