Similar Ways of Creating Thirdness

Abstract

It is well-known that Kant and Frege offer seemingly exclusive answers to the (epistemo)logical status of equations. Expressions like “7 + 5 = 12” are synthetic for Kant but analytic for Frege. Nevertheless, Kant and Frege have a shared interest: Demonstrating the possibility of grasping a general real by science. Kant’s question is “How is metaphysics as science possible?” Frege answers the question “How is logic as science possible?” Both thinkers are convinced that a precondition for answering their questions consists in the creation of a third concept. But how? Traditionally given mutually exclusive distinctions seem to let no room for such a different third concept. The revolutionary idea is to create basic concepts as molecules(patterns, Gestalten)with a characteristic inner structure opposed to atoms without any inner structure. Such molecules ”“ Kant’s “synthetic judgments a priori” and Frege’s “thoughts” ”“ can be analyzed as2-dimensionally structured intermediate cases.