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Abstract In the second half of the 18th century, with the rise of the Enlightenment and educational reform in Germany, the Prussian government reformed the pedagogical lectures at German universities which centered around Konigsberg University. The reform aimed at weakening the church’s control over school education and teacher training, and promoted the establishment of the national education system. In 1774, according to the special instruction issued by the Prussian government, Konigsberg University decided that the professors of the College of Philosophy should give pedagogical lectures in turn. These lectures were included in the teaching system of the university in the form of ″public lectures″. All the students of the College of Philosophy could take part in this course without extra payment. In this context, eight professors of College of Philosophy of Konigsberg University, including Immanuel Kant, took turns to give pedagogical lectures, establishing pedagogical lectures at German universities as an important base for teacher training. In this process, Kant not only absorbed the theoretical resources of J.J.Rousseau’s educational thought, but also referred to the educational practice of Philanthropinism represented by J.B.Basedow in the Philanthropinum school. At the same time, combined with his own critical philosophical system, Kant systematically expounded his own educational thought and theory, thus further promoting pedagogical lectures at German universities as an important base of pedagogical research. In fact, the reform of pedagogical lectures at Konigsberg University in 1774 was only the beginning. It led to further reforms of pedagogical lectures at German universities during the 18th and 19th centuries. For instance, the University of Halle set up an independent pedagogical lecture in 1779, and appointed E.C.Trapp, a disciple of Basedow, as a full-time professor. Konigsberg University also appointed S.G.Wald as a full-time professor of pedagogical lectures in 1790. In 1809, J.F. Herbart was appointed as professor of Kant’s philosophy lecture at Konigsberg University. On the basis of pedagogical lectures, he set up the pedagogy research class ″Seminar″ and an experimental school to carry out teaching experiments. Thereafter, German universities gradually developed into one of the centers of pedagogical research, which profoundly influenced Europe, America and the world. From this point of view, a specific and systematic study of the reform of pedagogical lectures at modern German universities centered around Konigsberg University is helpful for the academic circles to grasp the formation and characteristics of Kant’s educational thought, and to further understand the historical significance and influence of Kant’s pedagogical lectures.
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