The Human Intellect Has A Priori Cognitions

by Kant

Table of contents

Superphysics Note

We replace a priori with within-the-mind

How do we distinguish a pure from an empirical cognition?

A within-the-mind proposition has cause and effect in its very conception.

An absolutely within-the-mind proposition is not derived from any other proposition.

An experience-based judgement is never strict and absolute. It only has an assumed and comparative universality (by induction).

A judgement is strictly and absolutely universal if it admits of no possible exception.

This is only possible if it is not derived from experience, but is absolutely within-the-mind.*

Superphysics Note

Kant actually goes into the realm of ideas which are perfect in themselves

Experience-based universality is, therefore, only an arbitrary extension of validity.

This extension creates valid propositions in most cases even if it is asserted that the proposition is valid in all.

For example, in the affirmation, “All bodies are heavy.”

On the contrary, strict universality comes from judgements from within-the-mind.

The infallible test for distinguishing within-the-mind knowledge and real-world knowledge is:

When we use relation:

it is easier to detect real world limitations.
we are more convinced by the biases within-our-minds than relations to other ideas

This is why we should separate the relationality and imposability of our own ideas.

We have judgements that are related yet are imposable.

An example is “Every change must have a cause.”

The idea of a cause involves the connected idea of an effect.

This is strictly imposable to all [universal].

I establish these facts:

A within-the-mind origin is manifest in judgements and ideas.

For example, we can remove all the physical attributes of a thing so that its body vanishes. But the space which it occupied still remains.*

Superphysics Note

Classically, this was called extension or metaphysical space

It is utterly impossible to eliminate this space in our minds. This space is the substance of that object in our minds.*

Superphysics Note

In yogic science, this substance is the citta which takes the form of the object

This substance is has its seat in our within-the-mind faculty of cognition.