Immanuel Kant was an 18th-century German philosopher who fundamentally changed the course of Western thought. He is best known for his "critical philosophy," which sought to reconcile the empiricist belief that knowledge comes from experience with the rationalist belief that reason provides the structure for understanding the world. In modern German, his name is often used as a shorthand for rigorous, principled, or highly systematic thinking. When people refer to "Kant," they are usually invoking the idea of the "Categorical Imperative"—the moral law that one should act only according to rules that one would want to become universal laws for everyone.

What is Immanuel Kant?

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) was a central figure in modern philosophy who lived and taught in Königsberg, Prussia. His major works, including the three Critiques, established the foundations for modern ethics, epistemology, and aesthetics.

Immanuel Kant in Conversation

Examples

1. Immanuel Kant gilt als einer der einflussreichsten Denker der Aufklärung.

   Immanuel Kant is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment.

2. Sein kategorischer Imperativ fordert uns auf, nur nach Maximen zu handeln, die allgemeingültig sein können.

   His categorical imperative challenges us to act only according to maxims that can be universal.

3. Die kopernikanische Wende in der Philosophie wird oft mit Kants Erkenntnistheorie in Verbindung gebracht.

   The Copernican revolution in philosophy is often associated with Kant's theory of knowledge.