Immanuel Kant, (1724-1804) German philosopher Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page [1-11] of 11 Immanuel Kant quotesImmanuel Kant QuotesImmanuel Kant Everyone may seek his own happiness in the way that seems good to himself, provided that he infringe not such freedom of others to strive after a similar end as is consistent with the freedom of all according to a possible general law.~ Immanuel Kant The function of the true state is to impose the minimum restrictions and safeguard the maximum liberties of the people, and it never regards the person as a thing.~ Immanuel Kant The bad thing of war is, that it makes more evil people than it can take away.~ Immanuel Kant The human heart refuses to believe in a universe without purpose.~ Immanuel Kant Freedom is independence of the compulsory will of another, and in so far as it tends to exist with the freedom of all according to a universal law, it is the one sole original inborn right belonging to every man in virtue of his humanity.~ Immanuel Kant Freedom is alone the unoriginated birthright of man; it belongs to him by force of his humanity, and is in dependence on the will and coaction of every other, in so far as this consists with every other person's freedom.~ Immanuel Kant It is not necessary that whilst I live I live happily; but it is necessary that so long as I live I should live honourably.~ Immanuel Kant The enjoyment of power inevitably corrupts the judgment of reason, and perverts its liberty.~ Immanuel Kant The greatest problem for the human species, the solution of which nature compels him to seek, is that of attaining a civil society which can administer justice universally.~ Immanuel Kant Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.~ Immanuel Kant War itself requires no special motive but appears to be engrafted on human nature; it passes even for something noble, to which the love of glory impels men quite apart from any selfish urges. Thus among the American savages, just as much as among those of Europe during the age of chivalry, military valor is held to be of great worth in itself, not only during war (which is natural) but in order that there should be war. Often war is waged only in order to show valor; thus an inner dignity is ascribed to war itself, and even some philosophers have praised it as an ennoblement of humanity, forgetting the pronouncement of the Greek who said, "War is an evil inasmuch as it produces more wicked men than it takes away." So much for the measures nature takes to lead the human race, considered as a class of animals, to her own end.~ Immanuel Kant Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print