Making Sense of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason: A Philosophical Introduction

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Kants Critique of Pure Reason has had, and continues to have, an enormous impact on modern philosophy. In this short, stimulating introduction, Michael Pendlebury explains Kants major claims in the Critique, how they hang together, and how Kant supports them, clarifying the way in which his reasoning unfolds over the course of this groundbreaking work. Making Sense of Kants Critique of Pure Reason concentrates on key parts of the Critique that are essential to a basic understanding of Kants project and provides a sympathetic account of Kants reasoning about perception, space, time, judgment, substance, causation, objectivity, synthetic a priori knowledge, and the illusions of transcendent metaphysics. The guiding assumptions of the book are that Kant is a humanist; that his reasoning in the Critique is driven by an interest in human knowledge and the cognitive capacities that underlie it; and that he is not a skeptic, but accepts that human beings have objective knowledge and seeks to explain how this is possible. Pendlebury provides an integrated and accessible account of Kants explanation that will help those who are new to the Critique make sense of it.

Reviews

I have finally found the book I need for my undergraduate classes on Kants Critique of Pure Reason. This clearly written, lively, engaging book explains and motivates central ideas in Kants famous, difficult work in a way that will be invaluable for anyone new to the Critique. * Lucy Allais, jointly appointed as Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and the University of the Witwatersrand *
A reliable and user-friendly introduction to Kants daunting masterpiece. Pendlebury treats the main topics of the first Critique in an order specifically chosen to aid comprehension. This book will be ideal for leisure readers and for teachers seeking a compact guide for undergraduate courses. But graduate students and seasoned scholars will also find much value in this rich and intelligent work. * Ian Proops, Professor in Early Modern Philosophy, The University of Texas at Austin, USA *
This is a very impressive introduction to one of the most challenging works in the history of philosophy. Pendlebury writes fluidly and vividly, and gives the reader an opinionated view of the text that functions to reveal Kants insights in a clear and accessible way. Core arguments and central themes are handled with a confidence that will aid both the student approaching this text for the first time and those looking to deepen their understanding. * John Callanan, Reader in the Department of Philosophy, King's College London, UK *

Author Bio

Michael Pendlebury is Professor of Philosophy and Head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, North Carolina State University, USA.