Kant wasn’t one for idle chit-chat. He decided to take philosophy apart like a kid with LEGO blocks. The result? Criticism, which transformed our view of reality... and left us with philosophical headaches of epic proportions.
Welcome Back to Philosophy... With Kant Staring You Down
So, imagine a guy who not only wakes up in the morning, sips his coffee, and starts pondering things like "What is knowledge?" but who also decides to rewrite the rules of the game. Yeah, that’s Immanuel Kant.
This wasn’t someone who would settle for a couple of soft questions like "Where do we come from?" or "What are we doing here?". No, Kant wanted to dig deep, tear into the complexities of the human mind, and figure out how knowledge works. And we’re not talking about light stuff here, but the kind of questions that make you want to sit in a dark room and think for days.
Basically, Kant looked around, saw that philosophy was getting a little too cozy with easy answers, and decided to shake things up. Enter criticism. But don’t think of it as a peaceful, quiet philosophy. Kant’s criticism is more like an earthquake that shakes everything you thought you knew about truth, morality, and reality.
Criticism: When Kant Kicked Dogmatism to the Curb
Criticism was born to put people in check who thought a bit of rationality here and there could explain everything. Kant had had enough of the theories that claimed to know it all. So, he thought, "What if we actually know absolutely nothing?" And that’s where he began tearing philosophical thought apart piece by piece.
Where Senses Meet Reason: The Moment Your Mind Blows Up
Kant believed that everything we know first passes through our senses and then gets filtered by reason. But – and here’s the fun part – we can never really know the world as it is. Nice, right? Basically, we all live in a kind of mental bubble created by our perceptions. If that doesn’t give you a bit of vertigo, you’re not thinking hard enough.
Space and Time: They’re Not What You Think
Oh yes, according to Kant, space and time don’t actually exist as external entities. They’re just ways our mind organizes things. So, when you look at the clock, remember: you’re just living a tiny illusion. Thanks, Kant.
Morality and Freedom: Not All Is Lost (Maybe)
Luckily, Kant isn’t a total destroyer of worlds. His idea of morality is based on freedom and reason. And yes, you can still choose between good and evil, but you do so using the same reason that tells you you’ll never really know reality. What a combo!
Kant is born
Immanuel Kant is born in Königsberg, Prussia (spoiler: he gets famous).
Critique of Pure Reason
He publishes the Critique of Pure Reason and sends all philosophers into an existential crisis.
Critique of Practical Reason
The Critique of Practical Reason arrives, because one critique wasn’t enough.
Kant dies
The Critique of Judgment is published, and at this point, Kant is officially the king of critiques.
Muore
Kant dies, but his ideas continue to make us reflect (and despair) to this day.
Kant, the Philosopher Who Makes You Want to Ask Questions... Without Too Many Answers
In the end, Kant did what few philosophers managed to do: he took our way of thinking and turned it completely upside down. If it weren’t for him, we’d probably still be arguing over things like "Does God exist?" or "Is the universe infinite?" without realizing that maybe the problem is how we’re asking these questions.
So, if you’re looking for easy answers, Kant isn’t your guy. But if you like the idea of questioning every single piece of knowledge you have and ending up confused, fascinated, and a little lost... then welcome to the world of criticism.
Perché te lo consiglio
Te lo consiglio perché Kant è uno che ti insegna a guardarti dentro e scoprire che forse non sai davvero nulla. Ed è proprio lì che inizia il vero divertimento.
Perché non te lo consiglio
Non te lo consiglio perché, se hai già problemi con le domande esistenziali, il criticismo kantiano ti farà rimpiangere di non essere rimasto su Netflix.
Why I recommend IT
I recommend it because Kant teaches you to look inside yourself and discover that maybe you don’t know anything at all. And that’s where the real fun begins.
Why I Don't Recommend IT
I don’t recommend it because if you already have existential issues, Kant’s criticism will make you wish you had just stayed on Netflix.
