As one of the most important philosophers of his era and beyond, the life and works of Immanuel Kant offers a great insight into the strange ways in which the minds of the brilliant may sometimes work. While by no means crazy, Kant was known for sudden lapses into silence coupled with anti-social (though never extreme) behaviour. Despite this he still gained a place among the philosophers of the day, and was dedicated to the perfection of his own logic.
Born in 1724, in a part of Prussia now within Russia's borders, Kant was from a family of very limited means. In fact, their means were so limited that they were unable to provide their children with much in the way of education, nutrition, or medical attention; six of Kant's siblings would not survive to adulthood. His name is a reflection of his mother’s hope that he would live to see his own maturity.
Although formal schooling in the first degree was not an option, young Kant did show promise as a steady if not a brilliant student, under the direction of his family's Pietist minister. The minster ensured that Kant received an education at the gymnasium of the church. At the age of sixteen, Kant was accepted into the University of Konigsberg. At this time, he began his study of philosophy, largely encouraged by his professor, Martin Knutsen. Knutsen was a rationalist, who introduced Kant to the works of thinkers such as Leibniz and Wolff, and the scientific theories and proofs offered by Isaac Newton.
Kant's father died in 1746, and this slowed down Kant's formal education considerably, as he began to take jobs tutoring in order to pay his bills. However, his quest for knowledge and paths of learning was not slowed, and the publication of his Thoughts on the True Estimation of Living Forces was the first in his great burst of writings. His career would see dozens of published works over the next two decades. In the beginning, these publications were largely focused on the sciences, such as his work where he correctly espoused the idea that the galaxy in which Earth is located within a large disk of stars. He also posited a theory that the solar system was formed from a nebula, thus achieving its order, not having received it by the ordination of God.
While his works in sciences, particularly astronomy, were seminal (some would say revolutionary), Kant began to focus more on philosophy during his second decade of publications. While working as a university lecturer on metaphysics, he began to print a series of essays and books on logic, theology, morality, and perception. His final publication during this time was his Prize Essay, which he wrote in defence of his appointment as professor of logic and metaphysics at the University of Konigsberg.
This inaugural dissertation was published in 1770, and marked the beginning of what many would call the Silent Decade in Kant's career. His works had become increasingly well read and, at the age of 46, he realized a dream by when he was recognized as one of the most important philosophers of his era. However, with that popularity came responsibility. His proteges began to point out certain omissions in the logic of his inaugural paper, quickening in Kant the need for a more focused period where he could study the relationship and causation of problems such as the acquisition of data and its processing. He began this search through a reading of some of David Hume's works, and the next eleven years of his life were dedicated to the study of philosophy rather than the dissemination of his own ideas.
So intent was Kant on this purpose that many of his friends feared for his health. Numerous letters were sent inviting him to come out of his long retreat, to which he politely but firmly replied that he needed privacy, in order to adequately come to conclusions.
The first result of this seclusion came in 1781, with Critique of Pure Reason. While this book did contain some of the most important philosophical ideas of modern times, it was not initially well-received, due in part to the dense nature of the writing. Through a series of different publications and with some revisions, however, Kant's impact during his lifetime grew with each passing year.
By the time of his death in 1804, Kant was widely regarded to be, as he had long predicted, the most important philosopher of his time. His work encompassed new ways of thinking about the universe outside of the Earth's atmosphere, about the role of God, in terms of nature and mankind, and about morals and politics.
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