The best books by Immanuel Kant

As a follower of philosophy, you may be looking for authors and books to expand your horizons. You have probably already studied Aristotle, Friedrich Nietzsche, Rene Descartes, Hegel, and David Hume.

Kant is often mentioned in the same breath as these big philosophy names. Some of his groundbreaking ideas, like categorical imperative, transcendental idealism, and moral philosophy in general, are worth reading about for lovers of philosophy.

Who was Immanuel Kant?

Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher born on April 22, 1724, in Königsberg, Prussia. His hometown is now known as Kaliningrad, and it’s located in Russia. Kant died in his hometown on February 12, 1804.

Kant was one of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment period and possibly the most significant philosopher in the world.

Kant was a saddler of Scottish descent, while his mother was a woman of natural intelligence. Kant was the fourth of nine children and the eldest one to survive and get an education. He attended a Latin school where he developed an interest in Latin classics, especially Lucretius, a famous naturalistic poet.

He studied theology but was always leaning more toward physics and mathematics. Kant worked as a family tutor for three families in his region.

As a philosopher, Immanuel Kant is best known for his work in epistemology (knowledge theory), aesthetics, and ethics. Many schools of idealism and Kantianism (a system of thought coming from Kant’s work) were influenced by his work.

The best Kant books to read

The Critique of Pure Reason

Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason is a modern philosophy work known for combining rationalism and empiricism. These two schools of thought work in opposite ways. Rationalism finds reason as the source of knowledge, while empiricism favors experience.

In this first Critique of Pure Reason, Kant takes a deep dive into the nature of human reason and tries to establish its falsities, truths, realities, and illusions.

The Critique of Practical Reason

In Critique of Practical Reason, published in 1788, Kant follows the previous critique and takes his moral philosophy a step further. The Critique of Practical Reason seeks to cover a wide scope of his ethical views, placing them in a large framework of his philosophical system.

This work is a must-read for everyone interested in ethics. However, if you’re completely new to Kant, you may want to start from the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. 

Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals

The Groundwork of Metaphysics and Morals is an important work on ethics that’s more accessible than the Critiques.

One can easily rank Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals along with Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics or Plato’s Republic. These three works are some of the most influential pieces of moral philosophy in existence.

This work aims to corroborate and identify morality principles, especially the supreme form, the categorical imperative. Published in 1785, this Kant masterpiece is his first take on moral philosophy.

The Critique of Judgment

The third Critique continues with the systems and arguments Kant introduced in the first two Critiques. He considers the sublime, beauty, and teleology, offering a deep insight into science and art.

Even though it’s been centuries since its publication, the Critique of the Power of Judgment still represents a central piece of modern philosophy.

Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason

Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason is an important work for western religious thought. The work continues on Kant’s previous three critiques and has an essential place in the author’s system of philosophy.

Kant tries to set the content and form of a religion that would have moral reason in its ground and meet the ethical life principles. He explores original sin, the sinner’s salvation, and the church’s role.

Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics

Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics is a short philosophical work, but it’s one of Kant’s most important books. It offers the key to The Critique of Pure Reason. Think of it as an extract with all the ideas coming from Kant’s philosophical system.

The Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics approaches Kant’s philosophy in a direct and simple way and is a great read if you’re looking for an introduction to Kant’s work.

Toward Perpetual Peace and Other Writings on Politics, Peace, and History

If you want to learn about Kant’s view on politics, peace, and history, you may want to start with this book. Despite being published two centuries ago, his views have still not lost relevance.

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Choose from more than 60,000 audiobooks and learn about political philosophy, modern philosophy, natural science, universal law, and other topics and works of Immanuel Kant.

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FAQ

What book should I start with when I want to read Kant?

Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics is the introduction to Kant’s moral philosophy. It’s written in a simple tone, and it’s a great start before you take on the rest of Kant’s theory and philosophy books.

What should I read to understand Kant?

You can read philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and David Hume to better understand Kant. You can also read Paul Guyer’s book, Kant.

What is Kant’s view of human nature?

Kant sees human nature as a set of biological characteristics we share among our species. He believed in the possibility of other rational beings existing in the universe. You can find out more in Kant’s Human Being: Essays on His Theory of Human Nature by professor Robert B. Louden.

Who did Immanuel Kant influence?

Kant’s views have a major influence on modern philosophy, ethics, political theory, and epistemology.

What are some good books about Kant?

Kant: A Complete Introduction by Teach Yourself and Kant: A Very Short Introduction by Roger Scruton are good books about Kant.