Wise Quotes by Immanuel Kant, 18th century German Philosopher

Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who lived in the 18th century. He is considered one of the most influential figures in modern philosophy, and his work has had a profound impact on the fields of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics.

Kant's philosophy is characterized by his emphasis on the role of reason in understanding the world and determining moral behavior. He argued that human beings have innate cognitive faculties, such as the ability to understand cause and effect, that allow us to make sense of our experiences. He also believed that moral principles, such as the principle of universal respect for human beings, are grounded in reason and are not simply based on cultural or personal biases.

He also distinguished between phenomena and noumena, claiming that the things we experience are not the things themselves but rather our representation of them. He believed that the thing-in-itself, or noumenon, is unknowable to us.

Kant's moral philosophy is based on the concept of the "categorical imperative," which holds that we should always act in a way that we could will to be a universal law. This principle is meant to guide moral decision making and ensure that our actions are morally consistent and fair to all.

Overall, Kant's philosophy is complex and multifaceted, and his ideas continue to be studied and debated by philosophers today.

 

Interesting facts about Immanuel Kant

 

1. Immanuel Kant was born in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia) in 1724.
2. He was a professor of philosophy at the University of Königsberg for over 30 years.
3. Kant wrote extensively on a wide range of topics, including metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, and aesthetics.
4. His most famous work is the Critique of Pure Reason, published in 1781, which established him as one of the most important figures in Western philosophy.
5. Kant's moral philosophy is based on the idea that individuals have a "categorical imperative" to act in accordance with universal moral principles.
6. He also developed the concept of "transcendental idealism," which holds that the mind shapes and structures our experience of the world.
7. Kant's work was a major influence on later philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Immanuel Wallerstein, and Søren Kierkegaard.
8. He was a strong advocate for peace and opposed the wars of his time.
9. He never traveled more than a few miles from Königsberg, spending most of his life in his hometown.
10. Kant died in Königsberg in 1804 and was buried in the city's Christ Church cemetery.

 

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Quotes by Immanuel Kant

• To be is to do.
• Ingratitude is the essence of vileness.
• Nothing is divine but what is agreeable to reason.
• By a lie, a man... annihilates his dignity as a man.
• What can I know? What ought I to do? What can I hope?
• Happiness is not an ideal of reason, but of imagination.
• Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.
• Religion is the recognition of all our duties as divine commands.
• It is beyond a doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience.
• I had therefore to remove knowledge, in order to make room for belief.
• Live your life as though your every act were to become a universal law.
• If man makes himself a worm he must not complain when he is trodden on.
• Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind.
• Two things awe me most, the starry sky above me and the moral law within me.
• Act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.
• So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world.
• May you live your life as if the maxim of your actions were to become universal law.
• Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without the guidance of another.
• From such crooked wood as that which man is made of, nothing straight can be fashioned.
• Always recognize that human individuals are ends, and do not use them as means to your end.

 

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