Forschungsstrategien des jungen Hans Vaihinger. Kantphilologie als wissenschaftliche Philosophie

Abstract

Abstract This article examines Vaihinger’s early career in German academic philosophy. It describes how, following his habilitation, Vaihinger sought to make a name for himself with his ambitious plan for a comprehensive commentary on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. At the same time, he worked as an anonymous reviewer of newly published philosophical literature. Vaihinger’s ambition was to practice philosophy in a scientific way, in particular, to demonstrate that the philological analysis of Kant’s work constitutes fundamental philosophical research. Vaihinger himself regarded his studies on The Philosophy of ‘As If’ as the result of such fundamental research.