Kant and the Laws of Nature [Hardcover]

This volume of new essays explores Kant's views on the laws of nature.This is the first systematic investigation of Kant's treatment of the laws of nature, which are central to his philosophy of science. It will be of great interest to advanced students and scholars of Kant's philosophy of science, and to historians and philosophers of science more generally.This is the first systematic investigation of Kant's treatment of the laws of nature, which are central to his philosophy of science. It will be of great interest to advanced students and scholars of Kant's philosophy of science, and to historians and philosophers of science more generally.Laws of nature play a central role in Kant's theoretical philosophy and are crucial to understanding his philosophy of science in particular. In this volume of new essays, the first systematic investigation of its kind, a distinguished team of scholars explores Kant's views on the laws of nature in the physical and life sciences. Their essays focus particularly on the laws of physics and biology, and consider topics including the separation in Kant's treatment of the physical and life sciences, the relation between universal and empirical laws of nature, and the role of reason and the understanding in imposing order and lawful unity upon nature. The volume will be of great interest to advanced students and scholars of Kant's philosophy of science, and to historians and philosophers of science more generally.Introduction; Part I. The Lawfulness of Nature: 1. Kant on the unity and diversity of laws Eric Watkins; 2. On universality, necessity, and law in general Karl Ameriks; 3. Imperfect knowledge of nature: Kant, Hume and laws of nature Paul Guyer; Part II. The Systematicity of Nature: 4. Why must we presuppose the systematicity of nature? Hannah Ginsborg; 5. Empirical scientific investigation and the ideas of reason Rachel Zuckert; 6. Kant's transcendental principle of purposiveness and the 'maxim of the lawfulness of empirical³©