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Why did Immanuel Kant publish a second edition of Critique of Pure Reason?
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Immanuel Kant
German philosopher Immanuel Kant surrounded by Ouroboros, an emblematic serpent of ancient Egypt and Greece, engraving by John Chapman, published in London, 1812.
Immanuel Kant published a second, revised edition of his Critique of Pure Reason in 1787 primarily to address widespread misunderstandings of his work.1
Although Kant was convinced of the truth of his doctrine, he found that contemporary interpreters and critics were misinterpreting his ideas. He had originally published the first edition reluctantly, feeling uncertain about his own exposition, and his subsequent concerns were confirmed by the negative reception and confusion surrounding the text. In addition to the second edition, he wrote the Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics That Will be Able to Come Forward as Science (1783) to help clarify his philosophical position.1