18 - Kant’s critical philosophy and its reception - the first five years (1781-1786)

Summary

Our understanding of any important work or body of works is determined to a large extent by its Wirkungsgeschichte or its “effective history.” Kant's critical philosophy is no exception. If only for this reason, a better knowledge of the first reception of Kant's critical philosophy and his reactions to it would be of considerable value in understanding not just the man but also his work. It is, however, not just this that makes the early reception of Kant's works relevant. It is not just that we are influenced by the interpretations of others who came before us, as it is the case with any other work. It is rather that the way Kant's thinking developed between 1781 and 1800 was significantly shaped by the reactions of his contemporaries. His mature view is to a larger extent than is commonly realized determined by what his contemporaries in Königsberg and elsewhere thought, said, and wrote - at least that is what I would like to suggest in this chapter.

This period is sometimes called the “aetas Kantiana.” Its history still has not been explored in its entirety. Though some parts of it are better known than others, there are also persistent myths that stand in the way of a better understanding. I would like to concentrate here on what I consider the more interesting episode in this development, namely, the first five years after the publication of his Critique of Pure Reason in 1781.