Kant in focus: How the thinker liberated the freedom of the mind!

Kant in focus: How the thinker liberated the freedom of the mind!

On Friday, May 16, 2025, a lecture on overcoming mental spaces will be held in the Faraday lecture hall at TU Ilmenau. The speaker is Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Ilse Nagelschmidt, a renowned German scholar from the University of Leipzig and honorary president of the Free German Authors' Association. Entry to the event is 5 euros and starts at 3:00 p.m. The aim of the lecture is to develop a deep understanding of the philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), whose work is still of great importance today.

Immanuel Kant is described as an outstanding philosopher of the Enlightenment. He is known for his teachings on the mind, action and responsibility of the individual. Kant's famous phrase “Have courage to use your own understanding” has served as a guide for enlightened people since the 18th century. In the event, Prof. Nagelschmidt will introduce Kant as a person who spent his entire life in the Prussian city of Königsberg. Nevertheless, he gained important impulses for his philosophical reflections through significant encounters and conversations.

Kant's moral philosophy in focus

Kant's moral philosophy has had a fundamental influence on modern ethics. He searched for universal moral principles that can be understood as the “metaphysics of morality.” These principles are applicable a priori and regardless of cultural or temporal differences. In his main work, he analyzes important moral concepts such as “good will” and “duty” in order to formulate the basis for everyday moral judgments. He argues that moral principles must be reflected rationally in order to be considered binding.

The central component of his ethics is the categorical imperative. This stipulates that an action is only moral if it can be categorized as universally valid and consistent. Kant distinguishes between perfect duties, such as the prohibition of lying, and imperfect duties, such as the duty to develop one's own talents. This distinction clarifies his idea of ​​autonomy and the universal validity of moral laws that should not depend on external circumstances.

The relevance of Kant's teachings today

Particularly important is Kant's view that moral decisions should be made out of free will. This is closely related to human dignity, which he places at the center of his philosophy. It allows a dialogue about the moral responsibility and autonomy of the individual, which also concerns the ethical responsibility towards people with disabilities.

Kant's ethics remains central to philosophical discourse today and has sparked many discussions about the nature of moral laws and their application. Criticism of his thinking is also expressed; The accusation is made that his framework could possibly exclude people with severe cognitive impairments from moral consideration. Nevertheless, the categorical imperative remains an objective, universally applicable principle that raises fundamental questions about justice and virtue in modern ethics.

Finally, the fundamental question of the lecture is: What significance do Kant's teachings have today? Examining his ideas can provide valuable insights into the challenges of current ethical problems and encourage the courage for self-determination and responsibility.