The Transcendental Aesthetic is an argument by Immanuel Kant and is composed of several different ideas that are worshipped and praised by many societies of humans, those concepts being space and time and the perception of those concepts. I will not just yet delve into this argument and its different components, but rather explain parallel, new emerging ideas by scientist and other philosophers alike, that are very closely related to this argument and way of thinking.
In the popular movie, “What the Bleep Do We Know?” there are many new and different ideas that are presented to the masses. First, it explains the theory that we are physically able to change an object based on the fact that we are observing it closely. There has been many experiments done, and somehow one particle was able to do three different things all at the same time, since us, humans would observe it take one route, but the outcome of that particle was proven to take an alternate route, and therefore being in a state of a parallel universe within itself(the particle).
This movie continues to point out different aspect of life that are usually deemed as “uncontrollable” and usually appear to be that way, but that only exists in that reality. This movie further explains that we are able to create our own sense of reality, therefore, change how we perceive, react and ultimately feel about everything in life, ranging from anger, and outbreaks to love and ageless unions with others. Although this philosophy is perceived by the masses to be a new and innovative theory, in the reality of history, it isn’t. People are just not up to date on their recent philosophers and ideas of those.
Immanuel Kant has ultimately said the same ideas, but in a much broader sense. His words are different, instead of explaining the basic component of “make your own reality” with those words, he explains with the description of ‘a priori’ or the knowledge of something before it became an experience or sensation to the person.
In his book, The Critique of Pure Reason, Part One: Transcendental Aesthetic, he explains how matter is the combination and match up of an appearance corresponding to sensation. This idea best explains most things that humans perceive to be as our world around us. For example, a tree stays in one place during its entire life, and if we are to see a tree, but never feel one with our senses, then how are we to know it is truly living or not? Whether it needs that water and roots to survive, there is no way of knowing except basing it on the a priori knowledge that it is a living organism. But if a person was to touch the tree, and feel the moisture coming from it, then it would be proven to be alive, and therefore an object in reality.
Although matter is perceived to be an automatic idea and true to any sort of reality as there is, but with Kant’s argument, and the movie alike, matter itself, is up for questioning. The reason matter is able to be up for question, is because of the simple fact that our reality is based off of our own perception of things. For example, if our reality is what it is, then how do we know there could be another reality within this one itself. How come things are what they are? Kant explains this process of thought from his book, The Critique of Practical Reason, “If the object be taken as the determining principle of our desire” that being the physical object itself, for example, “it must first be known whether it is physically possible by the free use or our powers,” if someone is mentally capable to dissect the original perception that is in the normal base of reality, “before we decide whether it is an object of practical reason or not.” (Abbott 50) whether or not it can be perceived in a new idea of reality. The basis for this seems quite intricate, but with explanation it is simply an idea of self-will to think ‘outside of the box’ and the personal ability to throw away the sense of one reality.
“Rather, what we call external objects are nothing but mere presentations of our own capacity to be affected by objects and ideas.”(Cahn 931)
The next components that are argued by both Kant and the popular movie What the Bleep Do We Know, are the ideas of space and time. Space, is ever-existing and inseparable basis of our intuition for reality. In the movie, they simply explain space as ever-existing, and even in between molecules of those things we consider to be matter, there is space separating the atoms, and even at a sub-atomic level there is an infinite amount of space within it. This idea creates a head ache at times for complete understanding, but Kant better explains this idea with ease, “But no concept, as such, can be thought as containing an infinite multitude of presentations within itself. Yet that is how we think space.” (Cahn 930). He then concludes with “Therefore the original presentation of space is an a priori intuition, not a concept”, because of its infinite capabilities and realities that exist within it.
The idea of time is much the same with both the movie and Kant’s argument. Time is unable to be separate and it continuous the same as space with those qualities. But time has the ability to be sequential and is one dimensional in itself. Time is a true a priori because of our natural aging process and other tell-tale sign that humankind and many other animals can read and live by that is intuitively known.
It is quite interesting to see the arguments of both an older philosopher, and new age scientists live in harmony with one another, and continuously support one another’s argument. The basic ideas of both Kant and What the Bleep Do We Know, is the concept that we are in control of our own reality, we can dictate what we need to, and if we are strong enough with our own reality, then happiness will pursue, without a doubt.
