
The Critique of Pure Reason | Project Gutenberg
The Critique of Pure Reason - By Immanuel Kant - Translated by J. M. D. Meiklejohn
Contents
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION 1781
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION 1787
Introduction - I. Of the difference between Pure and Empirical Knowledge
I. TRANSCENDENTAL DOCTRINE OF ELEMENTS. - FIRST PART. TRANSCENDENTAL ÆSTHETIC. - § I. Introductory.
II. Transcendental Doctrine of Method
This work launches a bold inquiry into the very nature of human reason, asking why our minds are compelled to pursue questions that lie beyond the reach of ordinary experience. It shows how, driven by innate principles, we climb ever higher into abstract speculation, only to encounter contradictions that expose the limits of pure speculation. The author frames this struggle as a clash between dogmatic certainty and skeptical doubt, highlighting the need for a new, disciplined approach to metaphysics.
In the opening sections, the text proposes a “critical investigation” that treats reason itself as the object of scrutiny, seeking rules that can safeguard genuine knowledge while discarding unfounded claims. The discussion weaves together historical debates, vivid metaphors, and a call for self‑examination, positioning the inquiry as the foundation for any reliable science. Readers will discover a meticulously argued roadmap that reshapes how we understand the relationship between thought, experience, and the boundaries of what can be known.
Language
en
Duration
~21 hours (1259K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2003-07-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1724–1804
A quiet professor from Königsberg, he became one of the defining thinkers of the Enlightenment and changed how philosophy approaches knowledge, morality, and human freedom. His work still shapes debates about reason, duty, and what we can truly know.
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by Immanuel Kant

by Immanuel Kant

by Immanuel Kant

by Immanuel Kant

by Immanuel Kant

by Immanuel Kant

by Immanuel Kant