"The Starry Heaven Above Me:" Approaches to Kant's Philosophy of Objects

About the Lecture: 

In Kant’s theoretical philosophy, the term ‘object’ carries far-reaching significance. Although his work is often interpreted as a ‘theory of the subject’ (or of subjectivity), it can also be understood as a ‘theory of the object’. This becomes particularly evident when one recognizes that all levels of the Critique of Pure Reason can be traced back to different types of objects, the most important of which is the ‘object of experience’. Through this concept, Kant seeks to reconcile two seemingly incompatible aspects: apodictic claims, on the one hand, and the possibility of historical progress, on the other. Kant elaborates this with regard to natural philosophy and its metaphysical foundations. Here, astronomy lies at the core of his investigation, as it provides a paradigmatic example of what he calls a proper and rational natural science.

About the Speaker: 

Rudolf Meer defended his PhD with distinction on November 17, 2017. After a post-doc position at the University of Graz, he was a Marie Curie STAR fellow at the University of Siegen. Since March 2024, he is the PI of the DFG-funded project Alois Riehl’s Critical Realism: Spatial and Temporal Foundations of Science (project number: 521640504). Much of his recent work and work in progress centers on the history of philosophical ideas and philosophical analysis of science.

Personal homepage: https://www.rudolf-meer.com/ 

Project homepage: https://www.alois-riehl-project.com/

Department homepage (University of Bochum): https://www.pe.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/philosophie/i/wtundwg/team/meer.html.de

This event is organized by the Center for Austrian Studies, and co-sponsored by the Institute for Global Studies, the Department of Philosophy, and the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science.