The Critical Target of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason: Humean Skepticism or Spinozistic Naturalism?

Abstract

I offer a critique of Jonathan Israel’s and Omri Boehm’s recent claim that the chief critical target of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason is Spinozistic naturalism and defend the more traditional view that the chief critical target is Humean skepticism. I identify two problems with the traditional view, deriving from remarks Kant makes in the A Preface from 1781 and in a letter to Christian Garve from 1798, remarks which suggest a target other than Humean skepticism. I go on to argue that these two problems can be overcome.