According to Kant, all thinking stays bound to the original subject of thinking and its possibilities. Simon describes Kant's work as a system that distinguishes its own particular approach to thought as something special in relation to others. Although the subject does not always understand the thoughts of others, each subject incorporates this 'foreign thought' into its own view of the world. Thus arises the need for finding a language allowing for conveying the own preliminary interpretation of something to others in such a way that the said something becomes meaningful also for them, and in this sense appears to be true for them. At that point, the concept of meaning changes, as does the language of philosophy.

Josef Simon ist emeritierter Professor für Philosophie der Universität Bonn.