The Various Implications and Efficacies of Intuition

This essay aims to differentiate and analyse the theoretical approaches of the Pittsburgh School philosophers, by discussing their readings of the Kantian concept of Anschauung (intuition). Unlike Brandom’s rationalistic approach, Sellars and McDowell try to preserve and remould the heritage of empiricism. But their approaches differ significantly in understanding the empirical basis, which is in turn manifested in their readings of Kant, especially of the structure of intuition. A close examination of their readings not only reveals the developing clue from Kant to Hegel inside Pittsburgh School, but also demonstrates two different pictures of remoulded empiricism.