Transcendental idealism and structuralism

Abstract

The author examines possible analogies between Kant’s transcendental idealism and de Saussure’s and Levi-Strauss’s structuralism, in order to analyse if the former can be understood as a predecessor for the later. The author shows that both teachings assume a priori formal framework, but they diverge in the ways they describe it, as well as in understanding of its function. Consequently, the author concludes that structuralism can be seen as one possible use of Kant’s idea about the existence of such a frame. Furthermore, the author claims that Ricker’s understanding of structuralism as ‘Kantianism without transcendental subject’ should be rejected, since a teaching which does not assume existence of such subject cannot be understood as Kantian.