Immanuel Kants Philosophy

Introduction to Kantian
Philosophy
Transcendentalism
Deontological Ethics
All grandeur, all power, and all subordination to
authority rests on the executioner: he is the horror and
the bond of human association. Remove this
incomprehensible agent from the world and at that very
moment, order gives way to chaos, thrones topple and
society disappears

-Immanuel Kant on Death Penalty

Introduction to Kantian Philosophy
Life of Immanuel Kant
He was born in the East Prussian town of Konigsberg
He extensively studied theology, philosophy and
mathematics
He became a private tutor in different rural
households
Upon receiving this academic degree, he was offered
to render lectures on various universities
Introduction to Kantian Philosophy
A priori- a given proposition is knowable a priori if it
can be known independent of any experience other
than the experience of learning the language in which
the proposition is expressed
A posteriori- a proposition that is knowable posteriori
is known on the basis of experience
Introduction to Kantian Philosophy
Metaphysics according to Immanuel Kant
Cognitions after which reason might strive
independently of all experiences and his goal in the
book is to reach a decision about the possibility or
impossibility of a metaphysics in general
Concerns a priori knowledge, or knowledge whose
justification does not depend of experience but on
reason
In the woods is perpetual youth. Within these
plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity festival is
dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of
them in a thousand years. In the wood, we return to
reason and faith. There I feel nothing can befall me in
life.which nature cannot repair

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature

 Transcendentalism
A priori knowledge transcends, or goes by
beyond, experience and is the key to
understanding the truth about the nature of
reality
 Transcendentalism
Subdivisions of Transcendentalism
Transcendental Idealism- claims that knowledge is
gained by means of experience
Transcendental Deduction- intelligible experiences
will be arranged into forms of intuitions and
categories, and afterwards will become series of a
priori judgments that shall apply to the world of
experience
 Deontological Ethics
Autonomy of Reason- man with his pure
unaided speculative reason, cannot know
reality as it is, but only as it appears to be when
disclosed to him by his sense experience
 Deontological Ethics
Concerned with what people do and not on the
consequences of their actions
Teaches that some acts are right or wrong because of
the sorts of things they are
States that people have a duty to act accordingly,
regardless of the good or bad consequences that may
be produced
 Deontological Ethics
Deontologist believe in the following universal
moral laws:
It is wrong to kill innocent people
It is wrong to steal
It is wrong to tell lies
It is right to keep promises
 Deontological Ethics
Advantages of Duty-based Ethics
It emphasizes the value of every human being
It says some acts are always wrong
It provides certainty
It deals with intentions and motives
Disadvantage of Duty-based Ethics
It sets absolute rules
It allows acts that make the world a less good place