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This is the first full-length biography in more than fifty years of Immanuel Kant, one of the giants amongst the pantheon of Western philosophers as well as the one with the most powerful and broad influence on contemporary philosophy. It is well known that Kant spent his entire life in an isolated part of Prussia living the life of a typical university professor. This has given rise to the view that Kant was a pure thinker with no life of his own, or at least none worth considering seriously. In this biography, Manfred Kuehn debunks that myth once and for all. Taking account of the most recent scholarship Professor Kuehn allows the reader (whether interested in philosophy, history, politics, German culture, or religion) to follow the same journey that Kant himself took in emerging as a central figure in modern philosophy.
List of contents
From the contents: Chronology of Kant's life and work; Prologue and epilogue, 'As You Like It'
1. Childhood and early youth (1724-1740)
2. Student and private teacher (1740-1755)
3. The elegant magister (1755-1764)
4. Palingenesis and its consequences (1764-1769)
5. Silent years (1770-1780)
6. 'All-crushing' critic of metaphysics (1780-1784)
7. Founder of a metaphysics of morals (1784-1787)
8. Problems with religion and politics (1788-1795)
9. The old man (1796-1804); Bibliography
About the author
Manfred Kühn, geboren 1947, war Professor für Philosophie an der Purdue University in den USA und in Marburg. Er lehrt jetzt an der Boston University. Neben vielen Arbeiten über Kant hat er Bücher und Aufsätze über David Hume, Thomas Reid und die Aufklärung in Schottland, Frankreich und Deutschland veröffentlicht.
Summary
This is the first full-length biography in more than fifty years of Immanuel Kant, one of the giants amongst the pantheon of Western philosophers as well as the one with the most powerful and broad influence on contemporary philosophy.
Report
'Kuehn's fine and rather touching biography reveals a philosophical life lived with pathos, courage and good humour, as well as a terrible and merciless intelligence.' Lingua Franca
