Phenomenology and Epistemology: Kant, Hegel, and Knowledge

FAIN: FT-55666-08

Tom Rockmore
Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA 15282-0001)

The present work centers on phenomenology, one of the four main philosophical tendencies in the twentieth century philosophical tradition. I will be studying the roots of phenomenology in nineteenth century German philosophy, with special attention to the views of Kant, Fichte, and Hegel. There is a great deal of discussion of the relation of Kant and Hegel. It is usual to consider Kant as concerned with theory of knowledge, or epistemology, but not with phenomenology, and Hegel as concerned with phenomenology, but not with theory of knowledge. The aim of my investigation will be to show that under certain descriptions Kant's position is about phenomenology and Hegel's position is about theory of knowledge. This inverts the usual way of understanding the relation of their two theories, and helps us to see Kant and Hegel as working on similar problems in similar ways. Kant and Hegel, not as opposed, but as working on similar problems in similar ways.