The Critique of Practical Reason
The Critique of Practical Reason is the second of Immanuel Kant's three critiques, published in 1788. Building on his Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, it treats the moral law as a fact of reason and develops the ideas of respect for the law and the highest good.
- Editions tracked
- 1
Which edition do you have?
Editions
- Longmans, Green1879 Hardback I own Kant's Critique of Practical Reason and Other Works on the Theory of Ethics, Longmans, Green 1879 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Read next
- Comes after
- Critique of Pure Reason
- Followed by
- Critique of Judgment
In print
- Editions recorded
- 65 on Open Library, 34 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 30 languages
- Free to read
- Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
Pictures of the book
.jpg){kind=link}
Freely licensed pictures of the work. They are not necessarily the edition you hold: check the points on each edition's page.
More by Immanuel Kant
Questions about The Critique of Practical Reason
No questions yet. Not sure which edition you have, or whether a detail matters? Be the first to ask: collectors and our editors answer.
Reviews of The Critique of Practical Reason
Read it or own it? Share what The Critique of Practical Reason is like to read or collect.
Know what you are looking at
How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
How many editions of The Critique of Practical Reason are there?
We track 1 edition of The Critique of Practical Reason. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
When was The Critique of Practical Reason first published?
The Critique of Practical Reason by Immanuel Kant was first published in 1788.
What should I read after The Critique of Practical Reason?
In order, it follows Critique of Pure Reason and it is followed by Critique of Judgment, according to Wikidata.
Can I read The Critique of Practical Reason for free?
Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.
Where these facts come from
- Critique of Practical Reason, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Kant's Moral Philosophy, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2025 (plato.stanford.edu)
- Critique of Practical Reason (Q870851), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 21 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.