Abstract

Early modern geological discoveries challenged biblical chronology and reshaped ideas of Earth, time, and human significance and dignity. Kant's early essays on the 1755 Lisbon earthquake exemplify this shift, offering empirically grounded hypotheses on subterranean causes, seismic waves, and volcanic activity. Beyond natural philosophy, they combine scientific reasoning, practical foresight, and aesthetic reflection, portraying humans as observers and actors within a succession of ever-evolving worlds—each rising and declining, yet all governed by the same natural laws. Reading these essays as part of a coherent project reveals that Kant's engagement with geohistory and cosmology underpins his critical philosophy, showing that his early reflections on the world, space, time, and humanity are structurally foundational to his mature thought.