Authors: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

64 Uplifting Quotes By Immanuel Kant, The Great German Philosopher

Famous As: One of the Greatest Philosophers of All Time
Born On: April 22, 1724
Died On: February 12, 1804
Born In: Königsberg, Germany
Died At Age: 79
Immanuel Kant was a great philosopher of the ‘Enlightenment Era’, during the late 18th century. Kant was best known for his contributions to philosophy. Immanuel questioned reality by arguing that we only believe in the things that we know about and are sure to exist. But in reality, there are numerous things that exist, yet stay unknown to us. His philosophy revolved around the Ethics and Morals that affect our reasoning and judgement. Most of his ideologies were summed up in his three major books, ‘Critique of Pure Reason’, ‘Critique of Practical Reason’ and ‘Critique of Judgment’. Although Kant kept himself away from religion, he well understood the prominence of religion in human life. His mission was to replace religious authority with human intelligence and his ideologies are well reflected in his sayings and quotations. His observations and thoughts on several issues became popular quotes over time. Here is a compilation of best quotes by Immanuel Kant.
We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.

We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.

Immanuel Kant
He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.

He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.

Immanuel Kant
Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end.

Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end.

Immanuel Kant
Look closely. The beautiful may be small.

Look closely. The beautiful may be small.

Immanuel Kant
Dare to think!

Dare to think!

Immanuel Kant
One who makes himself a worm cannot complain afterwards if people step on him.

One who makes himself a worm cannot complain afterwards if people step on him.

Immanuel Kant
Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

Immanuel Kant
I had to deny knowledge in order to make room for faith.

I had to deny knowledge in order to make room for faith.

Immanuel Kant
For peace to reign on Earth, humans must evolve into new beings who have learned to see the whole first.

For peace to reign on Earth, humans must evolve into new beings who have learned to see the whole first.

Immanuel Kant
All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.

All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.

Immanuel Kant
Seek not the favor of the multitude; it is seldom got by honest and lawful means. But seek the testimony of few; and number not voices, but weigh them.

Seek not the favor of the multitude; it is seldom got by honest and lawful means. But seek the testimony of few; and number not voices, but weigh them.

Immanuel Kant
The busier we are, the more acutely we feel that we live, the more conscious we are of life.

The busier we are, the more acutely we feel that we live, the more conscious we are of life.

Immanuel Kant
But only he who, himself enlightened, is not afraid of shadows.

But only he who, himself enlightened, is not afraid of shadows.

Immanuel Kant
The death of dogma is the birth of morality.

The death of dogma is the birth of morality.

Immanuel Kant
Space and time are the framework within which the mind is constrained to construct its experience of reality.

Space and time are the framework within which the mind is constrained to construct its experience of reality.

Immanuel Kant
Have patience awhile; slanders are not long-lived. Truth is the child of time; erelong she shall appear to vindicate thee.

Have patience awhile; slanders are not long-lived. Truth is the child of time; erelong she shall appear to vindicate thee.

Immanuel Kant
Have the courage to use your own reason- That is the motto of enlightenment.

Have the courage to use your own reason- That is the motto of enlightenment. "Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals" (1785)

Immanuel Kant
Genius is the ability to independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person.

Genius is the ability to independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person.

Immanuel Kant
We are enriched not by what we possess, but by what we can do without.

We are enriched not by what we possess, but by what we can do without.

Immanuel Kant
Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind.

Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind.

Immanuel Kant
Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.

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

Immanuel Kant
How then is perfection to be sought? Wherein lies our hope? In education, and in nothing else.

How then is perfection to be sought? Wherein lies our hope? In education, and in nothing else.

Immanuel Kant
Dare to know! Have the courage to use your own intelligence!

Dare to know! Have the courage to use your own intelligence!

Immanuel Kant
There is something splendid about innocence; but what is bad about it, in turn, is that it cannot protect itself very well and is easily seduced.

There is something splendid about innocence; but what is bad about it, in turn, is that it cannot protect itself very well and is easily seduced.

Immanuel Kant
In all judgements by which we describe anything as beautiful, we allow no one to be of another opinion.

In all judgements by which we describe anything as beautiful, we allow no one to be of another opinion.

Immanuel Kant
Nothing is divine but what is agreeable to reason. 
Immanuel Kant

Nothing is divine but what is agreeable to reason. Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant
Treat people as an end, and never as a means to an end

Treat people as an end, and never as a means to an end

Immanuel Kant
Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity.

Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturity.

Immanuel Kant
Law And Freedom without Violence (Anarchy)
Law And Violence without Freedom (Despotism)
Violence without Freedom And Law (Barbarism)
Violence with Freedom And Law (Republic)

Law And Freedom without Violence (Anarchy) Law And Violence without Freedom (Despotism) Violence without Freedom And Law (Barbarism) Violence with Freedom And Law (Republic)

Immanuel Kant
An action, to have moral worth, must be done from duty.

An action, to have moral worth, must be done from duty.

Immanuel Kant
Marriage...is the union of two people of different sexes with a view to the mutual possession of each other's sexual attributes for the duration of their lives.

Marriage...is the union of two people of different sexes with a view to the mutual possession of each other's sexual attributes for the duration of their lives.

Immanuel Kant
Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above and the moral law within.

Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the oftener and more steadily we reflect on them: the starry heavens above and the moral law within.

Immanuel Kant
Have the courage to use your own reason- That is the motto of enlightenment.

Have the courage to use your own reason- That is the motto of enlightenment.

Immanuel Kant
Man must be disciplined, for he is by nature raw and wild..

Man must be disciplined, for he is by nature raw and wild..

Immanuel Kant
Two things fill my mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the reflection dwells on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

Two things fill my mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the reflection dwells on them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

Immanuel Kant
But although all our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it arises from experience.

But although all our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it arises from experience.

Immanuel Kant
Without man and his potential for moral progress, the whole of reality would be a mere wilderness, a thing in vain, and have no final purpose.

Without man and his potential for moral progress, the whole of reality would be a mere wilderness, a thing in vain, and have no final purpose.

Immanuel Kant
The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.

Immanuel Kant
The schematicism by which our understanding deals with the phenomenal world ... is a skill so deeply hidden in the human soul that we shall hardly guess the secret trick that Nature here employs.

The schematicism by which our understanding deals with the phenomenal world ... is a skill so deeply hidden in the human soul that we shall hardly guess the secret trick that Nature here employs.

Immanuel Kant
Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness.

Morality is not properly the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness.

Immanuel Kant
All false art, all vain wisdom, lasts its time but finally destroys itself, and its highest culture is also the epoch of its decay.

All false art, all vain wisdom, lasts its time but finally destroys itself, and its highest culture is also the epoch of its decay.

Immanuel Kant
Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another.

Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another.

Immanuel Kant
Human beings are never to be treated as a means but always as ends.

Human beings are never to be treated as a means but always as ends.

Immanuel Kant
In every department of physical science there is only so much science, properly so-called, as there is mathematics.

In every department of physical science there is only so much science, properly so-called, as there is mathematics.

Immanuel Kant
Beauty presents an indeterminate concept of Understanding, the sublime an indeterminate concept of Reason.

Beauty presents an indeterminate concept of Understanding, the sublime an indeterminate concept of Reason.

Immanuel Kant
From the crooked timber of humanity, a straight board cannot be hewn.

From the crooked timber of humanity, a straight board cannot be hewn.

Immanuel Kant
Dignity is a value that creates irreplaceability.

Dignity is a value that creates irreplaceability.

Immanuel Kant
Only the descent into the hell of self-knowledge can pave the way to godliness.

Only the descent into the hell of self-knowledge can pave the way to godliness.

Immanuel Kant
By a lie a man throws away and as it were annihilates his dignity as a man

By a lie a man throws away and as it were annihilates his dignity as a man

Immanuel Kant
A categorical imperative would be one which represented an action as objectively necessary in itself, without reference to any other purpose.

A categorical imperative would be one which represented an action as objectively necessary in itself, without reference to any other purpose.

Immanuel Kant
Simply to acquiesce in skepticism can never suffice to overcome the restlessness of reason.

Simply to acquiesce in skepticism can never suffice to overcome the restlessness of reason.

Immanuel Kant
Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence the more often and more steadily one reflects on them, the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence the more often and more steadily one reflects on them, the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

Immanuel Kant
What might be said of things in themselves, separated from all relationship to our senses, remains for us absolutely unknown

What might be said of things in themselves, separated from all relationship to our senses, remains for us absolutely unknown

Immanuel Kant
Better the whole people perish than that injustice be done

Better the whole people perish than that injustice be done

Immanuel Kant
Settle, for sure and universally, what conduct will promote the happiness of a rational being.

Settle, for sure and universally, what conduct will promote the happiness of a rational being.

Immanuel Kant
Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was even made.

Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was even made.

Immanuel Kant
Give me matter and i will build a world out of it.

Give me matter and i will build a world out of it.

Immanuel Kant
Nature is beautiful because it looks like Art; and Art can only be called beautiful if we are conscious of it as Art while yet it looks like Nature.

Nature is beautiful because it looks like Art; and Art can only be called beautiful if we are conscious of it as Art while yet it looks like Nature.

Immanuel Kant
Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind. The understanding can intuit nothing, the senses can think nothing. Only through their unison can knowledge arise.

Thoughts without content are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind. The understanding can intuit nothing, the senses can think nothing. Only through their unison can knowledge arise.

Immanuel Kant
Toute intuition sans concept n'aboutit pas
Tout concept sans intuition est vide

Toute intuition sans concept n'aboutit pas Tout concept sans intuition est vide

Immanuel Kant