CRITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND THE CONDITIONS OF LEGITIMATE PHILOSOPHY ACCORDING TO KANT

The purpose of this research is not only to move beyond traditional concepts of knowledge but also to emphasize the significance of Kant’s critical philosophy. This philosophical approach constructs knowledge on critical foundations and can significantly contribute to the development of human understanding. The study concludes that the human mind has clear boundaries. If these boundaries are exceeded, both certainty and truth may be compromised. If we examine closely many of the great discoveries made by humanity’s most brilliant minds in the fields of science, philosophy, and art, we notice something striking. These discoveries often possess simplicity, clarity, or an intuitive quality. At the same time, it is surprising that humanity took so long to uncover such straightforward facts and obvious evidence. One such revelation may be the critique of reason itself. We might wonder how humanity spent centuries before any philosopher proposed that the human mind should be examined and tested. Why did no one argue earlier for the need to assess the mind’s ability to know before using it as a tool to seek truth? This was precisely the work undertaken by Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). He critically examined the "human mind" before relying on it to explore theological, metaphysical, and hidden truths. His “critical philosophy” began as a systematic effort to define the exact boundaries within which the mind can be reliably used as a source of knowledge. According to Zakaria Ibrahim (1972), critical philosophy is, at its core, a methodical attempt to establish the legitimate limits of the mind’s role in the pursuit of knowledge.