Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) was a seminal German philosopher whose work largely inaugurated the modern era of philosophy and has had a profound and enduring impact on Western intellectual history. Born in Königsberg, then part of Prussia, Kant spent most of his life there, cultivating a philosophical system that bridged the gap between rationalism and empiricism. His three Critiques - 'The Critique of Pure Reason,' 'The Critique of Practical Reason,' and 'The Critique of Judgment' - are foundational texts in Western philosophy. In the 'Critique of Pure Reason,' Kant investigates the limits and scope of human understanding, proposing a groundbreaking framework for synthesizing empirical observations with the necessities imposed by human reason. His moral philosophy is elucidated in 'The Critique of Practical Reason,' where he introduces the concept of the categorical imperative as the basis of ethical action. 'The Critique of Judgment,' where aesthetics and teleology are discussed, rounds off his critical project. Apart from these, Kant wrote important works on various subjects, including 'Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics,' 'Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals,' and 'Metaphysics of Morals.' Known for his precise and rigorous style, Kant had an immense influence on philosophy, impacting thinkers and movements from German idealism to contemporary analytic and continental traditions.