On a Newly Arisen Superior Tone in Philosophy
Kant criticizes claims to immediate access to higher truths that disdain the discursive work of concepts. Intellectual authority cannot rest solely on private illumination.
Understanding the text
This 1796 intervention belongs to controversies about critical philosophy and claims to intuitive knowledge of the supersensible.
Key points
- 01
Secrecy
A doctrine inaccessible to discussion cannot be assessed through communicable reasons.
- 02
Intuition
Claiming immediate insight into an object can lead one to dismiss the steps required by demonstration.
- 03
Work
Discursive knowledge analyzes and connects concepts according to principles rather than promising instant access.
How to read it
Distinguish criticism of specific theoretical claims from a blanket rejection of religious experience.
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 ↗