Philosopher Profiles

Immanuel Kant is among the most famous and influential of all philosophers. His place in history was secured by his so-called “critical system”, covering everything from metaphysics to morals to aesthetics to religion. The first book of Kant’s Critical-era philosophy, the Critique of Pure Reason, was first published in 1781, when Kant was nearly sixty! Nowadays we call this a midlife crisis, and indeed upon submitting his magnum opus to the printers Kant rushed straight out and bought himself a big loud shiny motorbike. And a red sports car. Just look at his picture: the crazy look in his eye, the Hells Angels haircut, the oddly inflated head (due, in fact, to heat on the brain). Never before had such a reputation been built upon the shaky foundations of the male menopause, and never since... until, that is, Noel Edmunds came along.

Over his philosophical career Kant theorised every single possible proposition of any philosophical value. It is for this reason that one cannot now have a conversation about philosophy without someone saying “I think that's a rather Kantian notion”.

Kant also revelled in the fact that it was very embarrassing for the English when his name is pronounced correctly by a German speaker.

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