On the significance of Kant’s ideas in the 21th century

Abstract

The article discusses the significance of Kant’s ideas in the 21st century. The discussion is divided into three parts. First, the topic of the significance of Kant’s ideas for the general public, for those who are interested in philosophy, is touched upon. It is argued that read­ing Kant’s writings can promote the development of critical thinking and strengthen faith in the reality of human freedom and moral responsibility. Next, the question of the signif­icance of Kant’s ideas for modern professional philosophers is considered. The facts of the influence of Kant’s concepts on the ethical, epistemological and metaphysical theo­ries of Derek Parfit, Peter Singer, John Rawls, Wilfrid Sellars and Peter F. Strawson are discussed. The third part of the article examines the significance of Kant’s ideas for con­temporary historians of philosophy. It is shown that, despite many achievements, the as­sessment of the state of Kantian studies cannot be decisively positive. A number of key interpretative problems remain unresolved and there is little hope of solving them in the near future.