A Commentary to Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason'

Norman Kemp Smith traces the difficulties of Kant's account of knowledge through close explanation and criticism of the Critique of Pure Reason. His commentary argues that the book's obscurities arise partly from passages composed at different stages and partly from tensions within Kant's thinking. Drawing on Kant's private papers as well as the published text, Smith follows the central arguments while examining how they developed.

The discussion ranges across space, time, logic and the conditions of self-consciousness. In one sustained passage, Smith considers the distinction between appearance and illusion, asking how the thinking self fits within Kant's account of experience. The contents arrange detailed textual analysis alongside broader discussions of philosophical problems. Readers working through Kant can use this volume as an accompanying commentary, while those interested in particular arguments can turn to its systematic sections for a closer examination of their assumptions and difficulties.