First German Edition.  This is the highly influential work of Immanuel Kant’s “Critik der reinen Vernuft” (“Critique of Pure Reason”), published in 1781 by Johann Friedrich Hartknoch in Riga. Kant explores and examines the foundations and parameters of human knowledge. In this book, Kant lays the foundation for his doctrine of transcendental idealism, which states that knowledge is made possible by the human mind shaping the world of experience. Kant describes two types of knowledge: “a priori,” knowledge gained independent of experience; and “a posteriori,” knowledge gained through experience. Kant also explains the difference between analytic judgments, that already exist in a concept, and synthetic judgments, which adds something to a concept.

“Critik der reinen Veruft” was enormously influential in the field of philosophy, creating a paradigm shift that is highlighted by the placement of the human mind at the center of knowledge.