The self-knowledge has been a central problem throughout the history of philosophy, but it has remained, as Kant also declares, as the

[pt] Guiada pelo duplo propósito de esclarecer o significado dos conceitos de númeno, objeto transcendental e coisa em si mesma e de encontrar uma interpretação satisfatória para o problema da afecção transcendental, esta tese se desdobra em três partes. A primeira investiga a origem do conceito de númeno na Dissertação inaugural e analisa seus desdobramentos nas duas edições da Crítica da razão pura. Observaremos que o númeno pensado em seu sentido positivo passa a ser descrito como um conceito problemático, enquanto pensado em seu sentido negativo se revela imprescindível para a doutrina da sensibilidade. A segunda parte trata da definição kantiana de objeto transcendental e de suas relações com a coisa em si mesma e com a apercepção transcendental. Veremos que apesar de Kant associar o conceito de objeto transcendental à apercepção transcendental, ele não identifica o objeto em si mesmo com a apercepção. A terceira parte examina extensivamente o papel da coisa em si mesma em momentos cruciais da Crítica. A partir dessa perspectiva mais abrangente, notaremos que a noção de coisa em si mesma se relaciona com a razão e com entendimento de modos específicos, orientando e delimitando o conhecimento. A chave da interpretação erguida ao longo desse percurso é encontrada na conclusão da tese. Poderemos então finalmente mostrar que os conceitos de númeno, objeto transcendental e coisa em si mesma têm, cada um, uma função crítica sob a perspectiva da reflexão transcendental e, além disso, que a afecção pode ser considerada, assim como os objetos, tanto do ponto de vista empírico como do transcendental. / [en] Guided by the dual purpose of clarifying the meanings of the concepts of noumenon, transcendental object and the thing in itself and finding a satisfactory interpretation of the problem of transcendental affection, this thesis unfolds itself in three parts. The first researches the origin of the concept of noumenon in the Inaugural Dissertation and analyzes its development in both editions of the Critique of Pure Reason. We shall observe that noumenon thought in its positive sense turns out to be described as a problematic concept, while thought in its negative sense reveals to be essential to the doctrine of sensibility. The second part deals with the Kantian definition of the transcendental object and its connections with the thing in itself and with transcendental apperception. We shall see that although Kant associates the concept of the transcendental object with the transcendental apperception, he does not identify the object in itself with the apperception. The third part examines thoroughly the role of the thing in itself in crucial moments of the Critique. From this broader perspective, we shall notice that the notion of thing in itself relates to reason and understanding in specific ways, guiding and delimiting knowledge. The key to the interpretation built throughout this course is found in the conclusion of the thesis. We shall finally be able to show that the concepts of noumenon, transcendental object and thing in itself have, each, a critical function from the perspective of the transcendental reflection and, furthermore, that the affection can be considered, as well as the objects, either from the empirical or from the transcendental point of view.

La philosophie critique de Kant entretient un rapport ambigu à la question du langage. Bien que le système critique ne semble pas contenir de théorie du langage à proprement parler, les effets du registre transcendantal sur la façon d’appréhender le langage en philosophie semblent aussi massifs que souterrains. Pour envisager ce paradoxe, une hypothèse nouvelle est formulée : la philosophie kantienne serait l’expression paradoxale mais particulièrement paradigmatique d’une crise du langage de grande ampleur observable en Allemagne autour de 1800. Ce n’est qu’en replaçant le système critique dans ce contexte de crise que l’on pourra saisir sa portée pour traiter des problèmes du langage. Cela engage paradoxalement à saisir les effets positifs de la mise entre parenthèses du langage. Pour cela, la philosophie critique est d’abord située dans la crise épistémologique de grande ampleur qui accompagne autant un changement de paradigme des théories du langage (de la grammaire générale à la grammaire comparée), que la naissance d’une linguistique « scientifique ». Elle est ensuite située dans un faisceau de symptômes convergeant vers une crise du langage étudiée successivement à travers les exemples des crises poétique, métacritique et de la crise de la langue philosophique. Ces deux contextualisations permettent de poser à nouveaux frais les raisons systématiques qui expliquent un tel travail souterrain du langage par la philosophie critique. La lecture du système kantien comme modélisation topique de la subjectivité permet alors de rendre compte du statut nouveau qu’acquiert le langage et en particulier l’idée de langue naturelle dans le sillage de la philosophie transcendantale. / Kant’s critical philosophy maintains an ambiguous relationship with language. Even though no proper theory of language seems to be found in the critical system, the transcendental method of the Critique has both highly and unexpectedly influenced the philosophical approach to language. Such a paradox can be accounted for by the following hypothesis: Kantian philosophy is the expression of a major language crisis occurring in Germany at the turn of the 18th century, in a paradigmatic but paradoxical way. It is necessary to put the critical system in this context to understand the far-reaching consequences of setting aside language as a philosophical issue. This will lead to analyse the positive effects of Kant’s attitude on new way to deal with language issues. Three steps will be taken in this purpose. The first one examines the meaning of Kant’s critical philosophy in the light of an epistemic crisis mainly embodied by the theoretical shift from “general grammar” to “comparative grammar” and the emergence of scientific linguistics. The second step sheds light on the place of critical philosophy within the framework of a broader language crisis, which will be studied in three fields: 1) Poetry, 2) “Metacritique”, 3) Philosophical language. Systematic reasons for the strong influence of critical philosophy on language will emerge from this double contextualisation. Indeed, understanding the Kantian system as a topical modelling of subjectivity enables to account for the new status of language – and more specifically, for the concept of natural languages – in the wake of transcendental philosophy.