Schulting, D. (ed.), Kantian Nonconceptualism. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.
Robert Hanna’s “Kant’s B Deduction, Cognitive Organicism, the Limits of Natural Science” explores the complexities of Kant’s B Deduction, proposing a “Bounded Scope Reading” where Categories apply exclusively to objects of experience, rather than the broader “Unbounded Scope Reading” that includes all objects of the senses. Hanna introduces “Strong Kantian Non-Conceptualism” and “cognitive organicism” as frameworks to support his interpretation, arguing that these concepts allow for a sound reading of the Deduction. The essay then meticulously defines what constitutes an “object of experience” for Kant and how it differs from “appearances” and “judgments of perception”. Finally, Hanna discusses the profound implications of his interpretation for understanding the limits of natural science and affirming the autonomy of human consciousness as a non-mechanistic, spontaneous force, even anticipating modern philosophical arguments.
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