Book Description

While Immanuel Kants Critique of Pure Reason is one of the most important and influential philosophical works in the history of Western thought, it is also known for being as inaccessible as it is brilliantan unreadable masterpiece. And as a cardinal text for students of philosophy in both the graduate and undergraduate levels, Kants first critique and its dense, ungainly style can therefore stand as an intimidating and even monumental challenge. But for careful students interested in exploring this pivotal work, Kants first critique can have profound implications for their understandings of both metaphysics and epistemologyas well as of the history of philosophy in general. The Grad Students Guide to Kants Critique of Pure Reason is a valuable resource for students, professors, and scholars interested in learning more about Kants philosophy. It provides definitions for key terms that students of Kants first critique will need to understand, such as analytic, synthetic, a priori, and a posteriori. It discusses the nature and role of synthetic a priori judgments as well as Kants notion of experience and some of its important components. Including an examination of the historical context of the problem at the heart of Kants critique, it also explains Kants transcendental idealism, the transcendental proof, and his so-called first antinomy. With terse and lucid treatments of Kants categories and principlesas well as a discussion of Kants critical refutation of skepticism, idealism, and dogmatic rationalismthis guidebook will offer students an illuminating way to make sense of Kants masterwork.