2014 Issue №3(49)

Kant’s philosophical system has had a strange history: from the moment of its inception, it exhibited critical contradictions; however, later, it was demonstrated that the contradictions existed not in the system of the Königsberg philosopher, but rather in the mind of the interpreter, and the system proved to be even more solid than before. This process has taken more than two centuries and seems to be endless. It is akin to a rock that waves break against and then recede falling into myriads of splashes. This article analyses the hermeneutic principles suggested by Kant, which would make the critical waves peacefully lap against the rock. Kant draws special attention of the reader to some of them — these are the principles of system integrity and noncontradiction, as well as those closelyconnected to the structural content of the system: 1) the principle of purity; 2) the principle of system openness; 3) the principle of ultimate end; 4) the principle of historicity; 5) the principle of activity; 6) the transcendental principle, and 7) the principle of the unity of the world. All these principles are designed to prove that a system is the answer to the question “What a human being is”, as well as a representation of transcendental anthropology.