Reason, action, responsibility - these are the terms that describe the life's work of the philosopher and professor of logic and metaphysics Immanuel Kant. His sentence "Have the courage to use your own intellect" has become both a guideline and an incentive for enlightened people since the 18th century, who had to and finally were able to free themselves from the shackles of intellectual dependence. With his call for courage and freedom for self-determination, he made it possible for the thinking individual to give himself the law of action based on reason. Throughout his life, it was important to Kant to call on people to be truthful and honest. He is regarded as the advocate of a rational world.
The lecture will initially focus on the philosopher as a person and his life in Königsberg, his home town, which he never left but which gave him significant impulses through the variety of conversations and encounters. Further focal points are the development of the categorical imperative and his ideas on freedom and autonomy. Finally, the question of the significance of these teachings for today will be explored.
Speaker Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Ilse Nagelschmidt held the professorship for Modern German Literature at the University of Leipzig until her retirement in 2020, with a research focus on GDR literature and German-German literature after 1989. She is Honorary President of the Free German Authors' Association and enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad with her excellent lectures even after her retirement.
Admission: 5 Euro
