Immanuel Kant Quotes

A collection of quotes by Immanuel Kant.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a German philosopher who profoundly influenced Western philosophy in diverse areas such as metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, and epistemology. Born in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia), Kant is considered one of the most important figures of the Enlightenment and the founder of critical philosophy.

Kant's most famous work, "The Critique of Pure Reason" (1781), revolutionized philosophical thought. In it, he sought to reconcile empiricism and rationalism and investigate the limits and possibilities of human knowledge. Kant argued that knowledge is derived from the interaction between our sensory experiences and the innate structures of our mind.

Moreover, Kant emphasized moral philosophy through his work "Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals" (1785). He developed the concept of the categorical imperative, which is rooted in the belief that moral actions should derive from universal principles. Kant postulated that individuals have a duty to act morally, regardless of the consequences, based on rational principles.

Kant's ideas had a lasting impact on various fields, including moral philosophy, political theory, and aesthetics. His work laid the foundation for existentialism, phenomenology, and the critical theory of the Frankfurt School. Kant's influence can still be traced in contemporary debates on knowledge, morality, and the nature of reality. His rich intellectual legacy has made him one of the most important and enduring figures in the history of philosophy.

Experience without theory is blind, but theory without exper

Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play.

Immanuel Kant

Experience

Intuition and concepts constitute... the elements of all our

Intuition and concepts constitute... the elements of all our knowledge, so that neither concepts without an intuition in some way corresponding to them, nor intuition without concepts, can yield knowledge.

Immanuel Kant

Knowledge

But although all our knowledge begins with experience, it do

But although all our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it arises from experience.

Immanuel Kant

Experience

Even philosophers will praise war as ennobling mankind, forg

Even philosophers will praise war as ennobling mankind, forgetting the Greek who said: 'War is bad in that it begets more evil than it kills.'

Immanuel Kant

War

Two things fill the heart with renewed and increasing awe an

Two things fill the heart with renewed and increasing awe and reverence the more often and the more steadily that they are meditated on: the starry skies above me and the moral law inside me.

Immanuel Kant

Reflection