Lectures on Ethics

Immanuel Kant was one of the most important philosophers of the Enlightenment and a central figure in the history of Western philosophy. Born in Königsberg, Prussia, in 1724, Kant spent nearly his entire life in that city, where he studied, taught, and wrote works that transformed modern thought. His philosophy sought to examine the limits and powers of reason, the nature of human knowledge, the foundations of moral obligation, and the relation between freedom, duty, and rational self-government.Kant's major works include Critique of Pure Reason, Critique of Practical Reason, Critique of Judgment, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, and Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals. His moral philosophy, especially his account of the categorical imperative and the dignity of rational beings, remains foundational for ethics, political theory, legal philosophy, religious thought, and modern discussions of autonomy and human rights. Kant's influence extends across German idealism, analytic philosophy, continental philosophy, theology, aesthetics, metaphysics, epistemology, and the continuing study of Enlightenment philosophy.