『オプス・ポストゥムム』におけるスピノザ主義再考 : カントのシェリングへの言及問題

Abstract

Opus postumum, as generally known, is the manuscripts which Kant wrote in his last years, especially from 1796 to 1803. He exclusively dealt with the problems of physics and natural philosophy such as "the moving forces of matter" and "the ether or caloric" until 1799, because he originally intended to publish these manuscripts under the title of "transition from the metaphysical foundations of natural science to physics". Around 1800, however, he gradually began to mention the epistemological or metaphysical topics, for example, "how is experience possible?", "the thing in itself", "God and the world", "transcendental philosophy" and so on. Moreover, in the VIIth and Ist fascicles written in 1800-1803, Kant not only repeatedly referred to "Spinozism", but also surprisingly regarded it as "transcendental idealism". In the same way as Spinoza, we find also Kant's allusion to Lichtenberg and Schelling as following: "System of transcendental idealism by Schelling, Spinoza, Lichtenberg, and, as it were, three dimensions: present, past and future." With regard to this obscure passage, some scholars insist that Kant approved of Spinozism and regarded Schelling as his own successor. Other scholars claim that he criticized Spinozism and Schelling's philosophy. This paper attempts to clarify why Kant referred to Spinozism, and whether or not he affirmed the philosophy of Spinoza and Schelling. In my opinion, his numerous critical references to Spinozism in Opus postumum indicate that, on the one hand, Kant intended to oppose "fanaticism", and on the other hand, he aimed to develop his own system which he named "the highest standpoint of transcendental philosophy". Taking into consideration the fact that both Schelling and Spinoza are mentioned together in a single sentence, Kant did not look on Schelling as his own successor. I verify the above-mentioned interpretation by analyzing the usage of words and phrases, for example, "self-positing" and "time and space" in Opus postumum, Litteratur Zeitung Erlangen No, 82 and some of the initial works of Schelling.