Reason After Critique: The Positive Function of Reason in Kant

Kant-Forschungsstelle
24-25 September 2026
Universität Trier

What remains of reason after critique? Kant famously restricts the epistemic ambitions of reason, yet he also insists on its indispensability, not only in the practical domain but also in the theoretical one. This workshop investigates the positive function of reason in Kant’s system: its role in structuring metaphysical questions, guiding theoretical inquiry, and orienting scientific practice. Kant frequently characterizes this function as “regulative”, but it is far from clear what precisely this status amounts to, whether it actually exhausts reason’s positive function, and what its broader presuppositions and concrete applications are. The workshop addresses questions such as: Is there a unified framework underlying the positive function of reason in Kant? How does this function relate to reason as a capacity? What is the status of the ideas of reason: are they metaphysical, epistemic, normative, or some combination of these? How does reason guide inquiry by setting goals, maxims, and conditions of explanation? What is the relation between reason and epistemic normativity? And what notion of scientific practice emerges from reason’s guiding role? The aim of the workshop is to clarify whether, and if so, how reason, after critique, remains a central capacity in Kant’s philosophy, and to assess the philosophical significance of its positive function for understanding metaphysics, inquiry, and science.

Confirmed speakers

• Pirachula Chulanon
• Davide Dalla Rosa
• Kristina Engelhard
• Gabriele Gava
• Dietmar Heidemann
• Stephen Howard
• Karen Koch
• Tobias Rosefeldt
• Lorenzo Spagnesi
• Eric Watkins
• Rachel Zuckert

Organiser: Lorenzo Spagnesi (Trier University)

If you are interested in participating, please register by emailing spagnesi@uni-trier.de. The event will take place in Room B13, Campus I, Trier University, Germany.