Kant Research Centre Trier

The Kant Research Centre Trier is an international centre for research into the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, the history of of its emergence and its influence, as well as its philosophical relevance for the present. Kant's philosophy is strongly influenced by the philosophical and scientific debates of his time, although Kant made references in his philosophy to philosophers and scientific developments of his time rather sporadically. While Kant’s fundamental questions emerge from the context of philosophical debates in Germany in the 18th century, his answers are highly innovative and continue to have an impact to our present day.

Philosophy is an inquiry oriented towards the understanding of facts, the truth of knowledge and reflection on the conditions of such comprehension. A philosophical work should be taken seriously in its claim to truth or truth-likeness. The development of a historical philosophical position such as Kant's can therefore take place not solely through a historical contextualisation. It is also relevant to ask how Kant's philosophy is to be understood from a contemporary philosophical perspective and whether its claims to truth or truth-likeness are promising or plausible today.

The Kant Research Centre Trier therefore aims both to explore the philosophical context of Kant's work and to connect Kant's philosophy with theoretical, conceptual and methodological means of contemporary philosophical theories. The research centre hosts and promotes editorial, historical and systematic projects on Kant's philosophy, philosophical topics and ideas from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as on post-Kantian German philosophy and its influence. The Kant Research Centre Trier is an open forum for research projects and cooperation with researchers from Germany and all over the world. Visiting students, early-career researchers and experienced scholars are very welcome!