The Search for Strongholds of Integrative Thinking in Kant’s Theory of Knowledge

Abstract

Uvođenje misaonog potencijala sadržanoga u opusu Immanuela Kanta u suvremenu bioetičku raspravu uvjetovano je razvojnim potrebama same bioetike. U ovom se radu stoga iz očišta suvremene bioetike (napose integrativne bioetike) kreće u kratku analizu spoznajnoteorijskog dijela Kantova opusa i nastoji se u Kantovim stajalištima pronaći uporišta za metodološko zasnivanje i epistemološko profiliranje bioetičke discipline. Na važnost i nužnost upravo takvog smjera u istraživanju Kantove filozofije upućuju teorijske pretpostavke koje su već ugrađene u metodološko određenje integrativne bioetike u recepciji Kaulbachovih interpretacija Kantove i postkantovske filozofije te u prihvaćanju krucijalne distinkcije »smisaone i objektne istine« iz koje slijedi za bioetiku osobito važna epistemička razlika »uporabnog i orijentacijskog znanja«.The introduction of reflective potential contained in the works of Immanuel Kant in contemporary bioethical debate is conditioned by the developmental needs of bioethics. Therefore a brief analysis of epistemological part of Kant’s ouevre from the standpoint of contemporary bioethics (especially integrative bioethics) is given in this paper. The strongholds for methodological grounding and epistemological profiling of bioethical discipline are sought. There are at least two indications for the importance and necessity of such direction in the study of Kant’s philosophy as a right one: the theoretical assumptions that are already built into the methodological definition of integrative bioethics through the reception of Kaulbach’s interpretation of Kantian and post-Kantian philosophy; and acceptance of the crucial distinction between “meaningful and object truth” from which follows, for bioethics particularly important, epistemic difference between “dispositional and orientational knowledge”