糖心破解版

In the 1990s, when I began working on this book, international Kant studies were not as integrated as they are today. Anglo-Saxon analytic scholars applied their own external criteria to Kant’s texts and criticized Kant when the 18th-century philosopher appeared to fall short of 20th-century standards. In contrast, German and French scholars developed their original philosophical ideas through engaging in deep dialogue with Kant’s texts. At the time, English-, German-, and French-language Kant studies were relatively independent of one another; in general, few works were devoted simply to elucidating what Kant really wanted to say. However, this was precisely what the Japanese tradition of studying classical philosophical texts strongly recommended and continues to recommend. The aim was not merely to paraphrase the same content using different words but to practice philosophical reading and produce original interpretations. In the Japanese tradition, philosophers articulate their own thoughts in the form of a commentary explaining what past authors meant. Such a commentary style was considered “historical,” not “systematic”—that is, not philosophical in the European context.

The purpose of this book is to demonstrate the philosophical potential of studies that focus not on what one thinks but on what the text itself means, showing that reading a text can, in itself, be philosophy. As a reader, I serve as a medium for drawing out the philosophical content of the text. By surrendering my subjective autonomy to the text, I gain philosophical insight. This book aims to demonstrate that such a hermeneutic style can itself constitute philosophy. Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason has not lost its relevance to philosophy, and shifts in its interpretation continue to have a significant impact.
 
International Kant studies are far more integrated today than in the past. Communication among scholars has increased, and common concerns have emerged. More researchers are now seeking to uncover what Kant himself says, rather than pursuing their own philosophical interests. Therefore, the discussion is more firmly grounded in Kant’s own words. Since 2000, Kant’s views on perception have become a popular topic, in contrast to the previous generation of scholarship, which held that there was no such thing as a Kantian philosophy of perception. These developments over the past few decades are consistent with the direction of this book. In fact, this book argues that Kant’s notion of self-affection lies at the core of his philosophy of perception. This philosophy can be regarded as a precursor to phenomenological studies of perception and to an enactive approach to perception in cognitive science. The continuity between Kant’s theoretical philosophy and philosophical discoveries in the 21st century compels us to reconsider his position in the history of modern Western philosophy, since his philosophy was previously regarded as discontinuous with contemporary thought. By interpreting Kant’s account of self-affection as relevant to contemporary theories of perception, this book attempts to make a meaningful contribution to international Kant studies. The time has now come to publish it in English.
 

(Written by NAKANO Hirotaka, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology / 2025)