Ricerc@Sapienza

Two terms in the Kantian lexicon derives from the Latin metaphysical tradition of the res: Realität (Reality) and Wirklichkeit (Actuality or Effectiveness). The first one expresses one of the categories of quality and in the Kantian table it corresponds to affirmative judgements. The second one represents the scheme of the modal category of existence (Dasein), that is – according to Kant’s words – «existence in a determinate time».

Kant and ‘Pragmatic’ Schematism. The «Material Idea» Between Plato and Aristotle · Kant’s philosophy is often animated by the aim of conciliating opposite positions. With regard to the opposition between the two classical options of the history of metaphysics, namely Platonism and Aristotelism, he discusses the problem of the so-called « idea materialis » as a possible ‘bridge’ between material reality and immaterial knowledge. Kant ascribes the invention of « material ideas » to Descartes, but no occurrance of this expression can be found in the writings of the French thinker.

In this paper I will argue that Rudolf Otto’s theory of religion is characterized by a tension between the notion of ‘Numinous’ and that of ‘Wholly Other’. This tension emerges especially in the difficult passage of The Holy, in which Otto defines the relationship between ‘rational’ and ‘irrational’ in terms of schematization.