A Dip into Philosophy: Immanuel Kant - Mind over Matter?

Immanuel Kant is one of the most important, and most difficult philosophers, to get your head around.

He is famous for his statement that our minds are unable to reach beyond the limits of time and space, and therefore we cannot know things "an sich" or "in themselves". The idea of "metaphysical knowledge" is impossible and a contradiction in terms. We cannot "know" God or any absolute truths.

However, despite the boundaries and limitations of human understanding, or perhaps precisely because of them, we are forced to critically ask and examine all important questions for ourselves and form our own judgments - and engage with each other. Reason and freedom of thought offer a better basis for human life than tradition and authority.

Kant was confident that humanity was able to do such difficult things and indeed wants to. Was he right?