author
Norman Kemp Smith
1872–1958
Best remembered for the classic English translation of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, this Scottish philosopher helped generations of readers approach some of the hardest books in modern thought. His writing on Kant, Hume, and Descartes made him one of the most respected philosophical scholars of his time.
1 Audiobook
A Commentary to Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason'
by Norman Kemp Smith
About the author
Born in Dundee in 1872, Norman Kemp Smith studied at the University of St Andrews and went on to build a distinguished academic career on both sides of the Atlantic. He taught at Princeton University, first in psychology and then in philosophy, before returning to Scotland to serve for many years as Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh.
He is most widely known as a major interpreter of Immanuel Kant. His English translation of Critique of Pure Reason became especially influential, and his studies of Kant helped shape how English-speaking readers understood the philosopher. He also wrote important work on David Hume and René Descartes, combining close scholarship with a gift for explaining difficult arguments clearly.
Kemp Smith died in 1958, but his books remained central to philosophical study long after his lifetime. For many readers, he is not only a scholar of classic philosophy, but also a guide who made demanding ideas more readable and alive.