ABSTRACT
INTHECritiqueofPureReasonKantsetsforththeproblem,'Howis metaphysicspossibleasascience?'andthroughtheCritiqueheseeksto reachasolutiontoit(B22).Kantisnotmerelyconcernedtoarriveatthe truthorfalsityofparticularmetaphysicalprinciples.Heisprimarily concernedtodiscoverhowthetruthorfalsityofanymetaphysical principleswhatevercanbemadeout.FromreadingKantitiseasytofind mattersofmetaphysicalspeculationonwhichheholdsthatnoknowledge canbeobtained.Itisfarmoredifficulttodiscoverhowhethinksthat metaphysicalknowledgecanbeobtained.Theaimofthepresentworkis toshowingeneralhowKantthinksthatmetaphysicalprinciplescanbe verified.Theverificationofafewmetaphysicalprincipleswillbedealt withprimarilyforillustration.Thegreaterportionoftheensuingchapters willbedevotedtoclarifyingthestepsKanttakestoreachhisgeneral solutionandthereasonsheoffersinbehalfofit.Inasking'Howis metaphysicspossibleasascience?'Kantisaskingmorethanhow metaphysicalprinciplescanbeverified.Infocusingonthelatterproblem, theotherfacetsofthewiderproblemwillasfaraspossiblebeleft aside.
