K A N T. 
604 
he purfucd them with the moft unremitting ardour. At 
this time he maintained a philofophical correfpondence 
with feveral of the firft literary characters of the age, and 
particularly with the celebrated Lambert, then prelident 
of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Berlin, who, in his 
Cofmological Letters, had propofed theories coinciding 
with thole of Kant, and had purfued nearly the fame path 
of philofophizing. From this time, alfo, Kant’s publica¬ 
tions were almolt exclufively of a metaphyfical nature. In 
1775 appeared his Ihort Ellay on the different Races of hu¬ 
man Beings, by way of announcing his leCtures on the fub- 
jeCt. In 1781, befides his Correfpondence with Lambert, 
he publifhed his Critic of pure Reason, 8vo. which is 
the moll important of his metaphyfical productions,and ex¬ 
hibits a full and complete illuftration of the fundamental 
principles of his new philofophy. This celebrated work 
was publifhed nearly fix years before its importance was 
at all underflood ; and it is perhaps one of the molt ftrik- 
ing inftances of the reverfes of literary fortune, that the 
bookfeller was about to dellroy the copies for wafle paper, 
when a fudden demand required and exhaulted rapidly 
three new editions. The doCtrine was foon prefented, un¬ 
der innumerable forms, by a multitude of commentators ; 
among the earlieft and moltdiftinguiflied of whom wereRei- 
hold, the fon-in-law of Wieland, and the mathematician 
Schultze. It was alfo attacked by feveral German writers, 
who entertained different judgments of its merit, and in¬ 
deed of its meaning. His doCtrine, however, met with nu¬ 
merous admirers and adherents in the German univeriities, 
and foon produced a revolution in the philofophy of that 
country. With the defigr. of obviating mifconceptions, 
and of facilitating an acquaintance with his fyflem, in 1783 
Kant publifhed “ Prolegomena, or Introduction to every 
future Syflem of Metaphyfics that fliall deferve the Name 
of a Science,” 8vo. w hich contains an abftraCt of his “ Cri¬ 
tic” in an analytical method, which the author lias here 
adopted, in order to return by the fame path on which 
he had before advanced fynthetically. In 1784, befides 
fome fmaller pieces, printed either feparately or in differ¬ 
ent periodical works, he publifhed, “ Reflections upon the 
Foundation of the Powers and Methods which Reafon is 
entitled to employ in forming a judgment of its own Sta¬ 
bility;” and “Fundamental Principles of the Metaphyfics 
of Morals,” 8vo. In 1786, he publifhed, “ Metaphyfical 
Elements of Natural Philofophy,” 8vo. in which he enter¬ 
ed at large into the exercife of the reafoning powers with 
-regard to material objeCls. In the fame year, he was ap¬ 
pointed reClor of the univerfity. Not long after this, with¬ 
out any folicitation on his own part, he received a conii- 
derable addition to his falary from the foundation of the 
upper college. 
In 1787, our philofopher publifhed Fundamental Prin¬ 
ciples of the Critic of Tafte, 8vo. and in the fame year, 
he roufed the public curiofity by his Critic of Practical 
Reafon, 8vo. in which he enlarged on the moral, as he 
had before on the metaphyfical, principles of reafon. In 
the fummerof 1788 he was chofen reCtor of the univerfity 
a ie-cond time ; and, not long afterwards, fenior of the 
philofophical faculty. Though Kant was now far ad¬ 
vanced in life, he continued his literary induftry, and pre- 
1'ented to the public, Religion confidered within the Limits 
of mere Reafon, 1793, 8vo. in which he endeavours to 
/how the agreement between reafon and revelation ; a 
treatife On the End or Termination of all Things, 1795, 
8vo. a ProjeCt for a perpetual Peace, 1795, 8vo. an epif- 
tle to Sommering, on the Organ of the Soul, 1796, 8vo. 
Obfervations on the new-fangled haughty Tone in philo¬ 
fophical Difcufiions, 1796, Svo. Metaphyfical Elements 
of Law, 1797, 8vo. Metaphyfical Element of Ethics, or 
Doctrinal Virtue, 1797, 8vo. Two Letters to M. Frederic 
Nicholai, on the Art of Book-making, 1797,8vo. Thoughts 
On the Power of the Mind to evercome morbid Senfations 
by mere Refolution, 1797, 8vo. Anfwer to the reiterated 
Queftion, whether the human Race is in a progreflive 
State of Improvement? 1798, 8vo. Contell between the 
Faculties, 1798, Svo. and, A Pragmatical View of An¬ 
thropology, 1798, 8vo. In the laft-mentioned work, he 
takes almotl a formal leave of the public as an author, 
configning his papers over to the revifion of others. Soon 
afterwards he gave up all his official fituations, and, in 
confequence of liis infirmities, retired into folitude. From 
his papers his friends publiflied, Logic, or a Guide to 
LeCturing, 1801, 8vo. Pbvfical Geograph)', 180a, 8vo. 
On giving InftruCtion, 1803, 8vo. and Upon the Prize 
Queftion of the Royal Academy at Berlin, What is the 
aCtual Progrefs made in Metaphyfical Science, fince Leib¬ 
nitz and Wolf ? Befides the articles already enumerated, 
he was the author of numerous philofophical and ethical 
papers, inferred in the Berlin Monthly Magazine, and in 
the German Mercury. For feventy years, Kant had en¬ 
joyed an almoft uninterrupted date of good health ; but 
in the laft ten years of his life, his corporeal and mental 
decay was painfully vifible to his friends. Lofs of appe¬ 
tite, of fight, of voice, of teeth, of (frength, and of memo¬ 
ry, proclaimed his approaching diffolution ; and a fit of 
apoplexy terminated the life of this great and excellent 
man, on the 12th of February, 1804, when he had nearly 
completed the eightieth year of his age. 
The character of Kant called for univerfal refpeCl and 
admiration ; and during his life he received from the learn¬ 
ed throughout Germany, and from others in diftant coun¬ 
tries, marks of efteem bordering upon adoration. His 
principles were made the fubjeCt of univerfal inveitiga- 
tion, and obtained him a multitude of zealous adherents. 
In the univeriities of Jena, Halle, Gottingen, Erlangen, 
See. leCtures were delivered on his fyftem, and books were 
written to illullrate .md defend his doCtrines. Profefl'ors 
were even fent, at the requeft and expence of princes and 
crowned heads, to learn more minutely, by a perfonal 
conference with him, what had not been lufficiently elu¬ 
cidated in his books. His leCtures were conftantly crowd¬ 
ed by young perfons; apd, not unfrequently,perfons far ad¬ 
vanced in years and knowledge came to lit, as difciples, at 
the feet of the German Gamaliel. The fenfation produced 
by his death, though it had been for fome time expeCted, 
was fucli as it is fcarcely polfible to deferibe. The whole 
city put on mourning as for a parent, and crowds even 
from diftant parts came to be prefent at his funeral, which 
refembled that of a beloved monarch whofe reign had 
conftituted the glory and happinefs of his people. On 
this occafion a beautiful medal was executed by M. 
Abramfon of Berlin, as a memorial of his great talents. 
On one fide is a ftriking likenefs of the philolopher, with 
the infeription, “Immanuel Kant, nat. 1724.” On the 
reverie, the artift has attempted to exprel's the fervices 
which Kant has rendered to fpeculative philofophy, by 
afligning limits to its empire, and to Ihow, at the lame 
time, the madnefs of attempting to pafs thofe limits. 
This he has reprefented by a Minerva feated, and holding 
an owl in her right hand, which Ihe prevents from flying, 
with the infeription, “Altius volantem arcuit.” 
Immanuel Kant poflefled intellectual qualifications of no 
ordinary ftamp. He had r.n aftonilhing faculty of un¬ 
folding the molt abftrufe -principles, and a facility in de¬ 
ducing every thing from his own reflections. He alfo pof- 
fefled an extraordinary faculty of retaining words, and re- 
prefenting abfent things to himfelf. He could deferibe ob¬ 
jeCls, an account of which he had met with in books, even 
better than many who had feen them. By the aid of his 
quick obfervation and clear conception, he was enabled 
to converfe with admirable accuracy on chemical experi¬ 
ments, although he had never witnefied any procefs in 
cliemiftry, add did not begin the theoretical ftudy of it 
till after the fixtieth year of his age. Dr. Hagen, the 
great chemift, could not forbear exprefting his aftonifh- 
ment, while converfing with Kant on the fubjeft, to 
find any one able, by Ample reading, to make him¬ 
felf fucli a perfeCt mafter of a fcience To difficult. This 
happy talent, combined with general reading, rendered 
him an univerfal fcholar, fo that at length there was no 
1 fciesicg 
