JACQUES AUGUSTO DE AGUIAR MORAIS GUIMARÃES

Course
Master's degree
Research title
RATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN KANT'S METAPHYSICS LECTURES AND BAUMGARTEN'S METAPHYSICS
Research abstract

This project investigates the extent of Immanuel Kant's break with Alexander Baumgarten's rational psychology in his Lectures on Metaphysics. By comparing Kant's position in the section on rational psychology in his Lectures on Metaphysics with Baumgarten's in Metaphysics, the research explores how Kant used Baumgarten's manual to teach at the University of Königsberg and how this relationship reveals his critical approach. The central hypothesis is that Kant, although initially influenced by Baumgarten, developed a critical approach that challenged the foundations of dogmatic rationalism. The analysis focuses on the reevaluation of the concepts of soul, spontaneity, and immortality, proposing that Kant transformed Baumgarten's dogmatic rational psychology into a new philosophical synthesis, foreshadowing the critical revolution of his philosophy. The study addresses the methodological and philosophical importance of these changes and their implications for metaphysical and moral knowledge.

Graduate Advisor
Oliver Tolle