Kant and the Architectural Model of Doing Philosophy

The model of being a philosopher is, in general, a metaphorical framework in which and as a representation of which a philosopher shapes his or her philosophy and philosophizing. I think that a reflection on the history of philosophy can reveal traces of models for philosophy and doing philosophy. I hold that Emanuel Kant has deployed, in all three of his well-known critiques, architectural terms. This implies that for Kant, philosophers should be considered as architects. For him, a philosopher as an architect is neither like a mason who only constructs repetitive buildings, leading to an ordinary philosophy; nor like artists or other scientists who only master the technique of using their intellects. Rather, a philosopher as an ideal teacher is the law-maker of the intellect who is in charge of founding and regulating the philosophy. In other words, a philosopher defines and regulates the intellect. This model of being a philosopher was suggested along with other models proposed before and after Kant, and has played its role in the period of Kant and later periods of the history of philosophy.