Kant and Enlightenment: Key Concepts Explained

Kant and Enlightenment: Key Concepts

The 18th century, the century of Enlightenment, was decisive for the history of the West. In this century, the concept of rationality and human questioning arose: What is man? Philosophers investigated the possibilities and limits of man. A set of improvements in politics and in the treatment of people occurred, preceding the French Revolution, as people fought for rights, freedoms, peace, justice, and tolerance. Immanuel Kant was an enlightened thinker who defended these precepts.

Born in Konigsberg (Germany) in 1724, within a humble family that professed German Protestant pietism, Kant held profound moral and religious values. He dedicated his life to studying and teaching. At the university, he became interested in the natural sciences and mathematics. Kant began as a rationalist, influenced by Leibniz and Wolff, with Isaac Newton being another of his influences. This period corresponds to the 'pre-critical' period, and the work represents the only possible basis for proving the existence of God.

David Hume awakened him from his dogmatic slumber, beginning a period of skepticism. However, for Kant, Hume was too destructive. Following these influences, Kant raised criticism, analyzing the limits of human reason. Among his works, Critique of Practical Reason establishes the categorical imperative, and Critique of Judgement unifies reason. Additionally, after his death, posthumous works were published containing his notes.

Key Concepts in Kant's Philosophy

Empiric

In its nuclear and holistic sense, it expresses a universal and necessary knowledge of the law of nature, scientific knowledge, and objective reality. In this case, we speak of objective experience. In another sense, more trimmed, it refers to the moment in objective experience that comes from feeling or intuition. The term 'possible experience' expresses the open field within the framework of conditions, concepts, and principles that make an objective experience possible.

Pure

Said of certain skills and concepts. It is pure knowledge or representation that contains nothing that belongs to sensation, arising out of, or mixed with it. In this precise sense, 'pure' is the same as 'a priori', but not all concepts or a priori knowledge are pure.

Imperative

The formula of a command of reason. Imperatives are formulas for determining action. They are expressed by means of a 'must be' and make the mandate of an objective law of reason to a will not necessarily determined by rational law. The imperative can be categorical or hypothetical, according to whether the mandate is necessary, without assuming any given condition, or under the assumption of a given goal or objective with respect to which a given action prevails.

Interest

A principle that contains the condition that favors only the exercise of the relevant faculty. Interest may be empirical or pure. The empirical depends on inclinations and contributes to happiness, being subjective and sensitive. The interest of reason is, first, speculative or theoretical, and second, practical. The speculative interest is knowledge of the object to the higher a priori principles; the practical interest is in the determination of the will with respect to the ultimate and most complete. Any interest, ultimately, is practical.

Laws

Rules or principles governing nature and making it possible. Nature is governed by laws a priori, universal and necessary, in close connection with the legality of understanding. The a priori moral law exists, does not contain anything empirical, implies an absolute necessity, and is the basis of an obligation for a sensitive subject.

Practical

All that is possible through freedom. In practical use, reason is not concerned with objects but with its own power to give effect to such objects. Practicality refers not to what it is, but to what it should be. Practicality is closely linked to moral duty.