Quick Facts

• Born on April 22 1724
• Referred to by many as the "father of modern ethics"
• First major philosopher who described the categorical imperative
• Died on February 12 1804

Life and Work

A Prussian born philosopher, Immanuel Kant was a major philosopher during the period of Enlightenment in Europe. Kant was known for his work on morality and ethics, his work titled "Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals" attempts to establish a solid foundation for moral reasons based on human rationality rather than relying on any religious doctrine or experience. All of his works helped land him the title of the "father of modern ethics" among other things, Kant is a controversial thinker due to his out of the box ideas and hard to follow sequences of logic laid out in his texts.

Selected Work by Author

Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (1785)

Selected Quote from the Work

"Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."

Referenced Sources

Seminar Slideshow on Kant

“Immanuel Kant.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Apr. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant.