Topic; Immanuel Kant

Assignment Submitted to; Sir Khalid Iqbal Yasir

Assignment Submitted by
Zia Ur Rehman Abbasi
 Immanuel Kant
Introduction;
Immanuel Kant was an influential German philosopher during the enlightenment era of 18 th century
and he was born on 22nd April 1724, in Konigsberg, Prussia. He was the fourth son of the George Cant
who was the harness maker; his parents were followers of Pietism. Local pastor made arrangements
for his education because he was impressed by his potential. Kant also gained huge appreciation
during his early education as well, after his early education in 1740; he was enrolled at the university
as a student of theology but soon he was attracted toward physics and mathematics. In 1746
because of his father’s death he left university to support his family and started teaching, during this
time he published many papers about rationalism and empiricism. He went to university again in
1755 to continue his education; in this year he got his degree of Doctorate in philosophy. In 1770, he
became the professor at the University of Konigsberg; during this period he published many
important works.
Major Books;
1. Critique of Pure Reason {1787}
2. Critique of Practical Reason {1788}
3. Critique of Judgment {1790}
4. Universal Natural History and Theory
5. A Brief Outline of Some Meditations.

Philosophical Ideas;
 As aforementioned books show that major books are titled as critique, this shows his critical
approach to deal with philosophical problems. Kant was against speculations so according to
him Philosophy is an outcome of using reason. There are three main questions that were
asked by Kant on which his entire work based on; these questions are as following;
1. “What do I know”?
2. “What should I do”?
3. “What am I allowed to hope”?
To answer the first question Kant examines a critical reasoning to determine, what it can do?
And what it is incapable of doing?
 In additions to these questions there are two questions that he asks to deal with decision
about the action;
1. “Can I rationally will that everyone act as I propose to act?” according to him if answer
of this question is no then this action should not be done.
2. “Do my actions respect goals of others?” if answer is no then this action should not be
performed.
 Kant’s theory is considered as the example of deontological ethics and this explains that
rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend upon consequence but on whether they
fulfill our duty or not.
 Kant’s point of view about Transcendentalism is that time, space etc are in fact the priori
conditions of knowledge, without them no knowledge is possible.
 Kant’s theory of Judgment explains that human can understand only what is going on at the
present time and it is not possible therefore to predict future where humans are not
involved.
 He believed that rationalism and empiricism are both important prerequisites to understand
the nature of anything.
 According to him it is impossible to know God from any evidence in this phenomenal world.
 He explained Morality exists if a person can be accountable for their actions.