THE KANTIAN REFUTATION OF IDEALISM

There are some parts of the Critique of Pure Reason that are more obscure, more difficult to understand than others. Kant's refutation of idealism is among one of them. I do not claim to have the final exegetical clue to understand Kant's refutation of idealism. Still, I want to face the challenge of shedding some light on this central kernel of Kant's masterpiece. First of all, I will consider the different meanings of the word "idealism" in the first Critique; then, and according to what Kant calls Descartes' "problematic idealism,"I clarify this expression. Third, I expose in detailed Kant's argument by studying its conceptual and rhetorical structure - this is perhaps the most original piece of my essay. Finally, from a Cartesian perspective, I step forward to present some objections to Kant's developments on idealism. Here I also touch some fundamental topics of Kant's theoretical philosophy.