Kant for Beginners: The Fundamental Questions of Philosophy and the Spirit of Enlightenment

Immanuel Kant often appears today like a colossus who makes people freeze with awe. Jürgen Wertheimer counteracts this in an entertaining way with his Kant reading book. To do this, he packs the big and small things about the philosopher’s life and work into 24 illuminating episodes. In those, he describes how the famous philosopher tried to fathom human existence and thus brings Kant to eye level with readers.

Who was Immanuel Kant? A special look at the famous philosopher

Wertheimer shows why Kant’s thinking is more relevant today than ever. He characterizes Immanuel Kant as an imaginative and worldly-wise »magician of pure reason«—and undertakes thought experiments on how the great thinker can be brought into a relationship with today’s political, social and also technical developments such as AI. Freely adapted from the Latin proverb that Kant declared to be the motto of the Enlightenment: Sapere aude—have the courage to think for yourself! A reading book that invites you to discover the world famous philosopher all over again.

A somewhat different biography: thematic chapters on Immanuel Kant’s life and work

With illustrations of Kant’s handwritten notes and other illustrations

»The literary academic shows why Kant’s thinking is more relevant today than ever.«
Wienerland

»Entertaining biography of the Königsberg pioneer«
arte Magazin

»An entertaining and versatile approach to the myth of enlightenment.«
Süd-Ost Journal