immanuel Kantquotes

1724 - 1804

Painted portrait of Immanuel KantThe great German-Philosopher, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) initiated a revolution in philosophical thought with his famous work, Critique of Pure Reason. Arguably one of the greatest philosophers of all time, Kant not only influenced the thinkers of the Enlightenment, but all subsequent philosophies in Western thought as well.

Kant earned his doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Konigsberg. He was denied professorship there again and again, but refused to accept prestigious teaching offers elsewhere because he was content with his simple life in the small city. He worked as a lecturer and tutor for 15 years until he became a full professor and spent the rest of his career teaching metaphysics and logic.

Other notable works include his Critique of Practical Reason and his Critique of Judgment.

While Kant published hundreds of papers and critiques over his lifetime, his strongest contribution to philosophy was his focus on ethics and the study of moral actions. He synthesized two opposing theories, rationalism and empiricism, and found a middle ground of thought between them.

He argued for a radical idea that, as individuals, our minds organize our experiences to make sense of how the world works. He believed that reason could not prove or disprove theories of God, freedom or immortality since those ideas exist beyond the scope of human experience. But he held they were good and rational beliefs since they contributed to an orderly and moral society.

Committed to his work, Kant never married, and despite an embittering loss of memory, he continued to write until his dying day.

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