I’m currently in university, and I am very interested in taking at least one philosophy class (I am an engineering major). However, the only class that is currently available for me is a class about Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. The class does not have any prerequisites so I’m hoping it doesn’t require too much prior philosophical experience (I have none) but I’ve heard Kant is one of the most difficult philosophers to grasp and that CPR specifically is very difficult and dense. I just wanted to hear some feedback on if this class is viable for a newbie. There is very little description for the course other than “We will focus on topics such as the self, space and time, causation, and the nature and limits of human knowledge.” Thanks!
If the class says it does not require background then I believe that the instructor has tailored it to an audience interested in philosophy with some introduction to the ideas such that Kant is the lens to thinking about philosophy rather than asking new students to do the interpretive dive into Kant.
I very much doubt that an intro class on Kant would require you to read very much of the text. Selections? Sure, they should do that. But you aren’t going to be required to read whole chunks of the book in an introductory class.
I really don’t know if a class on Kant would make a good introductory course in philosophy. Me, I did two years of undergrad philosophy as part of an Arts degree, and Kant wasn’t even part of my curriculum (the first unit was on Descartes ‘the first modern philosopher’.) I wasn’t to encounter Kant for some years after that (and then it was on a book on Buddhist philosophy which compared elements of Buddhist thought with Kant.) Obviously we don’t know how capable you might be of grasping the drift of Kant straight out of the gate - you may well be! - but from my observation, there are a lot of well-educated people who really don’t seem to see the point of his famous Critique.
Regardless, have a look at this primer The Continuing Relevance of Immanuel Kant by Emrys Westacott. It’s as good a small intro as any.
It will be a survey course, so the goal is to introduce.