In this updated edition of his outstanding introduction to Kant, Paul Guyer uses Kantโs central conception of autonomy as the key to his thought.Beginning with a helpful overview of Kantโs life and times, Guyer introduces Kantโs metaphysics and epistemology, carefully explaining his arguments about the nature of space, time and experience in his most influential but difficult work, The Critique of Pure Reas ...Full description
In this updated edition of his outstanding introduction to Kant, Paul Guyer uses Kantโs central conception of autonomy as the key to his thought.Beginning with a helpful overview of Kantโs life and times, Guyer introduces Kantโs metaphysics and epistemology, carefully explaining his arguments about the nature of space, time and experience in his most influential but difficult work, The Critique of Pure Reason. He offers an explanation and critique of Kantโs famous theory of transcendental idealism and shows how much of Kantโs philosophy is independent of this controversial doctrine.He then examines Kantโs moral philosophy, his celebrated โcategorical imperativeโ and his theories of duty, freedom of will and political rights. This section of the work has been substantially revised to clarify the relation between Kantโs conceptions of "internal" and "external" freedom. In his treatments of Kantโs aesthetics and teleology, Guyer focuses on their relation to human freedom and happiness. Finally, he considers Kantโs view that the development of human autonomy is the only goal that we can conceive for both natural and human history.Including a chronology, glossary, chapter summaries and up-to-date further reading, Kant, second edition is an ideal introduction to this demanding yet pivotal figure in the history of philosophy, and essential reading for all students of philosophy.