Kant

Dr Meade McCloughan

Kant famously said there are four basic questions: What can I know? What ought I to do? What can I hope? What is the human being? This course looks at Kant’s answers to these questions, taking in his metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of religion and political philosophy. We will look at all three of his Critiques, as well as other important works. Kant is the central figure in modern European philosophy - and this course aims to show why!

Students will be provided with a course pack containing the main extracts from Kant's texts to be considered in the course. Links to electronic texts will also be provided.

Timetable

1. Kant’s ‘Copernican revolution’ (Critique of Pure Reason I)
2. Space, time and transcendental idealism. (Critique of Pure Reason II)
3. Concepts and the understanding; phenomena and noumena. (Critique of Pure Reason III)
4. The critique of metaphysics; transcendental idealism. (Critique of Pure Reason IV)
5. Morality (Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals)
6. Freedom (Critique of Practical Reason)
7. Religion (Religion within the Boundaries of Pure Reason)
8. Aesthetics (Critique of Judgment)
9. Politics (Perpetual Peace)
10. Kant and the right to lie