Lecture notes on Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason
Delivered by Peter Rickman during Autumn 1995
Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason introduces his critical philosophy. His philosophical approach is ‘critical’ in the sense that he is making a critical analysis of the power and limits of our mind and our ability to understand the world we find ourselves in. As such, Kant is the founder of a philosophical tradition of critical analysis that has included many other important philosophers since, such as Schopenhauer and Wittgenstein.
I found Peter Rickman’s lecture series, delivered in 1995 at the City University in London, UK, on the Critique of Pure Reason of immense value in trying to understand Kant’s work. It is my view that Kant’s work is so subtle and revolutionary that one needs the guidance of a good teacher to properly appreciate it and to avoid the common misunderstandings. Since I had these notes in electronic form, I thought they may be of benefit to others so I have published them here. I thank Peter Rickman for his permission to make the notes available and for his helpful comments and suggestions. I hope they may help others who are trying to understand Kant’s great work and answer some of the riddles of philosophy.
These are my notes of the lectures, so I should make it clear that any flaws and errors in them are mine. If you spot any, I can be contacted at the email address below.
Tony Bellotti, January 2006