On a Discovery Supposed to Make the New Critique Superfluous
Kant answers Johann August Eberhard's claim that Leibniz's philosophy already contained a critique of reason and offered more. He examines the differences between the approaches.
Understanding the text
Published in 1790, the intervention belongs to a dispute about the novelty and scope of the Critique of Pure Reason. Kant discusses arguments attributed to Leibniz rather than deciding solely by authority.
Key points
- 01
Novelty
The existence of earlier ideas does not establish that two philosophical methods are equivalent.
- 02
Debate
Kant answers Eberhard's propositions rather than attacking Leibniz's reputation as such.
- 03
Critique
Limits of the faculties of cognition lie at the center of the disagreement about metaphysics.
How to read it
Distinguish Eberhard's claim, Kant's interpretation and Leibniz's own historical texts.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗