The Philosophy of the Young Kant

In this book Kant presented a theory of the genesis of the solar system and indeed of the whole universe, combining Newton's physics with a particular version of physico-theology. Schönfeld interprets this as an attempt to find a middle way between Newton's heuristic thesis of an absolute space and Leibniz's theory of the ideality of relational space, as an attempt to safeguard, on the one hand, both the reality of inter-substantial interaction and the geometrical conception of the reality of the infinite divisibility of space, and, on the other hand, the metaphysical reality of substance. [...]Schonfeld is here increasingly concerned with showing the weaknesses of these writings as well as with pointing to Kant's own doubts and hesitations. The metaphysical theses of purpose, freedom, and God did all figure in the philosophy of the Leibniz-Wolff school, but not necessarily in the form in which Kant dealt with them, and their relationship to one another is left unclear as are Kant's reasons for selecting these topics rather than others. [...]the only firm result of the present study is to suggest a new way of reading Kant's early writings.