General Introduction

Summary

Kant did not initially intend to write the Critique of Practical Reason, let alone three Critiques. It was primarily the reactions to the Critique of Pure Reason and the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals that encouraged Kant to develop his moral philosophy in the second Critique. In this brief introduction I outline some of the major events that took place in Kant’s development between the first and second Critiques. I illustrate that the story of the Critique of Practical Reason’s origin reveals that it is especially suited to being accompanied by certain background source materials that help illuminate its aims and contents.