Salomon Maimon and the regular decahedron

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Maimon's principle of determinability (Satz des Bestimmbarkeit) is undoubtedly the pillar of his philosophy. One of the original uses he gave to this principle is related to its creative nature: a synthesis according to this principle yields an object. This creative aspect, however, is questioned by the decahedron, since on the one hand it is a synthesis that satisfies the principle of the determinability, but one cannot construct such a concept in intuition. I suggest a solution to this riddle that accords with Maimon's writings and his rationalistic spirit. I briefly discuss the ramification of this solution on the relation between the principle of sufficient reason and the creative role that Maimon ascribes to reason.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)113-123
Number of pages11
JournalDiscipline Filosofiche
Volume29
Issue number1
StatePublished - 2019

Keywords

  • Construction
  • Idealism
  • Principle of Sufficient Reason
  • Rationalism
  • Satz des Bestimmbarkeit

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Philosophy

Cite this