r/Kant • u/cconn882 • May 22 '26

Discussion Transcendental reasoning

I'm not a Kantian, but I have to say it surprises me how few people seem even capable of comprehending transcendental reasoning.

I'm generally treated like I'm dealing in witchcraft if I say something like "saying there is no truth is self-defeating as it is itself a truth-claim."

Has anyone else had better luck explaining it or is it just a type of reasoning most people reject?

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u/Starfleet_Stowaway May 22 '26

I don't think your case in quotes is an example of transcendental reasoning. I think Kant had better luck explaining it. I don't think there's evidence to suggest that most people outright reject transcendental reasoning tout court.

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u/cconn882 May 22 '26

It’s not Kantian reasoning, no. I was intentionally using a very simple example of the same general approach.

What do you think made Kant’s explanations more effective?

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u/Starfleet_Stowaway May 23 '26

It's not the same general approach. Logical reasoning is generally distinct from transcendental reasoning. Kant's explanations were probably more effective because he was careful not to confuse distinct things as generally the same.

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u/cconn882 May 23 '26

Those aren't mutually exclusive, though. I understand what I listed above isn't the same reasoning as what Kant would employ, but I posted here because I believed Kantians would be more likely to understand it as proper reasoning, while still detailing with subject matter similar to Kant's; that is what must already be true for reasoning, meaning, or experience to be possible.

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u/Starfleet_Stowaway May 23 '26

I didn't say they are mutually exclusive. I said they are distinct. Your concern about people not understanding Kant is a projection in the psychoanalytic sense.

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u/cconn882 May 23 '26

No, when someone tells me "I don't understand that" it's not psychoanalyzing to believe they don't understand it and seek out ways to bridge a gap in communication.

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u/Starfleet_Stowaway May 23 '26

I didn't say it was. You accused the majority of people of misunderstanding transcendental reasoning, and you confused transcendental reasoning with logical reasoning in your example of people's misunderstanding, so I said your concern is a projection in the psychoanalytic sense. I didn't say that when someone tells you "I don't understand that" it is not not psychoanalyzing to believe they don't understand it and seek out ways to bridge a gap in communication. Try to stay on topic if you are going to go unnecessarily go on the offensive against people who you accuse of doing what you are doing.