On the problem of obscure representations in Kant’s Anthropology : a historical-critical survey

Abstract

This study examines the genesis and evolution of Kant’s theory of obscure representations in anthropology. The first section traces the history of the idea of ‘obscure perception’, beginning with Leibniz’s critique of the Cartesian philosophy of consciousness. The conception of obscure representations in the Wolffian school—Wolff, Baumgarten, and Meier—is then discussed, as well as that of Johann Georg Sulzer, whose influence on Kant’s elaboration is emphasized. The second section analyzes the Kantian premises for a theory of unconscious intellectual activity, which constitutes a critical departure from the Leibnizian-Wolffian tradition. The third section focuses on the treatment of obscure representations in the anthropology lectures. By examining the idea of ‘development’ of obscure reflections, it documents Kant’s effort to illuminate unconscious representations, which establishes the analytical philosophy as an anthropological and “psychoanalytic” science ante litteram.