14th International Kant Congress

September 8-13, 2024

The 14th International Kant Congress will be organized and hosted by the Institute for Philosophie of the University of Bonn and the Kant-Society (Germany). In celebration of the 300th anniversary of Kant’s birth, and in view of the political developments of our time, the theme of the congress will be “Kant’s Project of Enlightenment”. In 2024, the city of Bonn will also be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the German Constitution, which was enacted into law in Bonn on May 23, 1949, as the Grundgesetz of the Federal Republic of Germany.

What is Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment emphasized the moral autonomy of the individual and the inalienable political rights of all human beings. Its aim was to overcome deeply engrained prejudices in religion, the state, and society and to defend the principles of rational criticism and emancipation, all while advocating a scientific orientation to the world. The ideas of the Enlightenment are understood to be universal: All human beings are to be considered equal, regardless of gender, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation. Kant remains one of the most important representatives of the European Enlightenment and one of its central contributors.