1 
208 JV1 E T A P H Y S I C S. 
difficult problems, and attained difccv'eries of which the 
mind of Man was thought totally incapable. 
Having now effectually clipped the wings of Specula¬ 
tive Reason, and prevented it from hereafter ranging 
about among unattainable objedls, and loling itfelf in 
contradictions ; our author, in the fixty-third year of his 
age, prelents the world with his “ Critic of Practical 
Reason.” This work firmly eftablilhes the Freedom of 
the Will, the Existence of God, the Immortality 
of the Soul, the only True Religion, a Perfect 
System..of Morals, and laftly, the elevating conviction 
that Man is the final Scope of Creation. Here alfo is 
diftinCtly fliown, that Vice and Virtue dqjiot diifer from 
each other merely in degree, but in principle ; that 
Moral Perfection confifts in the purity!of the Motives 
that determine Man to the performance of his Duty ; that 
is, that the Law itfelf mvfi be the foie Spring, without any' 
views that are taken from the Sensitive Faculty, or 
which regard Happiness. Here alfo it is clearly pointed 
out, that Virtue must be the cause of Hafpiness, 
in order that man fnould attain the highest Good, or 
the chief objeCt of all his defires ; and, to effeftuate this 
completely, it is further fliown, that the Idea of Liberty 
takes man out of Nature, and refers him to the Moral 
World, where the Laws of Reafon are the foie laws. 
It mult be remembered, that Theoretical or Specula¬ 
tive HeaJ'on flxives after the greatefl: fyftematic unity of all 
our Knowledge; and that Practical Reason ftrives after 
the greatefl unity or coniiftency among our Dejircs. 
The next great work that proceeded from the able pen 
of our Metaphyfician, was his “ Critic of Judgment,” 
1790, in the fixty-fixth year of his age. This work com¬ 
pletely proves, that Judgment is an Original l gi/lative 
faculty. Here come under contemplation the sefthetical 
Judgment of the Beautiful and Sublime, the Fine Arts 
and the Dodlrine of Tafte. But, as take is that faculty 
of the Judgment which renders our moral ideas J'cnJihle, 
the true preparation for the foundation of tafte, is the 
development of our moral ideas, and the cultivation of 
the moral fentiment. 
In the “ Critic of Judgment,” it will appear, that the 
only means by which all Theoretical and Practical Knowledge 
>.re connected together, fo as to form a complete whole, 
is the principle of Original licjieciive Judgment. Here is 
alio to be found a Table of the Collective Faculties of the 
Mind, which will enable the reader to overlook the 
whole territory of Transcendental Philosophy, and 
which ihows their application to Nature, to Art, and to 
Liberty. 
Now the “ Critic of Pure Speculative Reason,” 
the “ Critic of Pure Practical Reason,” and the 
“ Critic of Judgment,” form a complete Critic of the 
Philofophi</ of Mind, comprifing all the fundamental Prin¬ 
ciples of Transcendental Philosophy. 
The compreheniive mind of our author next furnilhed 
■us with the “Metaphysics of Law and Ethics,” in 
his feventy-third year. This valuable work elaborates a 
pure fcience of Law, and fliows its application to Experi¬ 
ence. It enters into very minute particulars and very nice 
diflinCtions, which cannot fail to be highly interefting to 
all Legiilators and Jurifconfults. It divides its fubjedt 
into Private Law, or that which does not require pub¬ 
lication ; and Public Law, which requires to be made 
publicly known, under the heads of the Law of States, 
the Law of Nations, and the Cojmopolitical Late. 
The “ Metaphysics of Morals,” comprehends the 
Duties of Man towards himfelf and towards other Men. 
The ends which are at the fame tim e duties, namely, thole 
which every rational being ought to have in view, are; 
his own Perfection, and the Happiness of others. 
And the firft commandment of all Duties is; Search, pe¬ 
netrate into thyfelf, into thy heart, and examine whether 
it be good or bad ; whether the motives for thy adlions be 
pure or impure. This diving into the depths of the heart, 
which are fo difficult to be fathomed, is the beginning of 
all Wifdom. The firft reqnifte of Virtue is the dominion of 
man over himfelf The impediments to the fulfilling of 
our moral duties are, firft, the animal inclinations ; and 
the vices ingrafted upon thefe are Suicide', Onanifm, and 
Self- olftup/fa&ion. The deterioration of Man as a per/mi, 
or moral being, is occafioned by crimes that render him 
contemptible in his own eyes. And thefe Vices are, Ly¬ 
ing, Avarice, and Falje Humility. Man is commanded 
by his Reafon to cultivate all his faculties, and thus to 
render himfelf a man in ail refpedts fuitable to the end of 
his exiftence. In this work it is clearly pointed out, that 
Moral Principles are not grounded upon feeling, but that 
they are actually nothing more than obfcurely-conceived 
Metaphysics. It is all'o fliown, that it is not indifferent 
by what means we are led to the obfervance of our duty. 
The diltindtion between Virtue and Vice, as confiftiug in 
the fpccific quality of certain maxims, is here treated of, 
and a fragment of a Moral Catechijm given. 
The laft work which this celebrated man produced (in 
the feventy-fourth year of his age) was entitled Anthro¬ 
pology. This highly-interefting performance contains 
a ftore of original obfervations. Soon after this, he gave 
up all his official iituations, and retired into folitude. In 
about fix years lublequent to this period, when he had 
nearly attained his eightieth year, the career of this illuf- 
trious philofopher terminated. 
By example as well as by precept, Kant inculcated the 
principles which his renow ned lyftein breathed, by the 
ltridfeft integrity and the pureft morality. And fo deter¬ 
mined was he never to renounce his principles, having 
firft well digefted and firmly eftablifhed them in his mind, 
that, when the Pruffian monarch, mifinformed, and need- 
lefsly apprehenfive that our philofopher’s lpeculations 
might militate againft the government, commanded their 
public difavowal, and on refufal threatened their author 
with banifhment, Kant replied ; “ His Majejly may difpofa 
of me as he pleafes, but he cannot compel me to difavow my 
oivn confidence and what I believe to be Truth.” When, 
Frederic heard this, he revoked his fentence, and allured 
the philofopher of his regard. 
The furprifing energy of mind difplayed by this emi¬ 
nent and accurate thinker in the elementary works above 
enumerated, will enfure him a reputation that mult in- 
creafe as its years multiply. He might have laid with 
Cicero, “ that, during the fliort lpace of his life, he was 
but little known ; but that, after his death, his glory 
would f'pread over the whole earth, and that he fhould be 
held in eternal remembrance.” His noble example of 
mental energy, cannot but animate the young Metaphyfi¬ 
cian to emulate this true parent of Philofophy ; and now, 
that all the difficulties and ftumbling-blocks are removed 
from the fo-lately-decried fcience of Metaphyfics, he will- 
be agreeably furprifed, to find this fcience not only the 
molt latisfadfory and inftrudtive, but one that is really and 
abfolutely indifpenfable. He will now perceive, that ail 
the liberal arts and all the fciences have their root and 
origin in the mind alone ; and that conlequently all their 
elements and principles can only be fully developed in 
an accurate and complete Philofophi of Mind. 
But how could a Philofophy of Mind be eredted, until 
the Elements of which it is compofed were difeovered ? And 
to whom does the glory of this dilcovery belong ? and how 
can we beitow fufficient praife on the author of fuch a dil¬ 
covery ? What heights may not be attained in the pro- 
grel’s of fcience, by a perlevering pofterity; fince the 
road to Truth is now lo happily marked out ? Long 
might we dwell upon this theme with increafing de¬ 
light; but it were better to enumerate fome eflential dil- 
tindlions in the lciences, for the inftrudtion of the future 
pupil. 
Firft, then, “Transcendental Philosophy” has 
for its objedt the Original Uj'e of Underfunding and Itea- 
fion in begetting Knowledge. This fcience is completely 
dpriori, and has nothing in it empirical. On this Science 
alone refts the poffibility of Metaphysics. 
Metaphysics 
