Routledge Philosophy GuideBook to Kant and the Critique of Pure Reason (Routledge Philosophy GuideBooks)

I approached my study of the CPR by reading a few shorter summaries first, then reading this, then reading the Critique itself. In an ideal world you should always read philosophy in the source text, and most of the time this is the only way you will ever truly understand it. However in this instance, as I was reading the CPR, I very often felt that I wasn't getting very much more out of it than I had already got from the Routledge Guide, which is a testament both to the quality of the explanation in this book and to the rather dry and somewhat overcomplexity of the source text. This book really is a fantastic explanation that solidified the concepts for me in a way which none of the previous summaries I had read had even come close to.However, there were several parts where this wasn't the case. The Transcendental Deduction in the Analytic (both the most important and the most complicated part of the book) I only really GOT from the source text. The reason for this is also an interesting critique of the Routledge guide: the occasional problem is that the guide often presents an analysis of the concepts of the Critique within the context of the fact that the book can either be interpreted from the Analytic tradition or the Continental/Idealist tradition. These two interpretations of the work are very very different, and if you buy into one the other will confuse the hell out of you. Personally I would say that I sit very firmly in the Continental camp in the way that I would read this, in particular I tend to read it very much as proto-phenomenolgy of the Heideggerian variety. Therefore, the description of the deduction in the guide, because it is sensitive to both interpretations, was actually very confusing; and it was only when I read the actual book that I truly understood the transcendental unity of apperception in my own way.However, I am not saying this is a fault of the book; simply that you need to bear this in mind if you intend to read this instead of the source text.One last note for Kindle readers: the book is not tagged very well in the Kindle edition, for example the contents page does not include the actual names of the chapters. Otherwise it's OK though

I suspect most people reading philosophy have never dared to scale the CPR but have relied on reports from the summit in the form of encyclopaedia entries, or one of the numerous guides on the market. Most of these are probably wrong to the extent that they purport to tell you what Kant said. This present volume is essential reading because of its honesty. I lost count of the number of times Kant’s position was described as “confused”, “perplexing”, “far from clear” and so forth. The result is that anyone struggling with CPR will be comforted by an acknowledgement that she is attempting probably the most difficult philosophical text there is, whilst anyone simply wanting to understand Kant and all subsequent philosophy, both analytic and continental, will come away with a clear appreciation of why it all stems from what you make of what you think Kant was trying to say.

In my opinion this is an excellent and clear guide. Professor Guyer (authority on Kant) describes the guide as the best introduction to Kant's Critique written in the last 20 years. Guyer is translator of the Cambridge edition of the works of Kant, editor of the Cambridge Companion to Kant and author of at least one leading textbook and many articles. Not a man to give praise lightly, I would suggest.I found the Guide made clear that which the Kemp-Smith translation of Kant did not, by explaining some of the historical background and giving examples. The guide also explains how the idealist and empiricist arguments, prevalent at the time Kant wrote, were refuted by Kant. Without the historical background and the reasoning of the idealists and empiricists being explained, the reader will struggle to understand what Kant is trying to do.Reading Gardner makes what Kant has to say clear, which is not to say that you should not read Kant himself. But I would not reverse the process and only read Kant, that way lies madness and frustration. The Critique is the Mount Everest of philosophy, and you will need a sherpa. Gardner's book is the support you will need.

Although a used one, the book is in perfect conditions.

cool

Could have saved me months (or maybe years of study). Start with this early in you Kant reading. Essential reading.

too academic

A clear and thorough guidebook/companion to the CPR, perfectly accessible to undergraduates and patient general readers. The book follows the structure of the CPR closely, so is perfect for side-by-side reading. The more dense and perplexing sections are clearly explained, often using Gardner's own and adapted examples. The reader is also introduced to some of the interpretative issues surrounding the text, and Gardner generally offers compelling replies to Kant's critics (where possible); the book is also good on historical context. This is another good addition to the Routledge Guidebook series that stands as the best 'side-by-side' companion for the newcomer to Kant's most daunting work. Its particular merit is in being accessible and introductory, but also comprehensive and detailed - the more technical parts of the book, and the web of interpretative issues are not skipped over but patiently and clearly dealt with.