KANT e Weitenkampf: Una fonte ignorata dell'Allgemeine Naturgeschichte und Theorie des Himmels e della prima antinomia della ragion pura

J.F. Weitenkampf (1726-1758) was a figure well known to Kant. In fact Kant and Weitenkampf studied philosophy together at the Alma Albertina in Königsberg under the direction of Martin Knutzen, and the young Kant extensively discusses the positions of his fellow student on the question of the spatio-temporal finitude of the Universe; § 1 of this study introduces the history of the problem of cosmic extension before Weitenkampf and Kant ; § 2 examines the complete failure of Kant's Akademie-Ausgabe in establishing Weitenkampf's writings as a source for Kant ; § 3 considers Weitenkampf's life and works; § 4 comments on the passages of Weitenkampf's Gedanken über wichtige Wahrheiten aus der Vernunft und der Religion and Lehrgebäude vom Untergange der Erden which were discussed by Kant in his Allgemeine Naturgeschichte und Theorie des Himmels; § 5 concludes with some remarks on the history of the development of Kant's First Antinomie of Pure Reason