Kant´s Reflexionen in the DscD - Introduction to index of Kant's "Reflexionen"


Introduction to index of Kant's "Reflexionen"

§ 1

It is known that to rebuild the working process of the Kritik der reinen Vernunft a great importance should be attached to correspondence, the lectures and, above all, the so-called "Reflexionen" (RR), edited by the Königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften from 1911 to 1934 and reorganised, dated and introduced by Erich Adickes.

Nevertheless, the user who restricts himself to this edition will find two difficulties:

1.	Difficulty to locate the RR in relation to each phase due to the high variability of the RR’ dating.
The high variability of dating, as far as its precision is concerned (periods from only one year - phase k - to more than 30 years - 1752-1789) and its security and probability (from security to very little probability) leads to - secure and very precise datings - little probable datings and little precise - very precise but very little probable datings - little precise but secure datings, etc. It has to be added that in the edition of the Academy the RR are arranged according to a single phase, even in the case of those which are dated with more than a phase, and not according to each one of the phases.

2.	Difficulty to locate the RR in relation to the place where they were written in.
That means: the page, paragraph, chapter, section, etc. of the works which Kant employed in his university lessons. As a matter of fact, the RR are mainly organised according to dating and not to the place where they were written in.

In order to overcome those obstacles, the RR had to be classified:

1. according to each phase included in the dating,

2. according to the greater or lower amount of phases included in the dating of each R,

3. according of whether the dating is secure or not, and if not,

4. according to different grades of probability,

5. depending on whether they are either on a page or another of the work where they were written or, in accordance to Adickes, to having any connection with a paragraph, section, chapter, part, etc.

All the above leads to the index of Kant’s reflections.

This index indicates chronological details, the place where the RR were written, and its place in the academic edition.

1.	according to each phase included in the dating,
2.	according to the greater or lower amount of phases included in the dating of each R,
3.	according of whether the dating is secure or not, and if not,
4.	according to different grades of probability,
5.	depending on whether they are either on a page or another of the work where they were written or, in accordance to Adickes, to having any connection with a paragraph, section, chapter, part, etc.