Back about fifty years ago, I had an interest in "history" and began to read all about big historical stuff down thru the ages... but the more I read..., the more I realized that every historical event... was caused by some sort of Religious bullshit!
So, I started reading all about Religion... which immediately started me thinking about why people were "religious" in the first place... so I decided that I needed to look up... "Religious Studies!"
Key points about Religious Studies:
- SO... flash forward about fifty years and while I was writing my series of books about the history of Human Beings and Civilization... I ran across a guy from 18th century Germany who was one of the most brilliant and influential philosophers of all time... and his name was Immanuel Kant!
"Iman" had a lot to say about Life and Metaphysics... (That branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space! -Whew!)
5 Quotes by Kant Explained:
In the 18th century, Immanuel Kant became the link between two Eras... Enlightenment and Romanticism.In 1781, Kant produced one of his main and most famous works–Critique of Pure Reason, which explored the cognitive capabilities of the human mind.
Many quotes from Immanuel Kant’s writings took on a life of their own and turned into aphorisms.
What are the most popular ones?
1. “Two Things Fill the Mind With Ever New and Increasing Admiration and Awe... the More Often and Steadily We Reflect Upon Them: (1) The Starry Heavens Above Me and (2) the Moral Law Within Me.”
Kant believed that the human mind has innate structures that shape our understanding of reality. He argued that our perception of the world is not directly a reflection of external objects but rather something created by our mental faculties when organizing sensory input.
According to Kant’s transcendental idealism, we can never know things as they are in themselves... because what we perceive is always filtered through these mental structures.
The “starry heavens above me” symbolize the wonders of nature... for Kant, contemplating the vastness and complexity of the universe could evoke awe because it showed how little we knew about it... it represents something beyond comprehension... something sublime!
But Kant also wants to highlight another thing worth admiring: “the moral law within me.” Ethics dominates his philosophy, which seeks to create a system based on rationality without recourse to religious or consequentialist justifications.For him, inherent in every individual is a sense of duty derived from practical reason. Moral law refers to universal principles guiding human actions and behaviour.
By asking us to reflect on these two things–nature’s enormity and beauty (“the starry heavens”) and our capacity for moral reasoning (“the moral law”)–Kant invites us to think about what’s amazing both in terms of ourselves and how small humans are compared with everything else around them.This next quote highlights Kant’s core moral principle, the categorical imperative. According to this principle, our actions should be based on maxims that we can will to become universal laws for all rational beings.
To understand the quote, imagine a person facing a moral choice about lying or telling the truth. They might feel tempted to lie because it would avoid bad consequences for them.
But if they apply the categorical imperative, they must examine their maxim–“I will lie whenever it suits me.”
Kant would argue that such a maxim could not possibly be willed as a universal law because if lying became universalized, trust and communication would collapse.
Without communication, lying becomes impossible.
Now consider someone considering stealing from an employer: their maxim might be, “I will steal when I want something I cannot afford.”Once again, Kant’s categorical imperative kicks in by urging us to think of such a maxim as being universally applied.
Property rights would collapse if stealing were considered morally permissible for personal gain, and society would be in chaos.
More importantly, without property rights, stealing would no longer be possible!
Kant grounds ethics in rationality rather than subjective desires or situations by insisting we act only on principles that can withstand universalization. This is why he refers to rational beings as autonomous agents capable of making ethical choices purely on reason alone.
Treating others fairly and recognizing their intrinsic value as rational creatures with autonomy helps uphold the universality of ethical principles.
3. “In Law a Man is Guilty When He Violates the Rights of Others. In Ethics He is Guilty if He Only Thinks of Doing So.”
In this quote, Kant distinguishes between two realms: law and ethics. It suggests that someone can be legally guilty of violating the rights of others, but they can also be morally guilty even if they only think about doing so.
Guilt concerning law comes about when an individual’s actions cross over established legal boundaries and impinge on the rights of others.But Kant goes beyond legality into the realm of ethics–the internal framework of principles and moral reasoning that guides our behaviour.
According to his philosophy, true moral guilt is not solely down to external actions... but also to any intentions (or inclinations) we harbour internally.
As an example, consider someone who is thinking about cheating on a test. They have all the knowledge required to succeed honestly... but are tempted by laziness or personal gain.For Kant, ethical responsibility means recognizing one’s duty towards other people and acting out of respect for universal moral laws.
In this case, simply thinking about cheating would mean failing in one’s duty and contravening the principle of treating others with respect/fairness.
Kantian philosophy prioritizes intentionality and draws attention to inner disposition as something important in ethical decision-making processes.Kant’s take on happiness isn’t about pleasure or getting what you want. It’s about flourishing as a person based on moral worth. True happiness comes from living according to moral principles and doing your duty rather than pure self-interest.
The first bit of the quote is about having something to do–goals, purposes, tasks that have meaning. Examples might include working towards a career, taking up hobbies, volunteering–anything that features in people’s lives with purpose and contributes positively towards their well-being.Having someone to love speaks for itself–this is essential in Kant’s view: genuine human connections are vital for happiness. Loving relationships provide emotional support, companionship, and identity–fundamental aspects of leading a fulfilling life.
Lastly, there is having something to hope for. This helps people stay optimistic during difficult times because they can see beyond their present circumstances.Throughout this interpretation, we see that Kant understands “happiness” much more than subjective contentment aligned with his wider philosophical framework concerning morality (doing one’s duty), rationality (by adopting universal ethical principles), and worthwhile goal-orientated pursuits such as those described above.
5. “Science Is Organized Knowledge. Wisdom Is Organized Life.”
Finally, Kant’s quote draws a line between science and wisdom, pointing out the nature of each as well as their repercussions.
According to him, science is organized knowledge; wisdom is organized life.
Science consists of accumulating and systematizing knowledge through observation, experiment, and logical reasoning.It provides us with empirical facts and theories that testing can objectively verify. Physics gives us laws governing motion; biology tells us about living organisms; psychology describes human behavior.
But scientific knowledge alone does not lead to wisdom, according to Kant. Wisdom involves more than just intellectual understanding. It includes using your knowledge for practical purposes.Wisdom means applying what you know about the world when considering what you should do–acting on it–in a way that matches up with moral principles or values.
For example, a scientist whose research specialism was medicine could have vast amounts of knowledge about diseases, treatments, or pharmaceuticals from doing scientific studies. But just because they have this information doesn’t mean they are “wise.”What if we said, “…a doctor who has accumulated years of clinical experience…?”
Could such a doctor really be said to “know” any less than a medical scientist?
The point here is that acquiring lots of facts doesn’t automatically give someone wisdom: understanding some abstract proposition isn’t the same thing as being able to put it into practice responsibly (as opposed to irresponsibly), for instance:
Kant thought cultivating wisdom meant acting consistently with universal moral principles rather than personal desires or societal norms.To be wise, you need to use reason to work out what these principles are–they shouldn’t change depending on who you are or where and when you happen to live.
Then, once you’ve done that, your choices should reflect this–as opposed to reflecting self-interest.
So, wisdom involves making ethical (as opposed to immoral) choices.Our internal moral compass has a part to play because intentionality matters when it comes to ethical behaviour.
True moral guilt arises not just from wronging someone externally... but also from having thoughts or inclinations toward harming them.
Kant’s ideas reach beyond legality into ethics–what it means to live a morally responsible life.Happiness should not come solely through personal pleasure or satisfying desires but via meaningful pursuits, loving relationships, and hopeful aspirations.
True happiness lies in living a life grounded in moral duty and embodying ethical values.
Ultimately, we’re taught by Kant to engage in critical self-reflection, align our actions with reason and morality, cultivate wisdom (that is, organize our lives around ethical principles), and strive for a society based on justice and compassion.
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