Critique of Pure Reason
Kant's central work in theoretical philosophy and the foundation of his critical system.
Author guide
Immanuel Kant Books in Order
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) was an influential German philosopher associated with the Enlightenment and German Idealism. His major works investigate the limits and structure of human reason, the foundations of morality, judgment and aesthetics, religion, law, politics, anthropology, and natural science. His critical philosophy is centered on the Critique of Pure Reason, Critique of Practical Reason, and Critique of the Power of Judgment.
philosophymetaphysicsepistemologyethicsaestheticspolitical philosophyphilosophy of religionnatural philosophyanthropology
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
The clearest concise entry point to Kant's moral philosophy and categorical imperative.
Critique of the Power of Judgment
A major work connecting aesthetics, teleology, and the systematic unity of Kant's philosophy.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Essays and speeches (18)
- New Notes to Explain the Theory of the Winds
pamphlet · 1756
- New Doctrine of Motion and Rest
pamphlet · 1758
- An Attempt at Some Reflections on Optimism
pamphlet · 1759
- Thoughts on the Premature Death of Johann Friedrich von Funk
pamphlet · 1760
- On Fanaticism
pamphlet · 1764
- On the Different Races of Human Beings
pamphlet · 1775
- Toward Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Project
pamphlet · 1795
- On Turning Out Books: Two Letters to Mr. Friedrich Nicolai
pamphlet · 1798
- Logic
lecture-notes · 1800
- Physical Geography
lecture-notes · 1802
- On Pedagogy
lecture-notes · 1803
- On the Philosophers' Medicine of the Body
speech · 1881
Other (22)
- Thoughts on the True Estimation of Living Forces
book · 1747
- A New Elucidation of the Principles of Metaphysical Cognition
dissertation · 1755
- On the Form and Principles of the Sensible and Intelligible World
dissertation · 1770
- Critique of Pure Reason
book · 1781
Immanuel Kant was one of the leading lights of 18th-century philosophy; his work provided the foundations for later revolutionary thinkers such as Hegel and Marx. This work contains the keystone of his critical philosophy - the basis of…
- Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals
book · 1785
Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals is the first of Immanuel Kant's mature works on moral philosophy and remains one of the most influential in the field. Kant conceives his investigation as a work of foundational ethics—one that…
- Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science
book · 1786
A translation of Kant's mature reflections on issues in the philosophy of natural science.
- Critique of Practical Reason
book · 1788
The Critique of Practical Reason is the second of Kant's three Critiques, one of his three major treatises on moral theory, and a seminal text in the history of moral philosophy. Originally published three years after his Groundwork to…
- Critique of the Power of Judgment
book · 1790
The Critique of the Power of Judgment (a more accurate rendition of what has hitherto been translated as the Critique of Judgment) is the third of Kant's great critiques following the Critique of Pure Reason and the Critique of Practical…
- Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason
book · 1793
- The Metaphysics of Morals
book · 1797
The Metaphysics of Morals is Kant's major work in applied moral philosophy in which he deals with the basic principles of rights and of virtues. It comprises two parts: the "Doctrine of Right," which deals with the rights that people have…
- The Conflict of the Faculties
book · 1798
- Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View
book · 1798
- On Fire
dissertation · 1839
- Opus Postumum
manuscript-collection · 1882
Frequently asked questions about Immanuel Kant
Who was Immanuel Kant?
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher and a central figure in modern philosophy. His critical philosophy influenced the study of knowledge, morality, aesthetics, and politics.
When and where was Immanuel Kant born and when did he die?
Kant was born on April 22, 1724, in Königsberg, East Prussia, now Kaliningrad, Russia. He died in the same city on February 12, 1804.
What did Immanuel Kant do for a living?
Kant was an academic philosopher and lecturer at the University of Königsberg. He taught there from 1755, became professor of logic and metaphysics in 1770, and retired from teaching in 1796.
Who influenced Immanuel Kant’s philosophy?
Kant’s thinking developed through engagement with Leibniz and Christian Wolff’s rationalism, Newton’s science, and the ideas of Locke, Hume, and Rousseau. His teacher Martin Knutzen played an important role by introducing him to Newton and British philosophy.
What is Immanuel Kant’s legacy?
Kant helped set the terms for much of nineteenth- and twentieth-century philosophy and remains influential across metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics. His work also helped launch German Idealism and continues to shape philosophical debate.
Sources: plato.stanford.edu (opens in a new tab)plato.stanford.edu (opens in a new tab)