Kant: A Biography

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.

•  No competition in English; first full-length biography in more than fifty years •  Kant is considered the most important of modern philosophers •  Will compliment existing Cambridge works on Hobbes and Spinoza

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.

‘The detail on his teaching is particularly good … Kuehn is surprisingly good when summarizing the import of Kant’s work … the presentation of the ideas is impressive, clear and useful. This makes this a good introduction to Kant’s work as well as an exemplary life … it is both thoughtful and thought-provoking, and for such an unpromising story it is surprisingly interesting. There really is nothing comparable in this field. It should be on the shelves of anyone interested in Kant.’ – The Heythrop Journal

‘Kuehn’s study of Immanuel Kant’s life and works combines the virtues of historical scholarship and philosophical analysis. It is written in a clear and sometimes entertaining style, and contains a lot of new and valuable information. It will replace Karl Vorgander\'s Immanuel Kant: der Mann und das Werk as the standard reference work, despite the fact that other biographies have been written in the meantime … This excellent study can be highly recommended to many readers: to Kant scholars, of course, but also to other philosophers interested in reliable information on Kant’s personal and philosophical development, and even to historians of science and society as well.’ – Philosophical Quarterly