This paper asks whether Large Language Models (LLMs) can be considered "rational agents" in the Kantian sense. It develops a systematic "Kantian Test" consisting of seven dimensions derived from Kant's transcendental philosophy and empirical Theory of Mind research: (i) a priori structuring, (ii) synthetic a priori judgments, (iii) transcendental unity of apperception, (iv) critique/metacognition, (v) antinomy recognition, (vi) Theory of Mind, and (vii) moral autonomy. Evaluating current evidence (2022-2026), the paper concludes that while LLMs demonstrate functional equivalents in representation and ToM, they structurally fail the crucial criteria of transcendental unity ("I think") and moral autonomy ("acting from duty"). The paper includes a cross-validation with phenomenological (Husserl, Heidegger) and existentialist (Sartre, Camus) perspectives.
Lukas Geiger (Thu,) studied this question.