A Kantian Solution to the Problem of Reflection
Konstantinos Morfis, Anthony Hatzimoysis
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences January 30, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s11097-026-10136-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Transcendental number Phenomenology philosophy Consciousness Reflection computer programming Subject documents Transcendental philosophy Relevance law Epistemology Identity music Transcendental idealism Transcendental equation Object grammar Externalism Possible world Transcendental function |
| Key points | Argues that Kant's outward transcendental self-consciousness, through its self-enlargement, provides the internal differentiation needed to explain how pre-reflective self-consciousness transitions to reflective difference. |
Abstract
Abstract This paper examines the link between Immanuel Kant’s notion of transcendental self-consciousness and Dan Zahavi’s notion of pre-reflective self-consciousness in order to address the problem of reflection. Zahavi emphasizes the identity in pre-reflective self-consciousness, according to which the subject is conscious of itself as the one undergoing an experience, that is the ‘for-me-ness’ of experience. Reflection marks a difference between the subject and its experience, objectifying the experience. The problem of reflection has to do with how the identity in pre-reflective self-consciousness makes possible a difference in reflection. The preliminary solution Zahavi gives is to consider pre-reflective self-consciousness as internally differentiated. However, a more systematic account is needed. We turn to Kant and adopt a first-order reading of transcendental self-consciousness, according to which self-consciousness is intrinsic to the act of synthesis rather than a second-order consciousness of it. Transcendental self-consciousness is a formal givenness—an immediate, non-objectifying mode through which I am conscious of myself. We argue that Kant’s distinction between transcendental self-consciousness and the self-consciousness of the intuitive understanding offers resources to solve the problem. Transcendental self-consciousness is outward while the self-consciousness of the intuitive understanding is inward. The outwardness of transcendental self-consciousness amounts to its self-enlargement, accounting for the internal differentiation of pre-reflective self-consciousness. The proposed solution not only clarifies the transition from pre-reflective self-consciousness to reflection but also underscores the relevance of Kantian insights for phenomenological discussions on subjectivity.